Water infusion is a new trend among health and weight-conscious people. The most common among water infusion is lemon water, usually served in restaurants and can also be simply made at home. Lemon is infused to give it a little flavor or ‘life’ to the usually boring water. It is also a good source of the vitamin C that we need to protect our immune system.
On a different purpose, some people drink lemon in hot water with the belief that it can help them detoxify and lose weight. Despite of the wide-spread belief, health and diet experts say that there is fallacy in this. Merely sipping lemon water will not decrease your body fat and help you lose weight. In fact, some people may have taken taking lemon water to a more dangerous road.
Here are some health risks you may get or develop from too much lemon water intake.
It may cause Heartburn
If a person is prone to heartburn, it is not advisable for you to drink lemon water. Heartburn also known as Acid Reflux is experienced when the esophageal sphincter does not function well, which caused the acids from the stomach to go up the esophagus, causing a painful ‘burning’ in the chest. Aside from the temperature of the water, heartburn can be caused or triggered, if the individual has this condition, by the acid coming from lemon. Lemon is in fact one of the most acidic fruits in the world, and when taken in large quantity, may result to hyper acidity.
It may damage your pearly whites
Since teeth are part of where the food enters, it is greatly affected by what you put in your mouth. Frequent drinking of lemon water may bring about damage to your teeth, as the lemon water contain great amount of acid from the lemon. As the lemon water washes the teeth with acid from lemon, it can damage the enamel, the protective substance of the teeth. This may cause enamel erosion, which may lead to more serious dental issues such as cavities and sensitivities.
It may cause frequent urination and dehydration
Fact: lemon juice is a good source of ascorbic acid, better known as vitamin C. this nutrient has diuretic properties which increases urine production in kidney and helps the body eliminate excess fluid and sodium more quickly.
But despite this benefit we may get from lemon juice, it also has its side effect when taken in great amount. In occasional cases, it can cause excessive loss of body fluids because of its diuretic effect. Frequent trips to the urinals may occur as an effect of the excessive amount of lemon juice. Reducing the amount of lemon juice you put in water can prevent these conditions.
It may hinder you from trying and taking other drinks
Because of the belief that they will lose weight, some people replace plain water with lemon water. It may hinder you from trying other drinks that are far more effective in helping you lose weight. Plus, there’s nothing better than a fresh, clean glass of water to refresh your body and quench your thirst.
