Lemon Water

KD12321KD

I've heard a lot of positives but also a lot of negatives about drinking lemon water - my question is, do the positives outweight the negatives?

LKArgh

There are no positives (other than a small amount of vitamin c, assuming you are squeezing the lemon and immediately drinking the water) and no negatives. It is a matter of taste.

KD12321KD

Really? I've read a lot about it, from a lot of different sources:

Positives - makes you drink more water (because it tastes nice), good for digestion, good for your stomach as an organ.

Negatives - acid erodes tooth enamel, can act as a diruetic.

All false?

smantha32

KD12321KD wrote: »

Really? I've read a lot about it, from a lot of different sources:

Positives - makes you drink more water (because it tastes nice), good for digestion, good for your stomach as an organ.

Negatives - acid erodes tooth enamel, can act as a diruetic.

All false?

Go ahead and drink it if it makes you drink more water, but it doesn't have any magical weight loss properties. The lemon just tastes good.

Water is good for your organs in general whether there's lemon in it or not.

KD12321KD

I wasn't expecting it to have any 'magical weight loss properties', otherwise I would have mentioned that in my above post! My actual question was, do the negatives outweigh the positives - is it going to damage my teeth!? Obviously fruit juice in general is horrendous for tooth enamel, is lemon water better as it is diluted?

KateKyi

Lighten up about worrying over food. Drink you lemon juice if you like it and if you are worried about the effects on your tooth enamel, brush your teeth after drinking it.

KD12321KD

Thank you for you help, to be fair I hadn't even considered re-brushing my teeth! Just FYI, you should be careful about using phrases like 'lighten up about worrying over food' on websites such as this, people have a lot of issues about food and you could tip someone over the edge!!

Alyssa_Is_LosingIt

Positive: It hydrates you. It has no calories. Maybe it tastes good (I personally don't think so).

And that's about it. All acidic food erodes tooth enamel, and this is why we have practice oral hygiene. If you like it, drink it. It is exactly the same as drinking water, nutritionally, so if you like it, drink it.

KD12321KD

Thank you

conniehgtv

lemon is a good souce of vitamins esp C. it aids in digestion and decreases inflamation in the body which can decrease diabetic issues. I drink it alot.yes, I brush frequntly

Alyssa_Is_LosingIt

conniehgtv wrote: »

lemon is a good souce of vitamins esp C. it aids in digestion and decreases inflamation in the body which can decrease diabetic issues. I drink it alot.yes, I brush frequntly

How does it do all of this stuff? Do you have any studies to back up these claims?

Because it sounds like it does all the things that plain water does, except for the Vitamin C part, although I don't think a tablespoon or so of lemon juice is going to have that much vitamin C in it. There is nothing magic about lemon water as opposed to regular water.

andrikosDE

KateKyi wrote: »

...and if you are worried about the effects on your tooth enamel, brush your teeth after drinking it.

Please do not do that!

from: http://www.colgate.com/app/ColgateSensitiveNew/US/EN/Brushing-Right-After-A-Meal.cvsp



"Brushing your teeth right after a meal may not be the good habit you think it is.

Research suggests that the exposure to acidic food and drinks during meals softens the enamel of your teeth. Brushing your teeth immediately after consuming acidic foods and drinks increases the chance of enamel erosion.

Therefore, to help prevent dental erosion, it is recommended you avoid brushing for at least 60 minutes after eating or drinking acidic foods or drinks."

beachhouse758

I've heard a lot of the alternative health related benefits, and I am not sure if I buy them; but I drink lemon water anyway -- simply because I *hate* the taste of plain water. This makes it a lot more tolerable.

If you are worried about the acidity and enamel, you can just rinse with plain water, or even drink some plain water afterwards (provided you don't have pre-existing dental conditions) I think this is a lot more reasonable than brushing teeth every.time. you drink (lemon) water.
Plus, you are only supposed to add a bit of lemon not make a super tart juice.

A lot of people seem to want to burn posters at the stake when they mention drinking lemon water (sorcery!) But *shrugs* give it a try, don't expect miracles, but if it makes you feel better, drinking more water or anything else positive then yay!, right? it's not like you are adding a bit of heroin to the water...

mitch16

KD12321KD wrote: »

Really? I've read a lot about it, from a lot of different sources:

Positives - makes you drink more water (because it tastes nice), good for digestion, good for your stomach as an organ.

Negatives - acid erodes tooth enamel, can act as a diruetic.

All false?

I didn't realize that the diuretic effect was a negative... When I'm feeling horribly bloated I'll seek out lemon water for just that effect!

KD12321KD

I didn't realise this was such a controversial topic! You're all fabulous for adding to the debate

FreshStartForMyself

Do not brush your teeth after drinking lemon water!! Just wash your mouth with plain water, the toothbrush will only make the enamel erosion worse.

mark18q

I cheat. I drink water by the pint glass with a few drops of pre-bought lemon juice from the supermarket. I have literally no idea of the benefits / detractions of lemon juice in water, let alone lemon juice from a bottle!

All I know is with the lemon juice I'm inclined to drink the pint very quickly and I drink a helluva lot more during a day.

And that has to be a positive :-)

BenjaminMFP88

andrikosDE wrote: »

KateKyi wrote: »

...and if you are worried about the effects on your tooth enamel, brush your teeth after drinking it.

Please do not do that!

from: http://www.colgate.com/app/ColgateSensitiveNew/US/EN/Brushing-Right-After-A-Meal.cvsp



"Brushing your teeth right after a meal may not be the good habit you think it is.

Research suggests that the exposure to acidic food and drinks during meals softens the enamel of your teeth. Brushing your teeth immediately after consuming acidic foods and drinks increases the chance of enamel erosion.

Therefore, to help prevent dental erosion, it is recommended you avoid brushing for at least 60 minutes after eating or drinking acidic foods or drinks."

You beat me to it!

J72FIT

KD12321KD wrote: »

I've heard a lot of positives but also a lot of negatives about drinking lemon water - my question is, do the positives outweight the negatives?

The answer is it does not matter...

43482326

KD12321KD wrote: »

I've heard a lot of positives but also a lot of negatives about drinking lemon water - my question is, do the positives outweight the negatives?

It gives me more energy. It's like my morning coffee. Id give it a go.

michellesz

I've heard about the tooth enamel but always eat lemons after using them (can't resist) & never had an issue or been told anything other by my dentist. I also drink water with a squeeze of lemon frequently to vary plain water as I don't drink much of anything else; especially as the healthier option when eating out. Never had a diuretic issue-wouldn't mind keeping the system cleansed. If you're eating whole lemons or drinking lemon juice 24/7 that might present other issues. Never heard about the avoid brushing part~interesting.

ActiveApril

I have warm lemon water almost every day. It does seem to help with my digestion - maybe if only because it's an additional glass of water - but whatever. One positive I've noticed is that I haven't had a UTI since I started drinking it. One negative I noticed was the effect on my teeth - which has since been mitigated by swishing with plain water after instead of brushing my teeth.

dwhitta

My dental hygienist friend drinks lemon water every morning; she uses a straw to lessen the amount of lemon juice on her teeth.

WeddedBliss1992

it's really not a good idea to brush teeth directly after eating or drinking fruit juice. it can scratch your teeth even further.

* i somehow didn't see that previous post *

GrnEyes839

I don't believe everything I read so let me tell you my .02... I started drinking lemon water because I thought it would make me drink more. It did, but the other thing I can attest to is the way it cleared my acne. I tried EVERYTHING. This worked.

shaumom

I'd drink lemon water if you like it; it has other benefits that have nothing to do with vitamin C, digestions, and so on. But if you are thirsty after exercise with a lot of sweating, it's great because it adds some minerals to the water. The juice of one lemon (like around 47g) will add about 2% of your daily potassium and 1% of your daily magnesium, both important electrolytes that you'll find in any electrolyte drink.

I cannot find the study, but a few years back I recall reading a study done in the military on what water choices men made when they were very thirsty, in desert conditions. There were a number of choices made available, something like lemonade, water, water with lemon, and I think sugar water and a couple others. Men could pick any hydrating substance they wanted from the group. After a short time, most men ended up consistently picking water with lemon. They didn't know why, as I recall, but I believe the minerals were speculated as a possible reason.