Drinking lemon water in the morning is not as healthy as you think
Maybe it’s the lemons, maybe it’s the water. Whatever the reason: lemon water is hip in the wellness world. It gives your metabolism a boost, you fall off and it detoxifies your body, right? Apparently not, more even, the drink sometimes does more harm than good.
To immediately fall in with the door: the claim that lemon water gives your metabolism a boost and helps you to lose weight unfortunately – drum roll – does not work. According to gastroenterologist Niet Sonpal, there is no proof for it. “Only a 2010 study by Japanese researchers showed that mice that are insulin resistant lose a bit of weight when they ate polyphenols, a type of antioxidants found in lemons. But of course, that does not mean that the same effect would be observed in people.”
He points out that drinking enough water can make your stomach feel full, so your brain no longer thinks you have to stuff that whole bag of chips into your mouth. “Replacing your high-calorie latte macchiato with lemon water can also help you lose weight, but lemon itself is not a magical fat burner.”
Researchers have discovered that drinking ice cold water helps to burn a few extra calories, but they are negligible.
That lemon water helps to detoxify your body is also a persistent myth according to Sonpal. “Drinking lemon water in the morning does not help flush the toxins out of your body. Your body detoxifies itself: your liver, kidneys, colon, your skin … they do all of that for you. So, you do not have to drink crazy drinks to detox your body. Lemon water hydrates and gives your water a better taste, that’s all.”
More sensitive teeth
Moreover, the drink is not good for your teeth at all. “Drinking lemon water daily can make your teeth more sensitive. That is because the acid in a lemon affects your tooth enamel. And that glaze layer protects your teeth just from cold and heat,” says dentist Lee Gause. Cannot you say goodbye to your beloved drink? “Then rinse your teeth with water for at least 30 seconds and then for another 30 seconds with a mouthwash with fluoride. That puts a protective fluoride layer on your teeth so they will not be affected less quickly.”
Of course, lemons are a good source of vitamin C, for example about 30 mg of vitamin C in a lemon and the recommended daily amount is 65 to 90 mg per day. Yet you do not necessarily have to drink lemon water. Other citrus fruit or fruit and vegetable varieties such as melon and kale also contain a lot of vitamin C and are less harmful to your teeth. Also, to give your immunity a boost, you do not come with your daily glass of lemon water. After all, research shows that you have to take 1 to 2 grams of vitamin C, converted to the juice of 33 lemons, to reduce the duration and intensity of a cold.
