Not Everyone Should be Drinking Lemon Water

Episode 25

Blog Updated November 26th 2022.

The Benefits (and Hazards) of Drinking Lemon Water.

Lemon water is a popular recommendation in the holistic health space.

Many a holistic nutritionist or health coach has loved recommending lemon and water to clients for its supposed health benefits.

Lemon water, and apple cider vinegar (ACV), are easy, affordable and attainable natural foods, that are used to support, or increase acid in the stomach.

This advice to drink lemon water, or even ACV is well meaning. 

I’ve seen many people drinking lemon water, for its purported benefits. When I was practicing dental hygiene, I've had many clients on high, high amounts of lemon recommended by their urologist, to break up kidney stones.

That was one of my most popular health questions as a hygienist!

Now this is NOT medical advice. Do not go out and buy bags of lemons for any health issue, or kidney stones, because, as u will see by the end of this blog post, not everyone should be drinking concentrated lemon water, or any high amounts of liquid acid.

Seek help from  a licensed care practitioner if you think you have a medical problem. 

I've had so many clients who brush with lemon juice and salt as a form of toothpaste. This brushing tip I DO NOT recommend.

Are there benefits to lemon water?

Lemon makes us feel fresh, due to its brightness, the fresh smell, and flavour.

What are the CLAIMS about lemon water?

Alkalinity.
This easy, and yes, tasty, beverage is linked to the alkaline diet: which claims that balancing your inner ph will prevent illness.

I’ve seen some Registered Dieticians support the alkaline diet, saying that there is an alkaline ash left in the body, after drinking lemon water. I can’t find a study to back this up. (Maybe I didn’t look hard enough so if you find one pop it in the comments below.)

Lemon water is definitely acidic, outside of the body. It has a pH of 2.

There are claim that the lemon becomes more alkaline in the body, reaching a ph of 7. But whether or not this happens is besides the point, because when it hits your mouth it’s still acid.

Liver detox.
The holistic health world claims that lemon detoxifies the liver. Perhaps this comes from Traditional Chinese Medicine and Ayurvedic health that looks to lemon as a detoxifier, and has done for hundreds of years.

Like my bone broth episode, who am I to argue with ancient wisdom?

There’s a study I found, cited on many blogs, that does show that lemon juice could support/protect the liver in the case of alcoholic liver injury. This study showed lemon juice lowered AST (Aspartate transaminase) and ALT (Alanine transaminase). AST is an enzyme that helps metabolize amino acids and ALT is an enzyme found in the liver, that helps convert proteins into energy for the liver cells in the blood. 

It links the regeneration of hepatocytes (liver cells) and the healing of hepatic parenchyma (functional tissue of the liver) to drinking lemon juice.

It basically says that lemon juice had a protective effect on alcohol-induced liver injury. 

Maybe that’s where the detox claim comes from? The study is in mice, not humans.

Lemon is energizing.
I did mention that just the SMELL of lemon is energizing, for me anyways. There are claims that this is an energizing tonic, and I wonder if this is because you are hydrating yourself, which could stave off fatigue. Dehydrated people are tired people.

However, I found this: “Supplementation of ascorbic acid in humans and animal models is associated with a decreased cortisol response after a psychological or physical stressor” link here. This study even talks about the adrenal-Vitamin C axis.

Your adrenals play a role in the stress response, and put out cortisol as a response to stress, which Vitamin C may inhibit or support. This is an observational study, so some would say it hat little merit. But that Vitamin C has another use.

Boost Immunity.
One lemon contains about 53 micrograms of Vitamin C. Most recommendations for Vitamin C intake for a woman over 50 is, 75 mcg. These are general recommendations, and some may benefit from more. Since we are talking about aging, lets look at some more neat things about lemon.

If you are a smoker, you need more Vitamin C.

Support Aging.
The polyphenols on lemon may combat oxidative stress. Oxidative stress is when you have free radicals, or an unstable molecule made by the body doing its normal things, and less antioxidants in your body.

The antioxidants help with getting rid of the free radicals, or oxidative stress. Oxidative stress is linked to inflammation, and inflammation is linked to disease. (link here)

Tired yet? There’s more!

Support high cholestorol or tryiglycerides.
Those polyphenols may also lower that cholesterol, along with that antioxidant help. It looks like the limonene, that you get in lemons, may lower some of these blood markers.

This study talks about the essential oils in lemons. I am not telling you to drink any essential oils.

In fact, another article states that lemon, or citrus flavenoids, ”reduce oxidative stress, hyperlipidemia, and inflammation and improve endothelial function, arterial blood pressure, and lipid metabolism.”

Supports your gut.
This study here suggests that lemon polyphenols combat aging AND support the growth of good gut bacteria, specifically, Lactobaccilus species.

What are the CONS to lemon water?

Erosion of your tooth enamel.
This is higher risk in menopause. Lemon is acid. That pH is 2, going into your mouth. Even though it is diluted with water, you are still adding acid to your mouth. As you age, there is a higher chance you are on medications, or have dry mouth from menopause, and you run the risk of eroding your tooth enamel.

Acid Reflux.
If you suffer from acid reflux, or GERD, there is a chance that this lemon water can make it worse. Your esophageal lining may be inflamed, and adding the acidic lemon water may cause a lot of discomfort. Many nutritionists say that the reflux can come from low or high stomach acid, and that the lemon will help with increasing acid.

What’s happening is that the sphincter that closes your stomach off from the esophagus opens, allowing the acid to creep up.

Can you safely consume lemon water"?

Straw.

Don’t sip.

Don’t brush right after

Rotate beverages.

If you have dry mouth opt for peppermint tea or chamomile tea instead

References

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5894780/

https://www.hindawi.com/journals/omcl/2016/7432797/

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-019-40253-x#:~:text=Lemons%20are%20rich%20in%20citric,in%20lemon%20juice%20and%20peel.