There’s a good reason lemon water has become so popular in recent years. The drink is said to offer a host of health benefits, from boosting your immune system to aiding in weight loss. But before you start adding lemon slices to every glass of water you drink, it’s important to be aware of the potential disadvantages of drinking lemon water daily.
Lemon water
Lemon water is simply the juice from lemon mixed with water. It’s a low-calorie and low-sugar beverage that can boost your vitamin C intake. It can be consumed both hot and cold, depending on personal preferences.
It’s a healthy morning beverage that has been claimed to increase our energy levels and immune system.
If you don’t enjoy drinking plain water in the morning, adding lemon juice is an excellent way to increase your water consumption. However, its important that you should be aware of the various health risks that it can cause.
So without any further delay, let’s get started with the nine surprising downsides to sipping on lemon water every day.
9 Disadvantages of drinking lemon water daily
Lemon water can damage your teeth
The prior disadvantage of lemon water is that it can damage you teeth.
Many people start their day with the beverage in an effort to cleanse and purify the body, as well as help with hydration. However, it seems that lemon water does not come without side effects.
That’s right, if consumed in large quantities or too frequently, lemon water can cause serious tooth damage. It can also make your teeth more prone to getting cavities.
Always make sure that you don’t brush your teeth just after drinking it. Lemon contains acid that softens your tooth enamel. Brushing your teeth after drinking lemon water can heavily damage your tooth enamel.
It’s best to wait at least an hour and rinse your mouth out well with tap or freshwater after drinking the lemon water.
However, lemon water, made from a little bit of lemon juice, will have little or no effect on teeth enamel.
Lemon water can cause or worsen your heartburns
Heartburn is the situation of burning pain in the chest or stomach that usually occurs after eating.
Lemon is a rich source of citric acid, and drinking too much lemon water during heartburn can worse your situation. However, drinking lemon water has gone both ways for most people. Some sources also claim that it has an alkalizing effect that can help neutralize the stomach acid produced during heartburns.
Lemon water can cause frequent urination
Lemons are high in ascorbic acid and vitamin C, both of which act as diuretics and increase urine production.
Drinking too much lemon water may cause you to spend more time in the washroom. Although there is no strong evidence for it, lemon juice helps get rid of the excess water from your body, resulting in frequent urination.
Lemon water can cause headaches
Drinking too much of lemon water daily can lead to headaches or migraines. It may be due to the presence of tyramine in lemon. It’s a natural compound found in plants, animals, and some foods.
Tyramine is considered a migraine trigger. Most doctors recommend a low-tyramine diet to reduce the recurrence of migraine attacks. Lemon water during this situation may worsen or trigger back the condition.
Additionally, drinking too much lemon water can lead to an electrolyte imbalance, which can also lead to headaches.
Lemon water may worse canker sores
Canker sores are small ulcers that occur in your mouths. They can be very painful and often makes eating, drinking, and talking uncomfortable.
According to Mckinley health center, certain foods that are rich in vitamin C, such as lemon, can make them worse, which is why you should avoid lemon water during canker sores.
However, the exact cause of canker sores is unknown, but many believe that it can result from citrus or acidic fruits and vegetables.
Lemon water may cause bone problems
Although there is no such strong evidence that lemon water may cause bone problems, drinking it in excess may have harmful side effects on your bones.
One good way to drink lemon water is to add honey to it. Honey will help you minimize the side effects of lemon water on bones.
However, a study shows that Vitamin C present in lemon is an essential nutrient for maintaining bone health.
Lemon water may lead to acidity
Lemon water taken regularly will not lead to acidity as soon as you are drinking it in moderation. The problem arises when you drink in excess. The excess intake of lemon water may cause or worsen acidity or gas problems.
However, according to some sources, lemon water has an alkalizing effect, which means it can neutralize stomach acid, potentially reducing acid reflux.
Lemon water can be bad for your skin
If you are thinking about adding lemon juice directly to your skin, you may need to think twice. Lemon juice is extremely acidic, and applying it to your skin may cause irritation.
Also, it makes your skin more vulnerable to free radical damage caused by UV rays and pollutants in the air.
So, the next time you reach for lemon juice, take a moment to consider how it will affect your skin.
It may decrease the effectiveness of medication
While you may think that the citric acid in lemons helps flush out toxins and other bad substances. A recent study found that lemon water may reduce the effectiveness of medications.
The citric acid found in lemons may lower the blood concentration of some medication in the body, making them less effective.
It has been reported that other citrus juices also interact with certain drugs and that patients should avoid citrus juice consumption while taking medications.
How much lemon water should you drink in a day?
Although there is no exact data available, many nutritionists believe that drinking the juice of 2 lemons per day is sufficient to keep you healthy and hydrated. Furthermore, it is perfectly safe to drink lemon water daily, if you drink it in a safe amount.
Is it bad to drink lemon water on an empty stomach?
Most people enjoy starting their day with a glass of lemon water on an empty stomach, but what if it’s not good for you? What if drinking lemon water on an empty stomach is harmful to your health?
You surely don’t want to drink something that is bad for your health that too at the start of your day.
So I started to do some research to find out if drinking lemon water on an empty stomach is bad or good.
This is what I discovered.
Drinking lemon water on an empty stomach in the morning is safe as long as no harmful additives are added. It helps in the replenishment of the body’s lost nutrients while you were sleeping. Also, it is calorie-free water, so it may assist you in losing those extra pounds you are concerned about.
Is it safe to drink lemon water at night?
Most people prefer drinking lemon water either first thing in the morning or last thing in the night. We all know that drinking it first thing in the morning has numerous advantages, including weight loss. However, many people wonder if it’s safe to drink lemon water at night.
Lemons are a rich source of vitamin C, which is great at improving sleep. Studies have shown that people who have a good concentration of vitamin C sleep better at night. It is also known to increase energy levels in the body, which makes you feel better when you wake up.
Final words
In a nutshell, drinking lemon water on a daily basis can harm your teeth, cause heartburn, frequent urination, headaches, bone problems and can reduce the effectiveness of medications.
Drinking lemon water in moderation is key to reaping the most benefits without experiencing any of these disadvantages.
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FAQs
Your water temperature helps to ensure the best utilization of the nutrients and vitamins present in lemon juice.
Water with a temperature between 68 to 79 degrees Fahrenheit is good to make lemon water.
Yes, it is safe to drink lemon water empty stomach in the morning. It helps your body to eliminate toxins and boost your immunity. However if you drink it too much it may lead to some side effects.
Some research shows that drinking cold lemon water helps your burn more extra calories. However, there is no strong evidence for this. It’s good to drink both, as both are healthy for you.
There is not enough evidence on this subject but drinking lemon water may cause frequent urination.
No drink can magically help you to lose weight. However, lemon water is low in calories. If you replace other high-calorie drinks with it, it may help you to lose weight.
Relying solely on lemon water to lose weight is not strategic. You also need to eat well and exercise to lose weight.
Yes, it’s safe to add lemon to your tea, and is good for your health.
You can read more about lemon tea here.
There is no harm in drinking lemon water during pregnancy as long as you drink it in moderation. A study from 2014 reports that lemon inhalation therapy may help you reduce nausea and vomiting during pregnancy.
However, before acting, you must always consult with a doctor or healthcare provider.
No, drinking lemon water on medication may cause harmful side effects.
Read about it more here.
