The Best Time to Drink Lemon Water for Digestion and Hydration

Lemon water is a low-calorie drink that provides vitamin C. Drinking lemon water can support hydration and digestion. For these benefits, many people like to drink it in the morning, but is this the best time?

You can drink lemon water at any time of the day: in the morning, before meals, during meals or after eating.

Many people enjoy lemon water in the morning to support hydration, vitamin C intake, and digestion. However, you can drink lemon water at any time of the day and still benefit from its benefits.

Drinking it after meals can help aid digestion and reduce bloating. Since lemon water is acidic, drinking it with or after meals may also be more comfortable for people with sensitive stomachs.

Drinking lemon water offers a few potential benefits, including:

• Promotes hydration: Lemon water helps with hydration, but it’s no better or worse than plain water for hydrating your body. Some people find it more pleasant to drink because of its added aroma. In this case, it can help increase your overall water intake.
• Alternative to zero-calorie drinks: Lemon water contains very few calories and sugar. This makes it a great alternative to soda or other sugary drinks.
• Add to your vitamin C intake: Squeezing a whole lemon in water can provide about 21% of the daily value (DV) of vitamin C. Vitamin C is an antioxidant nutrient that helps prevent cell damage caused by environmental pollution, smoking, ultraviolet rays and other stressors. It also promotes skin health and wound healing and helps with iron absorption.
• May help digestion: Lemon water is not a cure for digestive disorders. However, some people find that lemon water relieves bloating. This may be because lemon juice can stimulate stomach acid production. Stomach acid activates digestive enzymes, which help break down food. It can also help reduce bloating by helping food move through the stomach faster. However, this doesn’t make a noticeable difference for most people.

A glass of lemon water prepared with the juice of a lemon provides:

• Calories: 10.6 calories
• Carbohydrates: 3.3 grams
• Total sugar: 1.2 grams
• Vitamin C: 18.6 milligrams, 21% of the DV

Lemon water is a low-calorie drink. It can provide a good amount of vitamin C, depending on how much lemon you squeeze. If you use a lemon, you can get about 21% of your daily value (DV) of vitamin C. However, if you find it too sour, you can use half a lemon instead.

Although lemon water can be refreshing and offer some benefits, it’s not the best choice for everyone. In some situations, drinking lemon water may cause discomfort or may not be recommended. Here are some cases where you may want to limit or avoid it:

• If you have a sensitive stomach: Lemon juice is acidic, with a pH of around 2.3. Adding lemon to water makes it more acidic than regular water. People with sensitive stomachs may experience discomfort if they consume acidic drinks or foods too often or in large quantities.
• If you have kidney stones: Some people drink lemon water as a home remedy for kidney stones. Lemon water may help fight some kidney stones by increasing urinary citrate. However, it can also make symptoms worse in others. Always consult your doctor before using lemon water for kidney stone relief.