Benefits of Lemon Water
Last Updated: Jan 14, 2014 | By Jaime Budzienski
A woman unwinds and drinks a glass of lemon water on the porch. Photo Credit FogStock/Erik Palmer/FogStock/Getty Images
While it’s tempting to grab your favorite iced tea, latte or sports drink when looking for something to quench your thirst, keep in mind that these beverages — and countless others — can have lots of added sugar and calories. A flavorful alternative is drinking lemon water, which has zero calories and provides several key health benefits.
Water’s Benefits
Lemon water’s primary ingredient is, of course, water. Flavoring your water with fresh lemon to make it more palatable can help its appeal, making you likely to reach for it more often. And drinking enough water is essential for optimal health. It’s your body’s main chemical component, making up roughly 60 percent of your body weight. Every system in the body depends on water to function properly. Water flushes toxins out of vital organs, delivers nutrients to cells and creates a moist environment for tissues in the ear, nose and throat. Not drinking enough water can lead to dehydration, a condition that happens when your body doesn’t have sufficient water to carry out normal functions. Women should aim to drink about 2.2 liters of water per day — about 9 cups, and men should try to drink around 3 liters per day — about 13 cups.
Jaime Budzienski
Jaime Budzienski has contributed essays and articles to the “Boston Globe Sunday Magazine,” “Pregnancy and Newborn Magazine” and the “Boston Parents Paper.” She holds a B.F.A. in writing, literature and publishing from Emerson College and a master’s degree in education from UMASS Boston.