Drinking lemon water has always been a popular choice for daily hydration, especially in the summer. If consumed properly, lemon water can also help with whitening and weight loss, offering many unexpected benefits. Here, let's introduce the benefits and precautions of drinking lemon water.
What are the benefits of drinking lemon water in the summer?
Whitening. Because lemons are extremely rich in vitamins, lemon water is an excellent beauty product that can prevent and eliminate skin pigmentation, resulting in a whitening effect.
Reducing appetite. Lemon water contains soluble fiber pectin, which helps to enhance satiety, thereby controlling appetite and preventing overeating. Staying full for a longer time also helps to eat fewer snacks, thus controlling weight.
Preventing cardiovascular diseases. Lemons are rich in vitamin C and vitamin P, which can enhance the elasticity and toughness of blood vessels, preventing and treating symptoms of hypertension and myocardial infarction. In recent years, foreign research has also found that green lemons contain a component similar to insulin, which can lower abnormal blood sugar levels.
Boosting immunity. Lemons are rich in vitamin C, which has multiple effects such as antibacterial properties, enhancing immunity, and assisting in the generation of collagen. Drinking lemon water regularly can supplement vitamin C. When you have a cold, drinking 500 to 1000 milliliters of lemon water a day can reduce a runny nose and help the cold dissipate faster. This is especially true at the very onset of a cold, which can resolve on its own without medication. In addition to its antibacterial and immunity-boosting properties, it also has the effects of whetting the appetite, aiding digestion, promoting saliva production to quench thirst, and relieving summer heat.
Fighting skin aging. The antioxidant effects of lemon water help counteract free radical damage in the body and slow down the aging process. Its rich vitamin C content helps synthesize collagen from amino acids, protecting the skin and preventing premature wrinkles.
Clearing heat and resolving phlegm. Lemons can also help expel phlegm. The phlegm-expelling effect of lemon peel is even stronger than that of citrus. In the hot and humid summer weather, if one is not careful with their diet, the internal dampness of the body and the external dampness of the climate can interact, and prolonged accumulation of dampness and turbidity can lead to phlegm. Therefore, when there is excessive phlegm and throat discomfort in the summer, adding lemon juice to warm water with a small amount of salt can help expel the thick phlegm accumulated in the throat.
In addition, you should pay attention to the following points when drinking lemon water.
Principles for drinking lemon water in the summer
It is best to choose fresh lemons. Fresh lemons have a rich aroma, while dried lemons lose some of their aromatic components and vitamin C. Fresh lemons must be cut into thin slices with the peel on. Because the peel contains higher levels of flavonoids such as hesperidin and naringin, which are beneficial health components, and lemon essential oil is mainly found in the peel. Cutting them thinly helps the aromatic components in the lemon peel to infuse into the water. Flavonoids have a slightly bitter taste, which, combined with the natural sourness of the lemon, makes the drink more thirst-quenching in hot weather. The remaining lemon can be coated with honey on the cut surface, wrapped in plastic wrap, and stored in the refrigerator for up to three days.
Those with stomach problems should drink it in moderation. Some people say that people with stomach problems cannot drink lemon water because its high acidity will irritate the stomach, and it is even less suitable for those with excessive stomach acid. However, in reality, using one slice of lemon to infuse a large bottle of water results in very mild lemon water that is not as sour as sweet drinks like cola and is unlikely to cause a stomach ulcer. It's not like drinking pure lemon juice (which has a pH of around 2.5, similar to cola). Since citric acid aids in the absorption of various minerals, Westerners like to squeeze lemon juice on fish, meat, and eggs, believing it aids digestion. For those with indigestion, adding a thin slice of ginger to the lemon water and drinking it with meals can be beneficial for promoting the secretion of digestive juices.
Lemon water must be weak. If you are using lemon water instead of plain water to quench your thirst, it must be prepared weakly. One large slice of lemon with peel can infuse 1 liter of water, from which you can pour 3 to 4 small cups. Generally, it can be re-infused 2 to 3 times; just replace the slice when the lemon flavor is gone. The lemon water prepared this way is not sour or astringent, has a fresh fragrance, and can be drunk without adding sugar or honey, with its calorie content being almost negligible. If more lemon slices are used, you may need to add sugar or honey to balance the sour taste.
Drinking lemon water in the summer has many benefits, so give it a try!