The Health Benefits of Adding Lemon or Lime to Your Water

Lemons and limes are loved for the key role they play in sweet bars, pies, cakes, cookies, and sweet drinks; they are also frequently recognized for their remarkable health benefits when added to a simple glass of water. More and more, lemons and limes are being used as delicious additions to water to give you that extra health boost you may be missing in your morning routine.

What are the health benefits of adding lemon or lime juice to your water?

Lemons and limes contain many of the vitamins and minerals that are essential to your healthy diet. The flavonoids found in lemon juice are thought to reduce your risk of cancer. Vitamin A, vitamin C, potassium, and antioxidants are also contained within lemons and limes. One ounce of lemon juice fulfills 23% of your body's daily vitamin C needs.

Want a cure for the common cold? Besides delivering a huge boost of vitamin C, lemons and limes have anti-bacterial and anti-viral qualities that help fight off cholera infections, the cold, and the flu. Adding them to your daily routine will increase your immune defenses.

Staying hydrated is easier when you add lemons or limes to your water. Many people find the flavor of citrus water more appealing and therefore drink water more frequently; this simple twist makes getting the recommended eight glasses a day less of a chore.

If you have trouble digesting fats, adding lemon or lime juice to your water can help. Lemons and limes stimulate your liver's production of bile, a digestive fluid that breaks fats down into fatty acids for proper absorption.

Drinking lemon or lime in your water in the morning can help you lose weight. Because of their high acidity, citrus fruits play a hefty role in your digestion of sugars. A little citric acid can help prevent your body from absorbing unnecessary sugars, therefore helping to keep weight gain out of the picture. According to Arizona State University, people who stock up on foods high in vitamin C, such as lemons and limes, are less likely to gain weight than those who do not.

Lemons and limes are said to be anti-inflammatory agents and can assist in the fight against gout, arthritis, rheumatism, sciatica, and many other inflammation-related diseases. Though they have acidic qualities, lemon and limes are said to become alkaline when they are digested, keeping inflammation to a minimum.

Lemons and limes are detoxifiers and will cleanse your blood, liver, and kidneys, thereby increasing your energy levels. The high levels of vitamin C in the lemon and lime juice help your liver to make glutathione, which in turn helps the liver detox your body.

One simple dietary change — adding lemons or limes to your water — can make a huge impact on your daily life and the way you feel. Besides being tart and delicious, lemons and limes are packed with numerous necessary vitamins and minerals that can ease pain, detoxify, and give you that extra boost of energy to get you through your busy day.