15 Reasons Why (Filtered) Lemon Water is Good for Your Health

Lemon. We love the tangy flavor it adds to our chicken recipes, cookies, cocktails, etc. But did you know this small citrus fruit is an excellent source of nutrients and antioxidants vital for your health and immunity?

People who start their day with a cup of warm lemon water report that they get a tremendous mental boost and feel more energetic and hydrated throughout the day. That’s because lemons are a vitamin-C powerhouse and contain antioxidants that eliminate toxins and bacteria from the body. Lemons also have lots of other nutrients our bodies need to aid digestion and boost immunity.

If you’re considering adding lemon water to your daily diet, today’s your lucky day. In this article, we’re exploring the health perks of drinking this all-powerful beverage. We’ll also include when and how you should drink it. Then, because we’re feeling extra loving, we’ll share our little secret of how to make your lemon water even healthier. Let’s dig in.

The Individual Powers of Lemon and Water in the Body

Lemons

Lemons are rich in vitamin C, a powerful antioxidant that protects the cells from the damage caused by free radicals in the body, thus preventing or delaying certain cancers and heart disease and promoting healthy aging. Besides, vitamin C helps heal wounds and maintain healthy bones, teeth, skin, and cartilage. It also helps keep infections at bay.

Several other nutrients in lemons include vitamin B6, vitamin A, vitamin E, copper, calcium, iron, magnesium, zinc, potassium, protein, phosphorous, pantothenic acid, riboflavin, niacin, and thiamin – all of which, in balanced amounts, keep the body strong and healthy.

Water

Water is the real MVP when it comes to improving health and boosting hydration. This substance makes up about 60% of our body weight and is involved in many critical bodily functions, including:

  • Helping your brain function
  • Regulating body temperature
  • Flushing out waste from your body
  • Hydrating the body
  • Aiding digestion
  • Helping with nutrient absorption

Of course, water offers many more benefits. But from those listed above, it’s clear that water plays a crucial role in our health and wellbeing.

The Combined Power of Lemon and Water

Now that you’ve gotten a glimpse of the individual powers of lemon and water, imagine the power boost your body receives when you combine the two. What’s more, a glass of lemon water contains less than 20 calories, making it the perfect beverage for people on a calorie-restricted diet and those looking to shed a few pounds. Lemon water also improves digestive functions and helps rid the body of waste and toxins.

Before we dive deeper into these benefits and explore a couple more, let’s define our terms. When we say “lemon water,” we’re not referring to a single floating slice to make our water look prettier and taste slightly less plain. We’re talking about the juice of half or more organic lemon in water. Squeezing in this amount means you’re more likely to receive all the potential benefits. More importantly, using organic lemon ensures that you’re drinking lemon water and not pesticide water. Let’s continue.

15 Incredible Health Benefits of Drinking Lemon Water

1. It flushes toxins from the body.

Toxins are everywhere – in the water we drink, the food we eat, the air we breathe, and even in the products we use on our skin. When these poisonous substances enter and build up in our bodies, they can do some real damage to our internal organs and systems, often leading to different kinds of diseases and illnesses, physical discomforts, skin issues, etc. Although the body’s natural detox process does a pretty fantastic job of ridding the body of pollutants and contaminants, the citric acid in lemon water assists this process. Lemon water also helps regulate bowel movement and acts as a natural diuretic to stimulate urination and clean the urinary tract.

2. It aids digestive health.

A healthy digestive system is the foundation of good all-round health. Research shows that acids found in lemons may supplement the body’s natural stomach acids, further assisting in the digestive process. Lemons contain about 10% carbs, mainly soluble fiber, and simple sugars. Pectin, the primary fiber in lemons, is a soluble fiber linked to various health benefits.

Experts in the Ayurveda field say the sour lemon taste helps stimulate your “Agni.” A strong Agni is said to jumpstart the digestive system, allowing you to digest food more efficiently. Lemon also activates bile production in the liver. Bile is used to bind up the fats and fat-soluble toxins to be discharged from the body.

However, to get these benefits of fiber from lemons, you need to eat the pulp. If you only drink the lemon water, you will miss out on the fibers’ unique value.

3. It reduces cancer risk.

Lemons have natural substances that are said to have cancer-fighting properties. The two anti-carcinogenic properties found in lemon (in the peels) are modified citrus pectin (MCP) and limonoid. Research and studies have found that MCP can inhibit the spread of breast, liver, bone, prostate, and skin cancer. Likewise, limonoid is believed to slow cancer cells’ growth and induce apoptosis (cell death). Vitamin C and other antioxidants in lemon help prevent free radical damage to cells leading to cancer.

4. It promotes hydration.

Hydration is key to our bodily processes, from digestion and excretion to keeping our organs functioning properly. And since water makes up about 60% of the adult body, it is the ideal beverage to keep you hydrated. But for people who don’t like water’s bland taste, adding lemon enhances the flavor, which may encourage you to drink more – hopefully enough to stay hydrated. After all, water is the main component of lemon water.

Lemon water is also an excellent swap for sugary drinks. Beverages loaded with sugar, such as soda and sports drinks, can reduce the amount of fluid your body absorbs to carry out its vital functions. They’re also linked to weight gain, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and many other adverse health conditions. Switching to lemon water will spare your body of the sugar and chemical additives found in many sweetened beverages and promote increased hydration.

5. It boosts immunity.

Because of vitamin C’s antioxidant role in the body, lemon water (rich in vitamin C) supports a strong immune system by preventing certain infections. As we mentioned earlier, vitamin C protects the body against free radical damage and bacteria, keeping the immune system running smoothly. Also, evidence shows that vitamin C can shorten the length of the common cold. But what’s even more astonishing is that squeezing just a half of a lemon into your water provides almost one-third of the recommended daily intake of vitamin C.

6. It helps prevent kidney stones.

Kidney stones are small lumps that form when the kidneys become saturated with crystallized waste products, such as acids, oxalate, and calcium. And believe it when we say they can be incredibly painful. Thankfully, the citric acid and potassium in lemon may help prevent kidney stones.

Potassium citrate is a urinary alkalinizing agent. It works by making the urine more alkaline (less acidic), which prevents the calcium buildup that can lead to kidney stones. The increased hydration from drinking lemon water also helps maintain proper urine flow and decrease stone formation.

7. It protects against anemia.

Anemia is a blood disorder often caused by not getting enough iron from the food you eat. Lemons don’t contain much iron, but their high vitamin C and citric acid contents increase the amount of iron your body absorbs from plant foods. The problem is that your gut absorbs iron from meats very quickly, but lags when it comes to iron from plant sources. This is where lemon water comes in. If you have an iron deficiency, taking an iron supplement or an iron-rich meal with vitamin C (which lemons provide) helps with the minerals’ absorption, restoring your energy levels and getting you feeling like your energized self again.

8. It helps with weight loss.

Since lemon water is flavorful and low in calories, it’s a fantastic substitute for less healthy beverages, like sodas, sports drinks, ice teas, and juices – which often contain added sugar. By drinking lemon water in place of these sugary drinks, it can help you restrict your calorie intake and potentially aid your weight loss efforts. Also, lemon water helps cleanse the liver and prevent bloating. As such, you might experience an increase in your metabolic rate. As you probably know, the higher your metabolic rate, the more fat you burn, especially during your workout sessions.

9. It helps balance and maintains the body’s pH levels.

Lemons are citrus fruits that are acidic by nature. However, once absorbed into the bloodstream, lemon water has an alkalizing effect on body tissues. Why is this a good thing? While we need acid to aid food digestion, it’s essential to balance our body’s pH levels. This is because too much acid makes us prone to diseases, ranging from high cholesterol to diabetes.

10. It supports heart health.

Research shows that eating foods with lots of vitamin C reduces your risk of heart disease and stroke. By now, you know that lemon contains high amounts of vitamin C. But it’s not only vitamin C that’s good for heart health. The fiber and plant compounds in lemon could significantly lower some risk factors for heart disease.

11. It’s good for your skin.

Nobody likes acne, spots, blemishes – or anything else that makes our skin look less than perfect. Lemon water acts as an internal cleanser, with antibacterial properties that help fight various skin conditions from the inside. Drinking lemon water can help blackheads, whiteheads, and even bad acne. It achieves that by blasting away any bacteria that cause skin infections, redness, and inflammation.

The vitamin C content in lemon neutralizes free radicals and stimulates cell renewal by exfoliating your skin. On top of that, lemon helps make collagen and elastin, which keeps your skin plump, youthful, resilient, smooth, and radiant. Without adequate collagen, our skin would start to wrinkle and become discolored.

12. It energizes and improves mood.

Feeling a bit down or drained lately? Add lemon juice to your water for a quick electrolyte punch or mood boost. Lemons are a natural energy booster and may enhance the mood with aromatherapy. So, if reaching for a cup of coffee every few hours is becoming your new norm, or you’ve been feeling stressed and moody of late, consider drinking lemon water each morning. You should start feeling a lot better and more energized than you have in a while.

13. It nourishes the brain, nerve, and muscle cells.

We know vitamin C has been getting all the praise since the start of this article. However, there’s another vital nutrient we must highlight: potassium. Lemons contain potassium, which helps send more oxygen to your brain and repair muscle cells.

14. It supports health during pregnancy.

Lemons pack essential nutrients, vitamins, and minerals that help support a mother’s health during pregnancy. Vitamin C deficiency in a pregnant woman can hinder fetal brain development, especially in the hippocampus, responsible for memory. But thanks to the significant levels of flavones in lemons, she can benefit from improved immunity during pregnancy. Folate, another essential nutrient in lemon, is incredibly vital for pregnant women to prevent neural tube defects, such as anencephaly and spina bifida. These defects are said to affect the spinal cord and brain and develop at an early pregnancy stage.

15. It freshens breath.

Have you ever rubbed a lemon on something (like your hands) to get rid of some strong odor? The same folk remedy may apply to bad breath caused by eating foods with strong smells, such as garlic, onions, fish, or even by mouth bacteria. The citric acid in lemon juice can kill these bacteria, but note that too much citric acid exposure to the teeth may affect the enamel.

When is the ideal time of day to drink lemon water?

After reading about all the great health benefits lemon water has to offer, we know you can’t wait to add it to your daily diet. The good thing is, you can drink lemon water any time of the day – early morning, before meals, after meals, before bed. However, we recommend drinking it first thing in the morning on an empty stomach (about 30 minutes before your first meal of the day) to help get your day off to a healthy start. This is especially effective if your goal is to lose weight. Adding lemon to your water in the morning makes you feel less hungry.

Moreover, it fires up the digestive system and metabolism, adding to the weight loss process. Lemon water is also a powerful energy booster required by the body during the morning time. Our tissues are dehydrated from the overnight fast and immediately need fluids to push toxins out of the body.

Our secret of how to make the healthiest lemon water

To reap the full benefits from your lemon water, you need to drink it consistently. But even more importantly, ensure to use organic lemon and filtered water. Using organic lemon prevents pesticides or related chemicals from leaching in your drink, and filtered water makes sure it is free from harmful contaminants commonly found in unfiltered tap water.

The most convenient way to filter your water is to install a water filtration system. These systems are designed to remove or reduce toxic pollutants, possibly lurking in your home’s drinking water supply. We’re talking contaminants like lead, copper, iron, chlorine, PFAS, bacteria, arsenic, herbicides, mercury, chlorine byproducts, and many more.

If you decide to make the step (a very smart one, if you do), we recommend installing a Springwell SWRO reverse osmosis (RO) under-counter filter. Our RO filters target and reduce a multitude of pollutants in drinking water, including:

  • Sediment (sand, dirt, silt)
  • Heavy metals (lead, fluoride, iron, arsenic, lead, aluminum, etc.)
  • Chemicals (chlorine, chloramine, pesticides, herbicides, chlorine byproducts, etc.)

These Springwell systems are point-of-use (POU) systems, meaning they provide clean, filtered water at specific taps in your home, whenever you need it. They are super easy to install and fit comfortably under counters with limited space. Plus, they produce up to 75 gallons of clean, great-tasting, and -smelling water every day.

When you purchase any one of these systems, you receive:

  • A lifetime warranty on all parts
  • A six-month money-back guarantee
  • Incredible factory-direct savings up to 50 percent
  • Free shipping
  • Affordable and stress-free financing option

If improving your health is your goal, it’s only right that you ensure your lemon water is free from all potential contaminants in water. If you have questions or concerns about our RO systems and other offerings, we’d love to hear from you.

Final Thoughts

As small as lemons are, they pack various essential minerals and nutrients the body needs to function at its best. From boosting hydration to reducing the risk of multiple cancers, lemon water is the ideal beverage to boost your health and immunity. What are you waiting for? Get out there and get mixing your own magical, healing lemon juice. But don’t forget to filter your water first. Enjoy!