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The opinions expressed in this article are the writer’s own and do not reflect the views of Her Campus.
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Winthrop chapter.

Recently, lemon water has become a topic of research for the positive effects it has on our overall health.

Is it true?

There are claims that simply adding lemon to a glass of water can make you healthier.

While little research has been found on the impact of drinking it, here are a few positive results that could follow adding a glass to your diet everyday.

1. it adds vitamin c, and flavor

This one’s kind of obvious, but adding a lemon wedge in your water can actually improve hydration due to the added flavor, especially if you don’t like the taste of plain water.

Lemon juice enhances the taste and adds just the right amount of flavor for the ones who prefer anything other than regular water.

Plus, citrus is packed with vitamin C, which can boost your immunity.

According to research, stress can lower the amount of vitamin C in your body, so make sure to replenish those levels on extremely hard days.

Vitamin C is also linked to preventing things such as strokes, high blood pressure, and cardiovascular disease.

2. it aids digestion

Drinking hot or warm lemon water in the morning can aid your digestive system and even work as a laxative to prevent constipation.

The sour lemon taste can activate digestion while removing toxins, making the morning trip to the bathroom much easier.

Along with digestion, it can also relieve some other stomach and poor digestion symptoms, such as heartburn or bloating.

If you typically feel bloated after a meal, sipping on a glass of lemon water can supposedly relieve the discomfort.

3. It improves skin

When you think of skincare, typically you think of face wash, lotion, etc. While that’s the outer care, skin care can be what you do to the inside of your body as well, such as what you eat and drink.

Applying lemon water directly on skin can be inflammatory, but drinking it can actually help repair skin and prevent acne.

The antioxidants can help dissolve blemishes and even wrinkles.

By eliminating toxins, it is said to help unclog pores and brighten the skin.

Lemon water can increase collagen in the skin, which is what prevents skin from sagging and increases skin elasticity.

4. It helps prevent kidney stones

Kidney stones are caused from a buildup of minerals and other substances in your kidneys.

This can produce small stones that sometimes cause intense pain in the kidney area.

Citrate is a typical treatment used for the breakdown of kidney stones, which is found in lemons.

It prevents calcium, one of the substances that causes the stones, from binding with other minerals, therefore it does not form into a stone.

Kidney stones can also be caused from dehydration.

As stated earlier, lemon water can increase levels of hydration, which is another way to prevent any kidney stones from forming.

5. It freshens breath

Lemon has antibacterial properties, which can reduce bad odors.

Drinking lemon water or sucking on a lemon wedge can get rid of that morning breath.

Especially after some garlic, mixing a lemon into your water can help neutralize that lingering smell it leaves behind in your mouth.

Tip: If you take some lemon juice and mix it with salt water, gargle it to strengthen the effect even more. It’s one of the simplest yet effective remedies for bad breath.

The takeaway

So, now you know the possible positive side effects of drinking lemon water.

The only thing to be aware of is the damage that lemons can cause to the tooth enamel, so don’t go around constantly biting into lemon wedges.

Other than that, drink away.

Who knows?

Maybe lemon water will become our new Fountain of Youth.

Savannah Hynes

Winthrop '24

Majoring in Graphic Design, minoring in Cat Whispering.