4 Reasons to Drink Lemon Water on an Empty Stomach

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Lemons and lemon water have received a lot of coverage in the media and on the variety of natural health blogs and websites in recent times. This is because more evidence in coming to light that consuming water with fresh lemon squeezed into it offers enormous health benefits for the body.

These benefits appear to be even greater when the lemon juice is consumed in the morning on an empty stomach. Many experts are suggesting that people who want to maximize the benefits of lemon water should, when they get up in the morning, immediately go to the refrigerator, pour a glass of water, squeeze in half a lemon and drink it down before they even think about breakfast.

Read below to find out why!

Alkalizing Power

One of the most important reasons to drink lemon water on an empty stomach is because if this is done before a meal, it can help to raise the body’s pH slightly and have an overall alkalizing effect – and hopefully counterbalance any acidifying foods that might be eaten. Having a slightly alkaline pH has been associated with a decreased chance of developing many serious conditions – including cancer.

Nutrient Absorption

Drinking lemon water on an empty stomach seems to help the body absorb the many important nutrients the lemon contains. These include calcium, citric acid, potassium and phosphorous, all of which have an important role to play in overall health and are necessary for many bodily functions throughout the body.

Anti-Microbial Activity

When lemon water is taken in on an empty stomach, it also appears to be more potent in regards to anti-microbial activity. Lemon juice appears to be useful in combatting both bacteria and viruses and can be used to naturally treat many different kinds of infections.

Heartburn Relief

While this may sound counter-intuitive, taking lemon water on an empty stomach may also help with heartburn. If gastric upset is the problem, mix a teaspoon of lemon juice into a glass of water and sip it slowly. Even though lemon juice is acidic, its high mineral content can have an overall alkalizing effect upon the body in general and can help to reduce acidity in the stomach that is causing the heartburn in the first place.

Lemon water is a wonderful overall tonic – so take advantage of it! Try starting off the morning with a large glass of lemon water. In very little time, it will be possible to start seeing the benefits of this quick and healthy a.m. ritual in regards to increased energy levels and decreased frequencies of infections and other ailments, just to name a few of the many benefits offered by this simplest of health drinks.

Sources: lahealthyliving.com, limoneira.com, rebootwithjoe.com

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Meghan Telpner
Meghan has written many articles about health subjects as a journalist and as a freelance writer. As a reporter, she often covered hospital and clinic events/news and wrote news and features about health topics relevant to people in the community.