A yellow oval citrus fruit with thick skin and fragrant, containing acidic juice, describes the lemon. It is used for culinary and non-culinary purposes the world over, primarily for its juice. It is also used for cleaning. The lemon has rich nutritional value as a source of vitamin C. It comes in several varieties. Here Annett McDermott, Healthline.com, reflects on the many benefits the body receives from lemon water:

 

“Lemon water is all the rage these days.

Many restaurants serve it routinely, and some people start their day with lemon water instead of coffee or tea. There’s no doubt lemons are delicious, but does adding them to water make you healthier?

Much of the evidence supporting lemon water’s health benefits is anecdotal.

Little scientific research has been done specifically on lemon water’s impact on health as a whole, but some research exists on the benefits of lemon and water separately.

Here are seven ways your body may benefit from lemon water.

Image courtesy of: Gaby Altenberger

#1. It promotes hydration

According to the Food and Nutrition Board, the dietary reference intake for water is 91 to 125 ounces. This includes water from food and drinks.

Water is the best beverage for hydration, but some people don’t like the taste of it on its own. Adding lemon enhances water’s flavor, which may help you drink more.

#2. It's a good source of vitamin C

Citrus fruits like lemons are high in vitamin C, which is a primary antioxidant that helps protect cells from damaging free radicals.

Vitamin C may reduce your risk of cardiovascular disease and stroke, and lower blood pressure. Research published in Stroke showed that people with low vitamin C levels, especially obese men with high blood pressure, have a higher risk of stroke.

Vitamin C may also help prevent or limit the duration of the common cold in some people, although studies are conflicting.

While lemons don’t top the list of citrus fruits high in vitamin C, they’re still a good source. According to the United States Department of Agriculture, 1/4 cup raw lemon juice provides about 23.6 grams of vitamin C. That’s over 30 percent of the recommended daily allowance (RDA).

#3. It improves your skin quality

Vitamin C found in lemons may help reduce skin wrinkling. A study published in the American Society for Clinical Nutrition concluded that people who consumed more vitamin C have less risk of wrinkled and dry skin.

How water improves skin is controversial, but one thing is certain. If your skin loses moisture, it becomes dry and wrinkle-prone.

Whether it’s better to apply moisturizer to the skin or drink more water isn’t clear, but UW Health recommends drinking at least eight glasses of water daily to stay hydrated and rid the skin of toxins.

#4. It supports weight loss

A study published in the Journal of Clinical Biochemistry and Nutrition showed that polyphenol antioxidants found in lemons significantly reduced weight gain caused by a high-fat diet in mice. In addition, insulin resistance was improved.

While the same results need to be proven in humans, anecdotal evidence is strong that lemon water supports weight loss. Whether this is due to an increase in water intake and fullness or the lemons remains to be seen.”

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Read More … Article Source: https://www.healthline.com/health/food-nutrition/benefits-of-lemon-water

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