Hot Lemon Water – Is It As Good for You as People Say?

Are there benefits of drinking hot lemon water everyday?

The days of drinking your morning cup of coffee or tea are almost over. Nowadays, people are looking for alternative drinks to start the day with. Over the last few years, putting a slice of lemon in your water has become the new trend. Drinking a glass of hot lemon water on an empty stomach supposedly has a selection of benefits. Some include, helping to maintain healthy digestion, building up your immune system and reducing joint and muscle pain. However, is it time to scrap the caffeine all together and switch to only drinking the citrus fruit in hot water?

Caffeine or Citrus?

The lemon water craze has been used by several celebrities over the years who swear by it. Believing it is a refreshing and healthy start to the day compared to caffeine. However, is it just a craze or is there evidence to support the celebrities claims?

According to the nutrition experts at Edison Institute of Nutrition there are a variety of benefits ingesting lemon on a daily basis can have on your body. Lemon has a high source of vitamin C, potassium, calcium, phosphorus and magnesium. All of these elements can help build your immune and digestive system. Similarly, introducing lemon juice in warm water to your daily routine can keep you hydrated. Lemon introduces electrolytes into the body which will wake you up instantly.

Is a Hot Lemon really as good for you as they say?

Unfortunately, not everyone agrees with the celebrity claims. According to registered dietitian Samantha Blamires there is no need to drink hot lemon water as a way of detoxing. Your livers and kidneys are there to flush out all toxins, drinking lemon water will not increase this. As well as this, drinking hot lemon does not speed up your metabolism. However it can help you stop snaking as you’re filling up on water rather than food. Blamires also believes that if you were to drink lemon water daily, the amount of citric acid you would consume could lead to erosion causing teeth damage!

Hot lemon has good and bad qualities. As with all types of food and drink, if it is consumed in moderation you’ll likely receive the advantages over the disadvantages. Overall, if you decide to drink water for your tea, coffee or with a slice of lemon in it, you’ll gain the overall benefit of hydrating yourself.