Can drinking lemon water help you lose weight? Can lemon water cause kidney stones? Debunking 9 myths and doubts at once

Lemon water is like a beauty "magic water" favored by female celebrities. Many well-known female stars have publicly stated that the secret to maintaining fair skin is to drink lemon water every day. Even Korean actress Song Hye Kyo has used "lemon water to expel stool" to achieve the goal of losing weight... There are also many myths and doubts about drinking lemon water on the Internet, such as "Can't lemon water be brewed with hot water?", "Drinking lemon water can easily cause kidney stones?", "Can't drink lemon water if you have stomach problems?", etc. How true are they? The following are answers to people’s questions about lemonade:

Question 1: Is it better to have thicker lemonade?

In fact, the so-called lemonade is not lemon juice, so the lemon water does not need to be too concentrated. A large piece of lemon with skin can make a pot of about 800C.C. This kind of lemonade does not have a strong sour taste and can be drunk without adding sugar or honey.

In addition, it is recommended that people cut the lemon peel into thin slices when making homemade lemonade, because lemon peel contains higher levels of flavonoids and is more worthy of soaking than lemon pulp. Lemon essential oil is also mainly in the peel, and thin slices will make it easier for the aroma components in the lemon peel to soak out. In addition to lemon peel, other citrus peels also contain some bitter flavonoids, such as hesperidin and naringin, but they are also beneficial ingredients. It has a slight bitter taste, which combined with the sour taste makes it more thirst-quenching when you drink it in hot weather.

Question 2: Can’t I use hot water to make lemonade?

Many people think that lemons cannot be soaked in hot water, otherwise the nutritional value of vitamin C will be lost. In fact, if the water used to soak lemons is too cold, the fragrance will not be easy to bring out. Since lemons are highly acidic, vitamin C is more heat-resistant under acidic conditions and is not as easily lost as imagined. It is completely fine if the water temperature for soaking lemon slices is higher than 60 degrees. Besides, drinking lemon water is not just for the vitamin C. Foods taste more sour when the temperature rises, so hot lemon water will also seem more sour. The solution to this problem is simple, just let the lemon water cool down before drinking it.

Lemons are highly acidic, and vitamin C is more heat-resistant under acidic conditions, so it is not as easy to lose as imagined.

Question 3/Can lemon water easily cause kidney stones?

Some people say that lemon water cannot be consumed with calcium-rich foods, because calcium and citric acid will combine to form precipitates and even form stones in the body. This statement is not correct. Calcium citrate is soluble in water, and the solubility of calcium carbonate in lemonade is only about 0.02 grams per 100 cc of water, which is not high.

Calcium citrate is a good material for making calcium supplements because it can be absorbed by the human body without the help of stomach acid. In fact, citric acid does not promote kidney stones like oxalic acid. On the contrary, organic acids such as citric acid are beneficial to the absorption of various minerals such as calcium, magnesium, iron, zinc, etc. in food. Studies have shown that citric acid is also beneficial for the prevention of kidney stones. Even potassium citrate has been used in the treatment of kidney stones.

Question 4/Can’t drink lemon water if you have stomach problems?

In addition, many people also believe that patients with gastrointestinal diseases cannot drink lemon water because the acidity is too strong and will irritate the stomach. If you have excessive stomach acid, it is not suitable for drinking. But in fact, if you use a slice of lemon to make a large pot of water, the lemonade produced will have a very light taste. Compared with carbonated drinks such as cola, its acidity is much lower and will not cause stomach ulcers.

People who have problems with excessive stomach acid only need to dilute the lemon water before drinking it. A small amount of citric acid can also help repair the gastric mucosa. Westerners like to squeeze lemon juice on various foods, believing that it can help digestion. For people with indigestion, adding a thin slice of ginger to light lemon water and drinking it can help promote the secretion of digestive juice and bowel movements.

Question 5/Is it not suitable to drink lemon water during the day? Will it turn black?

Does lemon water have whitening effect? Or is it that lemons are easily "photosensitive" and will turn black? Many beauty-conscious female friends worry that their skin will develop spots and become darker after drinking lemon water during the day. But this statement is only limited to people whose skin is sensitive to light, and it mainly applies to the external use of lemon essential oil.

From a scientific point of view, the main photosensitive substances in food include chlorophyll, riboflavin, and hemoglobin. If eating photosensitivity will cause spots, then you should avoid eating red meat with high hemoglobin content, dairy products, green leafy vegetables containing chlorophyll, and kiwi fruit.

Question 6/Is lemonade an acidic food or an alkaline food?

The saying "acidic foods lead to acidic body" is deeply rooted in people's minds, but many people are quite confused about whether lemonade is an acidic food or an alkaline food. It tastes sour and has an acidic pH value, so why is it called alkaline food? This is because although lemon water contains citric acid, citric acid can be completely metabolized in the body to produce carbon dioxide and water. As carbon dioxide is exhaled out of the body, the acidity is eliminated.

However, the potassium, calcium and other ions in lemons remain in the body in the form of metal cations. These ions can combine with acid ions to reduce the acidity of urine, so they are called "alkaline foods." Not only lemons, but most vegetables and fruits are alkaline foods. This is especially important for patients with gout and hyperuricemia, because when the urine is alkaline, uric acid forms salts and is easier to be excreted by the body, which can reduce the risk of gout attacks.

A cup of about 200 ml of sweetened honey water contains 40 calories. If you drink 2 cups, it is equivalent to eating 1/4 bowl of rice. Therefore, people who need to control their weight still need to drink it regularly. They cannot drink honey lemon water every day just because it tastes good.

Question 7/How to preserve the unused lemons?

Someone asked, if you only use one slice of lemon each time, what should you do with the rest? Actually, don’t worry too much. Lemon fruit has very good storage properties. Even if the surface of the lemon becomes dry, it can still be used as long as it is not moldy. As long as the dry skin is cut off, the inside is still juicy and can be stored for a month.

In addition, applying some honey on the cut lemon can increase the water retention of the lemon. Then wrap it with plastic wrap and there will be absolutely no problem storing it for two or three days. In fact, dried lemons can also be used to make tea, but because the aroma of the skin has been lost and the vitamin C has also been lost, the aroma of the lemonade will be greatly reduced. However, it can still be used to make lemon tea, which can provide some citric acid and potassium.

Question 8/Will drinking lemon water cause weight gain?

Light lemon water is a good drink. It has very low sugar content (lemon contains about 0.5% sugar, which is diluted by soaking in so much water) and the energy it contains is negligible, so it will not make you gain weight. However, it's a different story when sugar or honey is added. Sour foods, paired with a little sugar, are always particularly fascinating, and the same is true for lemonade. Cold lemon water with a little honey will feel particularly refreshing and thirst-quenching.

However, lightly sweetened lemon water contains about 5% sugar, and both the fructose in honey and the sucrose in white sugar will provide energy. Calculated based on 5% sugar, a cup of about 200 ml of sweetened honey water contains 40 calories. If you drink 2 cups, it is equivalent to eating 1/4 bowl of rice. Therefore, people who need to control their weight still need to drink it regularly and cannot drink honey lemon water every day just because it tastes good.

Question 9/Can people with chronic diseases drink lemon water?

Unsweetened light lemon water contains no sodium and almost no energy, but contains potassium, a small amount of vitamin C and a small amount of flavonoids. It is very suitable for daily drinking by patients with chronic diseases such as hypertension, diabetes, cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases and gout. Compared with tea drinks, lemonade has lower antioxidant properties, but because it does not contain caffeine and tastes fresh, it is suitable for a wider range of people and occasions. Therefore, for those who find plain water bland, don’t like tea or are sensitive to caffeine, you might as well try light lemon water instead of sweet drinks.

Source: 39 Health Network www.39.net. Please do not reprint without written authorization.