Lemon water is a very trendy drink which to many has almost magical and mystical powers. To be honest though, is it any better than drinking ordinary water?
A lot of people swear by it. It has been a feature of many aspiring celebrity and actor who claim that drinking a glass of lemon water not only revives them but has extra benefits that a simple glass of water is missing. Water is essential for life and most people do not drink enough of it, whether it is lemon water, ordinary water or indeed any other types of water. It is reckoned that if we went without drinking any water for three days, we would be dead. Seems far fetched but there is plenty of clinical evidence out there to support such a view.
Lemon water does have benefits, but not as expected.
Lemon water is essentially squeezed lemon juice added to ordinary water. It is not pure lemon juice and if was would be extremely difficult to gulp down in its own right. Adding lemon juice to water including its pulp acidifies it which means the pH drops slightly and the water now contains an acid such as citric acid.
There is also lemon flavour in the water. It might simply be the case that we are making water more palatable. Water in its own right is highly subtle in flavour. Drinkers of Volvic are not drinkers of Evian for example but a drop of lemon juice with flavour and citric acid is perceived to be more refreshing. It seems too that we are prepared to drink more of it.
It also contains some vitamin C. For many vitamin C, the ‘sunshine’ vitamin is the one that helps our immune system to combat viruses (think of any at the moment ?..Ed.), can reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke. It is also needed for producing collagen which helps us build and repair structural proteins like bone and skin.
Lemon water contains polyphenols and citrus bioflavonoids. These sound like major chemicals but good ones. the flavonoids are antioxidants which mop up free radicals and help us fight both disease and associated forms of inflammation. They are also implicated in reducing the risks of certain cancers, diabetes, celiac disease and even heart disease. The polyphenols in some respects have similar benefits but operate in different parts of our biochemical pathways.
The issues with drinking too much acidic drinks though is the erosion we cause to teeth and the increase in risk of gastric reflux.
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