Introduction: The ultimate hydration hack—the lemon cup—is all the rage this year. Just slice a half lemon, insert it into the sharp "juicer" at the bottom of the bottle, and you can carry this large bottle,俗称 "lazy person's juicer", all day. Whether you're pursuing better health, whiter skin, or just a trendy look, it's incredibly appealing at first sight.
On the internet, there are many myths about lemon water. Enthusiasts list up to 45 benefits, while critics dismiss it as harmful to tendons, teeth, and the stomach. So, how should you drink lemon water? Let's have Fan Zhihong, an associate professor in the Department of Nutrition and Food Safety at the College of Food Science and Nutritional Engineering at China Agricultural University and a renowned nutrition expert, explain. Love it or not, the lemon is here.
Should lemon water be strong or weak?
The correct answer is that lemon water must be diluted.
Think of it this way: one slice of lemon with its peel in a large pitcher of water, which can yield 3-4 small glasses, is ideal. Such lemon water isn't too sour and can be drunk without wrinkling your nose, even without sugar or honey. The calorie content is almost negligible, avoiding the extra calories from added sugar.
The lemon for water must be used with its peel, and the slices should be thin. The peel contains more flavonoids than the pulp and is even more worth steeping. Lemon essential oil is also primarily in the peel, and thin slices allow the aroma to infuse more easily.
Both lemon peel and other citrus peels contain bitter flavonoids, which are beneficial components. Furthermore, a slight bitterness combined with the tartness makes it more refreshing when you're thirsty in hot weather.
Can't use hot water for lemon water?
Some people avoid using hot water for lemon, fearing it will destroy the vitamin C.
In fact, when the water is too cold, the aroma doesn't infuse well. Lemon is quite acidic, and vitamin C is very heat-stable in acidic conditions, so it doesn't degrade easily. Even with water over 60°C, it's fine.
Generally, as temperature rises, the sourness of food becomes more pronounced, so hot lemon water will taste more sour. The solution is simple: just let it cool down before drinking.
Does drinking lemon water cause kidney stones?
Some believe lemon water shouldn't be consumed with high-calcium foods because calcium and citric acid will combine and precipitate, even forming kidney stones. This is a rumor.
Calcium citrate is slightly soluble in water (about 0.02g/100g water), but it's actually a great material for calcium supplements because it can be absorbed by the body without needing stomach acid. In fact, citric acid doesn't promote kidney stones like oxalic acid does; on the contrary, it helps absorb various minerals like calcium, magnesium, iron, and zinc from food. Studies show that citric acid is also beneficial for preventing kidney stones, and potassium citrate is even used in kidney stone treatment.
Can people with stomach problems drink lemon water?
Some think people with stomach ailments shouldn't drink lemon water because its strong acidity can irritate the stomach, and it's even worse for those with excess stomach acid.
In reality, steeping one slice of lemon in a large bottle of water results in very mild lemon water—less acidic than sweet drinks like cola. It's unlikely to cause an ulcer, especially since we're not drinking pure lemon juice (which has a pH of around 2.5, similar to cola).
For those with excess stomach acid, simply making the lemon water weaker is fine. A small amount of citric acid is even beneficial for repairing the gastric mucosa. Westerners like to squeeze lemon juice on food, believing it aids digestion. For those with indigestion, adding a thin slice of ginger to weak lemon water can help promote digestive secretions.
Who can drink lemon water?
Lemon water is suitable for a wide range of people. Anyone who finds plain water bland but doesn't like tea, dislikes the taste of caffeine, and isn't a fan of various sweet drinks should try some mild lemon water.
If you don't like yellow lemons or find them too expensive, sour limes or tangerines from Hainan are great substitutes and offer a fresher taste.
Expert Recommendation
Making delicious fruit and vegetable juice is easy!
Juice is tasty, but more nutritious fruit and vegetable juices might make some people hesitant. In fact, they can be delicious too. Just follow the method taught by nutrition expert Fan Zhihong.
Ingredients: 1 part carrot, 2 parts mango, 1 part sugarcane. Choose fresh, crisp carrots with a deep orange color (not red). Select aromatic mangoes with a slight tartness. Choose sweet sugarcane.
Instructions: Wash the carrots and dice them. Boil in boiling water for 8 minutes until soft, then drain. Place the boiled carrots in a blender with an equal amount of water and blend into a thick paste. Filter through cheesecloth and set aside. Peel and dice the sugarcane, add an equal amount of water, blend, and filter through cheesecloth. Peel and dice the mango, blend into a thick paste. Mix the three fruit and vegetable pastes together. Adjust the tartness with lemon juice and the sweetness with a little sugar or honey to your liking. Finally, pour into a glass!
Nutrition: Rich in carotene, potassium, and vitamin C.
Feature: A vibrant orange-yellow color, sweet and delicious, with no trace of carrot taste!
Ingredients: 2 parts purple cabbage, 2 parts kiwi, 1/4 part lemon slices. Choose fresh, crisp purple cabbage with a deep purple color. Kiwis should be ripe but not too hard, with no bruises and slightly soft to the touch. Choose fragrant, fresh lemons.
Instructions: Wash the purple cabbage and cut it into thick shreds. Blanch in boiling water for 1 minute to remove oxalic acid and pesticides, then drain. Place the blanched purple cabbage in a blender with half its volume of water and blend into a thick paste. Filter through cheesecloth. Peel and chop the kiwi, blend into a paste. Slice and press the lemons to extract the juice. Mix the three fruit and vegetable pastes together and adjust the sweetness with sugar or honey.
Nutrition: Rich in anthocyanins, flavonoids, potassium, and vitamin C.
Feature: Sweet and sour. The purple cabbage juice turns a vibrant pink when mixed with the acidic juice. Serving it in a glass feels very romantic!
This myth comes from the idea that although some people believe lemon water can whiten skin, they've also heard that lemons are "photosensitive foods," worrying that drinking it during the day will darken the skin or cause spots.
However, this claim only applies to people with photosensitive skin, and it's related to topical application of lemon essential oil. There's no evidence that drinking diluted lemon water during the day damages the skin. Some even claim that vitamin C itself is a photosensitive substance. If that were true, all fruits and vegetables contain vitamin C, so we shouldn't eat anything during the day—which is clearly absurd.
From a scientific standpoint, the main photosensitive substances in food are chlorophyll, riboflavin, and heme. If eating photosensitive substances caused spots, red meat would be off the table (it's rich in heme), as would milk (rich in riboflavin) and green leafy vegetables or kiwis (rich in chlorophyll). That would leave only staple foods to eat during the day.
Is lemon water acidic?
The idea that "acidic foods lead to an unhealthy acidic body" has taken root for some. Since lemon water is acidic, it's been labeled as "unfit to eat." However, lemon water is actually considered an "alkaline-forming food." This is because although it contains citric acid, the acid is fully metabolized in the body into carbon dioxide and water. The carbon dioxide is exhaled, eliminating the acidity. The potassium, calcium, and other ions from the lemon remain in the body as metal cations, which can bind with anions to reduce the acidity of urine. This is why it's an alkaline-forming food, a property shared by most fruits and vegetables.
This is particularly important for people with gout or hyperuricemia, as alkaline urine helps uric acid form salts that are more easily excreted, reducing the frequency of gout attacks. As for the term "acidic body," it's not very scientific—best to forget it.
How to store lemons properly?
What to do with the leftover lemon after using one slice? Don't worry.
Lemons store very well, which is why doctors once advised sailors to carry them on voyages. The main problem with storing lemons for a long time is the peel drying out, but even then, they are still usable. The inside remains juicy for a month.
For a cut lemon, apply a little honey to the cut to retain moisture, wrap it in plastic wrap, and store it in a container in the fridge for two to three days. The high acidity of lemons means most microbes will be deterred. Dried lemon slices can also be used for water, but the peel's aroma is lost and some vitamin C is degraded, so they are better suited for making lemon tea.
Does drinking lemon water cause weight gain?
Diluted lemon water has very little sugar. Lemons themselves only contain about 0.5% sugar, and when steeped in so much water, the calorie content is negligible, so it won't make you gain weight.
However, adding sugar or honey to lemon water is different. The tartness of lemon plus a little sweetness is a captivating combination. But whether it's the fructose in honey or the sucrose in sugar, both add calories. Assuming a "moderately" sweet concentration of 5% sugar, a paper cup (200ml) of sweetened lemon water contains about 40 kcal. Two cups would be equivalent to a quarter bowl of rice.
Should people with chronic illnesses avoid lemon water?
Unsweetened, diluted lemon water has no sodium, almost no calories, but contains potassium, a small amount of vitamin C, and some flavonoids. It's suitable for daily consumption by patients with chronic conditions like hypertension, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and gout.
Compared to tea, lemon water has lower antioxidant properties, but it's caffeine-free and has a fresh taste.
Xiao Mei recommends a few ways to make lemon water:
【Sugar-Preserved Lemon Water】 【Honey Lemon Water】