Is drinking lemon water really good for you?

My mother likes to prepare a huge jug of warm water and lemon slices at home, and the entire family drinks from it throughout the day.

When I asked her why, she cited a variety of reasons. “I like to drink lemon water because it’s a natural source of vitamin C,” said my mother Grace Yap, 56, an administrative executive. “And vitamin C helps boost my immune system, so that means protecting me from the flu. I understand it also helps make the skin look fairer and eases my thirst. Plus, it helps me feel better when I’ve had oily food.” But did she actually hear about this directly from a certified nutritionist or dietitian? She admitted, “No.”

So, we asked several dietitians and scoured the Internet to find out if the benefits of warm water and lemon is myth or fact. Here are six reasons why it’s good for you:

• It stimulates your digestive system
• It’s a homemade, electrolyte-filled sports drink
• It gives you more vitamin C than any other citrus fruit, and fulfils your recommended daily vitamin C intake
• It boosts your immune system
• It’s a natural diuretic
• It’s filled with antioxidants

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I drank lemon water every day for 2 weeks to see if its health benefits were true

Here’s what I learned

Humans have been experimenting with tonics since the beginning of time. From the fountain of youth to alkaline water to kale juice, we’re always searching for that magic potion that will restore health and wellness, ward off illness, and make us look and feel 10 years younger. But what if that potion isn’t so mysterious? What if it’s just… lemon water?

Lemon water has been touted as a health and wellness aid for years by some MDs, clean living advocates, and, of course, celebs like Gwyneth Paltrow. And unlike packaged juice cleanses that supposedly brighten your skin and age you backwards, lemon water won’t break the bank. It’s cheap, it’s easy, and it seems safe (as long as you don’t try to exist on lemon water alone)—but does it really work wonders?

Some proponents of lemon water claim that it aids digestion, detoxifies the liver, erases age spots, speeds up your metabolism, helps with depression and anxiety, relieves heartburn, wards off cancer, and reduces inflammation. I was sceptical that it could do all those things, but I figured if it does even a few it would be pretty great.

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