Renowned for its health benefits, fasting lemon juice is not for everyone. It can cause digestive problems and damage tooth enamel.
Rich in vitamin C and antioxidants, lemon has advantages from a nutritional point of view. Some recommend drinking the juice in the morning, on an empty stomach. This would make it possible to fill up on vitamins, lose weight, even have white teeth. If the pressed fruit can indeed be good for your health, it is better not to consume too much of it.
What are the benefits of lemon juice?
“In a 100 gram homemade lemon juice, there are 42.4 milligrams of vitamin C, the equivalent content of a small orange“, explains Pauline Pied, nutritionist, to West France. Vitamin C has multiple functions in the body: it facilitates healing, strengthens our immune defenses against viral and bacterial infections, helps iron assimilation and protects the walls of blood vessels. For an adult, it is recommended to consume 110 milligrams per day. Citrus is also rich in anti-oxidants. These compounds block free radicals, responsible for cellular aging.
It does not lose weight…
There is no evidence that drinking lemon on an empty stomach would be particularly effective in losing weight. However, Brazilian researchers have shown that it may have benefits for obese people. To reach these conclusions, they administered lemon to mice whose diet was high in fat. “Our trial showed no lemon-related weight loss“, specifies Thais B. Cesar, director of the study. “However, it did result in them being healthier, with lower oxidative stress, healthier livers, lower lipid and blood sugar levels.“
… And is not recommended in case of stomach disorders
For people with stomach problems, lemon is rather not recommended. “The acidic pH increases the burning sensation in the stomach and esophagussays Dr. Laurence Plumey to Current wife. If your digestive system is a little sensitive, you also have to be careful. If you experience heartburn when you drink lemon juice, avoid consuming it.“In short, if you occasionally have heartburn or acid reflux, drinking lemon juice may do you more harm than good.
Watch out for tooth enamel!
Lemon juice is sometimes consumed to whiten teeth. But before trying the experiment, it is better to talk to your dentist. Its high acidity can make tooth enamel porous and facilitate the appearance of cavities. In 2005, the Academy of General Dentistry published a study on this subject. These health professionals note that foods with an acidic pH, such as lemon, are likely to cause irreversible erosion of tooth enamel. “The first thing patients can do is reduce the risk of dental erosion by decreasing their intake“, specify the members of the association. Saliva also has a protective effect for the teeth: chewing gum after eating or drinking an acidic product helps to stimulate its production, and thus protects the teeth. The association also recommends to rinse your mouth after drinking lemon juice.
Last tip: if you really want to incorporate lemon juice into your diet, it may be worth protecting your stomach. To do this, you can dilute it in warm water, thereby softening its acidity.
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