Lemons are noble fruits, they’re a great source of vitamin C and many other essential nutrients, and they are easy to enjoy in your food and drinks. There’s no reason not to add lemons to your diet. Still, the fruit is acidic, perhaps too much for your health, especially if you over-drink lemon water.
Here are six scary reasons to avoid drinking too much lemon water. A glass now and then is okay, but don’t drink much more than that! Too much of a good thing can be bad for you.
Lemon water can give you an upset stomach
Lemon water is acidic, and it’s much more abrasive than you think. Your stomach is also filled with acid, but it can only take that much. When you consume acidic drinks often, you start feeling your stomach in distress, which means cramps, loss of appetite, heartburn and bloating.
Too much lemon water will put your stomach to the test, and it eventually suffers from it. Avoid eating and drinking acidic stuff and give your digestive system a break.
Lemon water can damage your teeth
The most common downside of drinking lemon water is that your teeth enamel is eroded, meaning your teeth are suddenly more sensitive, and your cavities worsen. Bacteria thrive in acidic environments, so bad breath is not uncommon on people that eat acidic food, and that’s just the beginning — infections, inflamed gums and teeth yellowing follow.
If you drink lemon water, do it with a straw to reduce acid exposure, and wash your teeth after every meal to make sure you eliminate all residual acidity.
Lemon water can make you feel irritable
Let’s face it, we never wash our lemons, and they almost always come with an invisible layer of pesticides, herbicides and other chemicals. These authentic toxins build up in our bodies, causing several health problems that more often than not start by making us feel ill and moody.
Excess acidity also makes us get cranky. When our digestive system is having a hard time, it lets us feel discomfort, and you’ll reflect them in your mood. If you’re irritable often, perhaps you’re drinking too much lemon water.
Lemon water can create ulcers
Lemon water is healthy, but it’s also acidic, and too much acid eventually takes a toll on your stomach and digestive system. Ulcers are common in people who consume too many acidic drinks and food.
The acid in lemon juice can break down your stomach lining, increasing the risk of ulcers, which lead to significant health threats, including reflux, stomach cramps, nausea, vomit, bloating and discomfort. Keep in mind you would have to drink too much lemon water to get an ulcer, but it’s still possible.
Lemon water can give you a headache
Scientific studies show some people don’t handle citrus fruit well and consuming too much lemon juice can cause headaches and even migraines — you might not even know you are allergic.
If you experience headaches often, see if you’re eating or drinking too much of something, even lemon water — that might be the cause of your migraine. Consuming too much lemon juice can even cause photosensitivity, too, making your head hurt with bright lights.
Lemon water can make you lose liquids
This doesn’t sound right, but it’s true. Lemons are natural diuretics, meaning their minerals cause your cells to dehydrate as they balance the excess minerals in your bloodstream. That makes you urinate more often, which leads to dehydration.
Although you’re drinking water in lemon water, you’re causing an imbalance in your system, and your body desperately tries to balance it out, dehydrating in the process. Think of drinking saltwater; well, it’s something like that but not as severe, of course.
Who Knew Lemon Water Could Be So Dangerous?
The bottom line, lemon water is good for you if you enjoy it from time to time. If you drink it all day, every day, or consume it on an empty stomach or before going to sleep, you’ll suffer from some of the effects described above.
Too much of a good thing can be a bad thing. If you want to add lemon water to your diet, do it responsibly. A glass or two now and then won’t do you any harm.
