Is Lemon Water Good For You? A Dietitian’s Thoughts

Oct 4

Lemon water is a very popular trend in the wellness world and it has been for quite some time. This “magical beverage” is claimed to help with detoxing, balancing pH, boosting metabolism, and improving immunity. But are any of these claims true?

If you’re new here, hello and welcome! My name is Hannah and I am a non-diet dietitian here to help you improve your relationship with your food and finally find food freedom.

What is lemon water?

Lemon water is simply water, hot or cold, that has lemon or lemon juice added to it. Some people drink it every day and the amount of lemon or lemon juice added is simply depending on the individual’s preference.

Is lemon water good for you?

Here’s the thing - lemon water is not going to fix or cure anything. It simply helps you hydrate, just like plain water!

Lemons are a decent source of vitamin C, which can improve iron absorption, aid in immune support, and it helps with collagen formation. Lemon water provides about 20% of your daily value of vitamin C, depending on how much lemon is added.

However, there are many other foods that are even better sources of vitamin C.

Peppers
Oranges
Strawberries
Brussels sprouts
Broccoli
Potatoes

So while lemon water may help to get in some bonus vitamin C in, you do not need to depend on it to be your main source. When compared to other common sources of vitamin C, lemon water provides the same benefits if not less.

Does lemon water detox you?

Detoxification is one of the claims that lemon water is supposedly great for. But the truth is, our body is very capable of detoxing on its own thanks to our organs such as kidneys, lungs, skin, and liver. As long as your organs are functioning properly, there is no need to detox with lemon water or anything else. It is important to drink plenty of water to support your organ function, but it doesn’t matter if lemons are involved or not.

Does lemon water help with weight loss?

Many advocates for lemon water in the wellness community state that lemon water will help to “jumpstart your metabolism”, which will lead to weight loss.

First off, “jumpstarting” your metabolism is not a thing. I have a post here that talks more about metabolism. Water is very important to ensure that metabolic processes are in tip-top shape, but it will not increase your metabolic rate.

The act of drinking water may help to increase feelings of fullness or satiety, which may lead to eating less and in some cases weight loss would result. But the lemons do not play any role in that. And I do not recommend that you use water to suppress your appetite.

Does lemon water change your body’s pH?

Lemon juice has a pH of about 2, meaning it is quite acidic. But once digested and metabolized, lemon juice produces alkaline biproducts, which may make your urine more alkaline. Some wellness “gurus” believe that eating more alkaline foods will increase the alkaline load on our body, which allegedly helps to prevent various diseases. There are a few issues with this claim.

While it is true that lemon water (or other foods/drinks) can impact the urine pH, urine pH is not a good indicator of your body’s overall pH or your overall health.

Also, the body’s blood pH is very tightly regulated and it is very dangerous if it goes outside the range of 7.35-7.45. The foods and drinks that we consume do not influence our blood pH (at least not without negative consequences). Your urine pH changes to keep your blood pH within a safe range.

So no, lemon water does not change your body’s pH. And that’s a good thing.

Bottom line

There is nothing magical about lemon water. A little extra vitamin C may be helpful for you, but it is definitely not a cure-all. Water is the more beneficial ingredient in the beverage and if adding lemons helps you to drink more and stay hydrated, then by all means, drink up!