A doctor has shared the benefits that come with adding one fruit to a glass of water every day, which he claims will boost hydration and digestion.
While water is a crucial part of our diet, as humans wouldn’t survive without it, it can be difficult to remember to drink enough of it every day. While chugging coffee and tea does count towards your daily water goal, it can also be dehydrating to your body.
To help, a Harvard-educated gut doctor named Dr Saurabh Seth has urged people to add just one fruit to a glass of water every single day in order to help your body boost hydration, while also providing several other health benefits.
“I’m a gut doctor and her are eight things you probably didn’t know about lemon water,” he wrote on the first picture in his Instagram post before jumping into his list.
Explaining that, while lemon water has been ‘overhyped’ online with many believing it detoxes your body – which is does not – it still comes with a long list of health benefits.
Boosted hydration
Firstly, Dr Sethi explained about 75% of adults are chronically dehydrated. In order to see if you’re hydrated, you can look at the colour of your urine, as it should be pale yellow or nearly clear. Another quick check is the skin turgor test – if you pinch the skin on the back of your hand and it quickly snaps back into place, you are likely well-hydrated, but if it stays tented, you may be dehydrated.
To avoid dehydration, it’s important to drink enough water. According to the NHS, the general recommendation is to drink 6 to 8 cups or glasses of fluid a day, which equates to about 1.5 to 2.5 litres.
Dr Sethi went on to explain: “Lemon makes water more appealing, which helps digestion, energy, and focus.”
Good for vitamin C
Next up, Dr Sethi went on to say that lemon is a great, natural source of vitamin C, which helps the body in supporting the immune system, aiding in tissue growth and repair, and acting as a powerful antioxidant that protects cells from damage.
He then revealed one lemon contains about 35mg of vitamin C, which is about 40% for an adult’s daily need. This also helps the absorption of iron, while boosting and supporting skin health and collagen production.
Supports digestion
As stated earlier, adding a lemon into your daily water intake could also help with your overall digestion, especially if you have low stomach acid levels.
“The mild acidity may stimulate gastric juices and bile flow,” he said, which has lead to some people reporting having better digestion before meals when drinking lemon water.
Soothing
It’s no secret that drinking hot lemon water, often with honey, can feel soothing, especially if you’re running a cold or feeling under the weather.
But Dr Sethi shared that vitamin C starts breaking down if it gets hotter than 70C, which means it won’t be as effective than when having it cold.
This is why he urges people to let the hot water cool down a bit before mixing in the lemon, as it will have a better overall effect on your body.
Be cautious
While it seems like a great idea overall to add lemon to your water every day, Dr Sethi also warned to be cautious about it if you already suffer from acid reflux. He went on to share up to 20% of people say their Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) gets worse when drinking lemony water.
Because of this, he urges people to avoid drinking it on an empty stomach if you start notice you get bloated or burning symptoms.
Lemon juice is also very acidic, which means it’s extra important to take care of your teeth when drinking it. Dr Sethi recommends drinking it through a straw and rinsing your mouth with normal water after having had lemon water in order to keep your enamel healthy.