When we think of lemon, what comes to mind? For me it’s the sunny, bright and crisp yet sometimes tart flavor and astringent, bright scent that accompanies it. Lemon essential oil is actually one of the main active ingredients in our lemon-tea scented (naturally, of course) natural deodorant balm because lemon oil is such a powerful anti-odor agent due to its antibacterial properties.

Aside from that, lemon often brings to mind popular scented products like candles, spray cleaners, scented air fresheners, wood polishers and many other cleaner type products due to the popularity of the scent and the parallel to cleanliness it conjurs.

You might also think of refreshing drinks like lemonade, lemon sodas or even lemon adult beverages! Which brings us to our topic dujour. Lemon water. Why drink freshly squeezed lemon juice from the pulp of the fruit itself, in your water? Are there actually everyday health benefits to drinking your water prepared this way?  And last but not least, is it actually more hydrating and detoxifying to drink your water this way?

The Electrolyte Factor

Freshly squeezed lemon juice is actually packed with electrolyte minerals. It also happens to be very alkalizing for the body, even though that seems counterintuitive due to the acidic nature of lemon juice. Why do electrolytes matter? If you want to read more about alkaline water be sure to see our previous post on the benefits of drinking alkaline water.

Electrolytes are powerful minerals that act as hydrating agents to the body. Drinking water that is enriched with electrolytes will provide a much more quenching experience. It also just sustains you longer that regular tap water or unenriched water. It’s a great idea to have either electrolyte enhanced water or lemon water handy if you’re planning on being in a hot climate where you’re losing precious electrolytes through excessive sweating.

Dehydration and Alkalinity

If you experience a deficiency in these powerful minerals through dehydration, you will know it. Nausea, loss of consciousness, heat stroke and even heart palpitations can occur when your body is low on these important minerals. Two of the most important electrolytic minerals in lemon juice (remember, must be freshly squeezed, no processed stuff) are potassium and calcium.

Think of the word itself “electrolytes”. Electrolytes contain the prefix of the word electricity. Electrolytes have an effect on the electrical rhythms of the heart. We are, after all, beings that are regulated by electrical impulses in more ways than one.

Here is the a partial description of the role electrolytes play in the human body : Electrolytes are essential for basic life functioning, such as maintaining electrical neutrality in cells, generating and conducting action potentials in the nerves and muscles. Sodium, potassium, and chloride are the significant electrolytes along with magnesium, calcium, phosphate, and bicarbonates (source - https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov › 31082167). The electrically charged particles are pretty important in other words.

If you experience light headedness, fogginess, or even the sensation that you are fatigued, then try adding lemon to your water. You may be suffering from even mild dehydration, and the lemon juice can make you feel most instantly better.

It’s also worth mentioning that hunger and thirst are often confused with one another. People who are more thoroughly hydrated, with high quality electrolyte-enriched water, may actually experience less hunger. This could be a huge added bonus if you’re watching what you eat and or looking for ways to help suppress an overactive appetite.

By the way, fresh lemon juice water is also very alkalizing to the body. This means that although the lemon fruit itself is outwardly acidic, its effects in the human body are actually alkalizing. Alkaline environments are thought to lend to vibrant health and it is a subject worth reading about on its own.

Detox & Digestion

Many who drink lemon water every day believe it helps in detoxifying their tissues. Not only that, lemon water can aid in digestion and help with sour stomach. Although it seems counterintuitive due to lemons "sour" taste, it has an effect on the stomach that aids in digestion and helps complement the digestive enzymes and bile in breaking down food.  My husband has begun drinking at least a large glass of lemon water every day and it has helped him immensely with occasional flare ups of a gastritis type of condition. 

Drinking lemon water also reportedly has detoxification properties. There is some great anecdotal evidence that it can help to cleanse the liver.  Electrolytes themselves are considered antioxidants, so its no surprise that the antioxidant properties of lemon water can help to detoxify the body and the organs.

Vitamin C

Lemon juice also supplies a nice boost of vitamin C. It’s interesting about vitamin C, this is one of the most important vitamins to the human body, and most people don’t realize it actually has a rather short half-life. What is a half-life?

Half-life refers to the amount of time a vitamin is actually active in the body before it is flushed out through the urine. Vitamin C is what is called water soluble, meaning it is not fat soluble. Fat soluble means a vitamin is stored in the fat reserves, whereas water soluble means it is not stored, but rather is expelled from the body on an ongoing basis.

This means it must be replenished often to have a therapeutic benefit. Humans must get Vitamin C externally, as we do not actually possess the capability to synthesize this vitamin without getting it in our diet. So it is absolutely crucial that we take it in dietarily or through supplementation. Vitamin C in ACV and why it's so good for your hair and scalp

So adding lemon juice to your water and drinking it this way several times a day is a great way to keep your vitamin C levels up throughout the day. Vitamin C plays a crucial role in immunity, cancer prevention, and the health of the skin, brain and teeth and gums. There are numerous important roles this vitamin plays, too numerous to list out here. Suffice it to say, any time we can sneak some extra vitamin C into our diet, the better off we are.