Lemon water has long been touted as one of the healthiest drinks, but it’s not as healthy as you may think. As a matter of fact, lemon water doesn’t even boost your immune system like so many have written before. There are even times that you actually should reconsider and try another drink.
Although lemon water’s wide range of benefits often centers on gut health, according to Medical News Today, squeezing too much in your water can worsen common maladies like gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and other issues such as.
Stomach Ulcers, GERD, and Acid Reflux:
The acidity in lemon juice can irritate sensitive stomachs and worsen symptoms like heartburn.
Mouth Ulcers:
Lemon juice can cause a stinging sensation on open sores.
Citrus Allergies:
If you’re allergic to citrus fruits like oranges or limes, you may also be allergic to lemons and experience reactions like itching, burning, or swelling.
Tooth Enamel:
The high acid content in lemon juice can erode tooth enamel over time. Drinking it through a straw and rinsing your mouth with plain water afterwards can help minimize this risk.
Migraines:
Lemon juice is high in tyramine, which can trigger migraines in sensitive individuals.
Kidney Issues:
If you’re on diuretic medication, drinking lemon water could increase the effects of the medication, potentially leading to dehydration.
The next time you’re in a restaurant and you order water with lemon, you might be drinking more than you bargained for.
As a matter of fact, those lemon wedges you love could be covered in little, tiny, dirty organisms harmful to your body.
Researchers tested the rinds and flesh of 76 lemons from 21 restaurants collected during 43 visits and found that an incredible 70 percent of them produced microbial growth.
The samples were collected as soon as the beverage (either soda or water) was served, before drinking or touching.
While researchers couldn’t pinpoint the exact origins of the microorganisms, they speculated that they may have come from the restaurant employee or raw meat or poultry contamination, among other sources.
“Although lemons have known antimicrobial properties, the results of our study indicate that a wide variety of microorganisms may survive on the flesh and the rind of a sliced lemon,” the authors wrote in their report. “Restaurant patrons should be aware that lemon slices added to beverages may include potentially pathogenic microbes.”
RELATED: 10 Amazing Things That Happen When You Drink Lemon Water
Philip Tierno, Ph.D., clinical professor of microbiology and pathology at NYU Langone Medical Center, conducted similar studies, which found that half of lemon wedges collected from various restaurants were contaminated with human fecal matter.
Ewww! But that’s not all: Restaurant employees may not be diligently washing lemons or even rinsing them. It’s easy for a server, bartender, or chef to cross-contaminate after dealing with patrons, washing glasses and handling food.
“We found in every single group of specimens from different institutions, representations from the three body sites that men usually impart their flora,” Tierno tells HuffPost.
Those include bacteria from the intestines (in the form of fecal matter), the respiratory tract (think coughing, talking, sneezing) and the skin. Among the specimens collected were E. coli, staphylococcus epidermidis and candida, a fungus commonly found in the vagina.
Since lemons are highly acidic, frequent exposure can erode your tooth enamel, according to the American Dental Association.
If that doesn’t convince you to totally avoid lemon water, at least try to drink it out of a straw to cut down on the direct acid exposure on your teeth. You should also avoid brushing your teeth right after consuming lemon water and drink plenty of plain water alongside glasses infused with citrus.
The ONE Exception You Should Drink Lemon Water:
The one time you probably should try drinking lemon water is if you may be suffering from Rheumatoid Arthritis
Lemon water may help reduce some symptoms of arthritis when consumed alongside your normal medicine routine.
Vitamin C specifically helps arthritis in the following ways:2
Promoting collagen synthesis and tendon repair.
Aids in maintaining the immune system. Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune condition in which your immune system attacks healthy cells, which causes inflammation in your joints.
It is an antioxidant that protects against free radicals, which are unstable molecules that can damage cells. These free radicals are thought to be involved in illnesses like arthritis.
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