I’ve occasionally had a glass of warm lemon water in the mornings for years, but usually just because it sounded good and I wanted something warm besides coffee or herbal tea.
5 Health Benefits of Lemon Water in the Morning
In the last few weeks, I’ve seen several pictures and posts floating around the internet touting the benefits of drinking lemon water in the morning, so I decided to investigate this habit I’d already intuitively had for years.
Turns out there are real benefits to drinking lemon water, but some over-hyped ones as well.
1. Helps Digestion
The biggest lemon water benefit may be from the temperature of the water and not even the added lemon. Drinking any water, or especially warm water, first thing in the morning can help flush the digestive system and rehydrate the body.
Think about this… During sleep, you typically haven’t been drinking for at least 8 hours. Giving the body adequate water when you first wake up is a great way to get your body and your mind going.
A college friend of mine who had studied in Japan brought back that habit with her. She said that where she stayed in Japan, it was customary to drink 2-3 glasses of water first thing in the morning and that when she tried it she had noticeably more energy and improved digestion throughout the day.
2. A Natural Flush
The liver is extremely active during sleep since sleep is the body’s time to restore and regenerate. Drinking enough water, especially in the morning, helps make sure that the body can perform these jobs most effectively. There is even some evidence that lemon juice can help stimulate proper stomach acid production and bile production.
Benefits to your body: A happy liver and lymph system.
3. A Little Immune System Boost
Lemons contain Vitamin C… not a spectacularly high amount, but 30-50 mg per lemon. They also contain potassium.
Drinking lemon water first thing in the morning gives the body a chance to absorb these vitamins effectively and can provide a little immune boost.
Vitamin C is also good for the adrenals and can potentially help reduce the affects of stress.
4. Happier Skin
By helping flush the body and improve digestion, lemon water can lead to cleaner skin. It also contains Vitamin C which is needed for collagen production for smooth, healthy skin.
5. Healthy Weight
There is evidence that drinking water, especially lemon water, first thing in the morning can help maintain a healthy weight. Researchers in Germany found that drinking enough water increased metabolism:
Of course, drinking water (or lemon water) by itself isn’t going to be a miracle weight loss solution, but with other healthy habits, it can help maintain a healthy weight.
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