Have you ever wondered what happens when you drink lemon water for 7 days? I have, and I'm here to tell you my experience. You'll learn about potential health benefits, whether drinking lemon water daily helps with weight loss, plus I'll share some important facts about lemon water that you need to know. Plus, you'll get to hear how my own personal 7-day lemon water experiment went.
Like many, I've heard that drinking lemon juice in water daily is practically a miracle cure. Some swear by its health benefits, but are those claims valid? That’s exactly what I set out to determine when I began my seven-day journey. I documented how my body felt, if there were noticeable changes, and ultimately whether it was truly a health-boosting elixir or just tasty, tart water.
Table of Contents:
- Lemon Water 101
- Digestive Health: The Benefits of Lemon Water
- Hydration: Lemon Water Keeps Your Body Humming
- Kidney Stones: Could Lemon Water Be the Solution?
- What Happens When You Drink Lemon Water for 7 Days? My Experiment
- Tips for Adding Lemon Water to Your Routine
- Conclusion
Lemon Water 101
This drink has become quite the buzz lately. Maybe you heard it from a friend or saw a splashy headline online about the benefits of squeezing lemon into your water daily. So what’s all the hype about, and what can lemon water really do for your body?
Lemons 101: Not Just a Pretty Garnish
A lemon, scientifically known as Citrus limon , is a bright yellow citrus fruit beloved for its refreshing flavor and signature sour taste. That tang comes from its abundance of citric acid, a natural compound with several surprising health advantages. You may think of lemons as simple flavor enhancers, whether you’re squeezing a wedge over grilled fish or zesting the rind into your favorite baking recipes.
Perhaps you prefer muddling lemon slices into summer cocktails. But lemons contain more than just a refreshing burst of flavor. They also pack a nutritional punch, delivering important vitamins, minerals, and plant compounds that contribute to good health. While uncommon to eat whole due to their potent tartness, you can easily enjoy their benefits through delicious drinks.
Lemons are frequently used to make everything from salad dressings and marinades to zesty beverages like tea and the ever-popular lemon water.
A Peek Inside Your Glass
If you choose to drink lemon water, you'll reap all the health benefits that drinking water provides. Think staying hydrated, supporting cell function, flushing out waste, and maintaining body temperature - along with some nutritional bonuses courtesy of the lemon. To give you an idea, the United States Department for Agriculture database says that a glass of lemon water with one 48-gram squeezed lemon contains these nutrients:
| Nutrient | Amount |
|---|---|
| Calories | 6 |
| Carbohydrates | 1 gram |
| Protein | Less than 1 gram |
| Fat | Less than 1 gram |
| Vitamin C | 19 milligrams (31% of the recommended daily intake) |
| Potassium | 61 milligrams |
In other words, lemons offer very little protein, carbs, or fat, but are surprisingly high in vitamin C. If you are interested in boosting your vitamin C intake even more, you should opt for eating oranges instead. Oranges actually offer a higher amount than lemon juice. The takeaway here is that while lemon water does not offer many nutrients, it does give a nice boost of vitamin C.
Digestive Health: The Benefits of Lemon Water
Digestion - something most of us don't talk about enough until there are problems. As it turns out, lemon water plays a supporting role in that digestive process that you might not realize. Adding lemon juice to your water is a simple way to support a healthy digestive system.
How Lemons Aid Your Digestion
If you struggle with digestive problems or feel weighed down after a heavy meal, lemon water could be an ally worth exploring. Why? Lemons contain a unique combination of properties that help your stomach break down food. The citric acid naturally found in lemon juice stimulates the production of digestive juices, jumpstarting your body’s digestive system so everything works the way it’s supposed to.
And if you are wondering if there is anything scientific to back this claim up, there actually is. There was a paper done in 2021 where participants drank lemon water rather than plain water before a meal for 4 weeks. It was found that their digestion seemed to improve after drinking the lemon water. If your gut doesn’t always cooperate with you, lemon water is an easy thing you could start incorporating into your day. You can add things such as a squeeze of lemon or some mint leaves to make your drink more enticing.
Hydration: Lemon Water Keeps Your Body Humming
Do you get enough water each day? Probably not - a lot of people find it challenging, especially with so many delicious (but not necessarily hydrating) drinks available. You could always incorporate some water aids into your diet to help encourage you to drink more water.
Why You Need To Stay Hydrated
Water is truly the stuff of life - literally. Your body needs enough water to maintain cell function, regulate body temperature, keep your joints lubricated, deliver nutrients to cells, and flush out toxins and waste. In a nutshell, water is essential for everything from clear thinking to vibrant skin to healthy digestion.
If you find yourself consistently fatigued, getting headaches, struggling with constipation, feeling parched, or dealing with dry skin or lips, those could be signs that you are not drinking enough water. Luckily there are plenty of drinks that keep you hydrated but you need to make a conscious effort to get enough. Adding some lemon to your water may aid you in drinking enough water.
Lemon Water Ups Your H2O Intake
Do you find plain water, well, just plain boring? Maybe you love it, but forget to drink enough because life gets so hectic. Here's the beauty of adding lemon. Adding a simple wedge transforms your water, turning something bland into something tastier.
There are other health benefits to lemons. You can easily boost your intake of vitamin C because it's plentiful in lemon juice. This can help prevent health benefits that you should try and minimize. One strategy is by incorporating a glass or two of lemon water into your day. That way, you’ll hit two health goals - staying hydrated and getting extra vitamin C - at once.
Kidney Stones: Could Lemon Water Be the Solution?
No one wants to think about kidney stones, but the fact is, about 11% of men and 6% of women experience them in their lifetime, according to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases . Those hard mineral deposits form within the kidneys, and it’s common to experience intense pain when they pass through the urinary tract. I can personally attest that passing a kidney stone can be agonizing. My experience was definitely unpleasant.
Citric Acid: Preventing Stone Formation
One natural way to assist in preventing kidney stones is by consuming more citric acid. This is a natural compound that discourages those pesky minerals from forming in your kidneys. Research has shown that citric acid may actually break up smaller kidney stones, helping flush them from your system more easily. Wondering where lemons come in?
Well, lemon juice happens to be abundant in citric acid. According to the National Kidney Foundation , just four ounces of lemon juice mixed with water is a great addition to other kidney stone preventative remedies. But keep in mind, research shows that the real superstar is the extra water, whether or not there’s lemon in it.
What Happens When You Drink Lemon Water for 7 Days? My Experiment
Let me preface this by saying that results vary from person to person, and it’s always best to consult a qualified healthcare provider if you’re aiming to make a major health or diet shift. You need to listen to your own body, what feels good for one person, may not be right for someone else.
Before this challenge, I always experienced chronic discomfort, those small, nagging “sand-like” stones. The urologist had suggested upping my water intake as a strategy, but I needed to find a tasty way to stick to the new goal. Because citrus was high in citric acid, lemon water seemed worth trying. Here are my observations:
- **Energy Levels:** During my 7-day challenge I felt noticeably more energetic. This is because drinking lemon water daily meant I was staying better hydrated, giving my body what it needs to operate optimally.
- **Digestive Improvement:** As far as digestion, lemon water made a noticeable difference. There seemed to be less bloat after meals, and things were moving as they should, without the typical post-dinner discomfort.
- **Urinary Health:** Before this little experiment, I would constantly pass those tiny, sandpaper-like kidney stones. Adding lemon water into my daily routine was like a magic trick. During those seven days, my discomfort finally went away, making a huge impact on my daily life. I still can’t get over how something so simple made such a massive difference. It’s been 8 months and I haven’t had another stone.
- **Clearer Complexion:** While drinking enough water is known to boost skin health, lemon water does offer a bonus thanks to its rich source of vitamin C, which aids collagen production. Did my skin clear up overnight? Of course not, but after 7 days there was a little bit of an added glow, a tiny perk that was pleasant to see.
This little 7-day lemon water experiment helped me establish a healthy habit and get on a healthy track. You’ve gotta listen to your own body though. So keep a watchful eye out if any discomfort develops.
Tips for Adding Lemon Water to Your Routine
After this whole experience, what did I learn? Well, there are tons of claims about drinking lemon water that need more research to validate their benefit, like if it helps with weight loss or clears acne overnight. However, there’s no denying that this simple morning drink offers a way to incorporate more water and vitamin C into your daily diet. These are two undeniable perks for better overall health.
My experience showed me the impact drinking more water and increasing my citric acid intake made on kidney stones. If that’s something you are struggling with too, adding a glass of warm lemon water in the mornings might be worth experimenting with.
Remember, pay attention to how you’re feeling, but it just might change things as dramatically for you as it did for me. Just keep in mind, the temperature of your lemon water might not have any real effect, just choose whatever temperature you enjoy most.
What happens when you drink lemon water for 7 days? While that will vary from person to person, you just might feel some pretty awesome improvements like I did. And to help support those potential improvements, here are some extra tips.
- Enjoy a glass first thing each morning. Since our bodies become slightly dehydrated overnight, lemon water provides an easy way to rehydrate and is a great addition to any morning routine.
- Stay consistent. As with most healthy habits, consistency is key. If you’re aiming for lasting effects, stick to it.
- Enjoy throughout your day. If a morning glass jumpstarts your digestion and gives a boost of hydration and vitamin C, keep a pitcher in your refrigerator and sip throughout your day.
But ultimately, what happens when you drink lemon water for 7 days is specific to your individual experience.
Conclusion
So what happens when you drink lemon water for 7 days? It might make a positive difference like it did for me. While a lot of the claims you hear floating around about lemon water need further research to validate their benefits, drinking more water, and enjoying more vitamin C through this easy, flavorful beverage certainly won’t hurt.