In the past few years the health benefits of lemon water have been gaining a wider audience as celebs and wellness experts have been extolling its many virtues. Starting your day with a warm glass of lemon water can help with everything from weight loss to fighting bad breath. Fashion designer Georgina Chapman of Marchesa echoes the increasing number of women who say, “The first thing I do in the morning is drink a glass of water with lemon.”
As is the case with many wellness fads, experts are mixed on just how beneficial lemon water is, but they unanimously agree that it is healthy and it certainly can’t hurt you. One of the best things about this particular trend is that it’s just about as easy and inexpensive as they come—lemons, water and a glass are all you need.
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One of the major health benefits of lemon water and a great reason to start your day with a glass, is that it’s an traditional home remedy for constipation. The citric acid stimulates your digestive tract and helps get everything moving in the right direction. We like the sound of that! It also relieves heartburn and bloating. Lemons are a good source of potassium which gets your brain going.
With all of that forward momentum, it only makes sense that drinking lemon water is great for weight loss too. According to fitness expert, celebrity trainer, and star of Personal Training with Jackie: 30 Day Fast Start, Jackie Warner: “Adding the lemon helps to detoxify the liver and metabolizes fat, so this can speed up metabolism by about 33 percent. That burns about 100 extra calories per day!”
Not only that, if you substitute lemon water for sports drinks, you’re cutting calories there too. Lemons are also one of the best natural sources of pectin, a soluble fiber that help control your appetite and regulate blood sugar. In the aftermath of holiday binging we all feel the need to cleanse our systems and what do you know? Lemon water aids in regulating bile production and detoxifying your liver. What cocktails?
While we’re talking detox, one of the health benefits of lemon water that the ladies appreciate is that it discourages urinary tract infections. Lemons are a natural diuretic—meaning they make you pee—which helps flush out the urinary tract. In addition, although most people think of lemons as acidic, they’re actually very alkalizing and help balance your body’s pH. This keeps bacteria at bay.
If you’re one of the many winter cold sufferers, you may be ready to sell your first born for a way to cut through all that phlegm. Good news! You can keep your family intact and clear your throat by drinking lemon water throughout the day. Fresh breath is an added (and much appreciated!) bonus. You’re also getting tons of vitamin C to boost your immune system.
Another of our favorite health benefits of lemon water and its high levels of vitamin C, is how it keeps our complexion youthful and glowing. Vitamin C is a vital part of collagen synthesis, which combats wrinkles, and it neutralizes harmful free radicals throughout your body reducing cell damage and inflammation. Is it any wonder lovely ladies like Miranda Kerr, Cameron Diaz and Lauren Conrad swear by this amazingly simple beverage?
