Lemon water is a huge fad right now, but you may be wondering if it can live up to the hype. It has been touted for everything from weight loss to cancer prevention, and while we can honestly say that no single beverage can cure every physical ill, this drink is pretty darn good for you.
One of the best things about drinking lemon water is that the recipe is up to you. You may use as much or as little lemon as you prefer, and even include additional ingredients like mint, honey, or other fruit. Lemon water may also be consumed warm or cold according to preference.
However, according to nutritional experts, the ideal way to drink lemon water in order to reap the most benefits is warm with at least ½ a sliced lemon included, peel and all. You don’t need to eat the lemon slices, but the peel contains valuable polyphenols, which are antioxidant compounds that can aid in weight loss. Adding lemon slices to warm water helps to extract more polyphenols than cold water can.
So what are the potential benefits of drinking lemon water every day? There are many, and some of them, like #3 and #7, make the habit worthwhile all on their own. Along the way we will bust a couple of myths about lemon water, too.
