This article was written for Annabel & Grace, which is now part of Rest Less.
Something has happened to my friend Sally. I couldn’t stop staring at her when we met last week because she looked so well. Glowing in fact. Transpires she read an article in the Daily Mail about starting each morning with a small glass of water into which you squeeze half a fresh lemon. She’s been drinking this first thing every day for a week now and is feeling great.
On further investigation it seems there are quite a few health benefits associated with lemons – here are a few things you might find interesting:
Lemon is a natural powerhouse – a rich source of nutrients like calcium, potassium (helps with brain and nerve function), vitamin C and pectin fibre (beneficial if you suffer from constipation and helps fight hunger pangs). It also has medicinal values and antibacterial properties and contains traces of iron and vitamin A.
Other health benefits include reducing uric acid in our joints (which can help if you have arthritis) and reduces phlegm.
Lemon juice is one of the most concentrated food sources of vitamin C. Not only is this great for warding off colds, but research suggests that people who eat fruit and vegetables high in vitamin C have more efficient digestive systems and are more likely to lose weight than those who don’t.
Vitamin C also assists in the production of collagen, so having more lemon in your diet can prevent wrinkles from forming and decrease blemishes.
Lemon juice cleanses your system, flushing out toxins in your body by enhancing enzyme function.
Lemons are rich in citric acid (at 7-8%, the highest concentration of all fruits), which helps to ensure a healthy and problem-free digestion by stimulating stomach juices.
Although drinking lemon water combats bacteria in the mouth (helping freshen breath) it is important to note that it can harm your tooth enamel. So drink it first thing in the morning before you clean your gnashers. Failing that, sip it through a straw. The water should ideally be tepid or hot.
I’m off to boil a kettle and add a slice of lemon. So refreshing as well as beneficial…
More useful articles in our Wellbeing category