Is Lime Water Good for You?

You’ve little doubt heard that it’s necessary to drink at the least eight glasses (64 ounces) of water on daily basis. Some folks really should be consuming even greater than that, in keeping with the National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine.

But understanding it and doing it are two various things.

According to a examine carried out by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the common grownup solely drinks 44 ounces of water a day. The findings have been even worse for kids and youngsters: They solely common 23 ounces a day.

One of the CDC’s recommendations to enhance water-drinking habits is including lemon or lime juice. It’s an acquired style, however for many who get pleasure from that additional splash of taste, it might be all the inducement they should get to — and possibly even past — eight glasses a day.

The well being advantages that include staying hydrated are cause sufficient to make the change, however the humble lime additionally packs fairly a dietary punch. As is true of any dynamic duo, the worth of lime water could also be even larger than the sum of its elements.

We talked to registered dietitian and nutritionist Carly Sedlacek RDN, LD, to seek out out why this small tweak to your day by day hydration habits is perhaps price making.

What is lime water?

Lime water is precisely what it seems like: water flavored with juice from a fresh-squeezed lime.

The ratio of lime juice to water doesn’t need to be precise — you should utilize as a lot or as little of the fruit as your style buds dictate. If you’re undecided how a lot lime taste you’d like, begin by chopping the (completely washed) fruit into quarters and squeezing a single wedge into your cup.

If you need to infuse nonetheless extra citrus-y goodness into your water, drop the wedge into the water after you’ve squeezed it.

For a fair deeper taste, preserve your lime water within the fridge in a single day.

Limes vs. lemons

Both lemons and limes fall into the class of citrus fruits. Citrus fruits originate from the Rutaceae household.

And each lemons and limes include a soluble fiber referred to as pectin, which might be useful to coronary heart well being. They even have comparable dietary profiles, containing calcium, magnesium, potassium and nutritional vitamins A, B, C and D.

Although limes and lemons aren’t nutritionally completely different, limes — as a part of the citrus household — can have well being advantages similar to boosting your immune system and serving to with micronutrient absorption.

Health advantages

Like lemon water, lime water has quite a lot of well being advantages. That’s as a result of, in keeping with Sedlacek, “Limes are packed with antioxidants and phytonutrients.” Here, we’ve compiled a listing of the widespread well being advantages related to lime water.

Boosts hydration

Our our bodies are principally water. It figures, then, that dehydration impacts all of our bodily capabilities. From digesting meals to circulating oxygen all through our our bodies, we do the whole lot a bit higher after we’re consuming sufficient water.

Adding lime to your water can encourage you to up your H₂O consumption. It’s additionally more healthy than many of the different methods (like synthetic sweeteners) that we make our water extra thrilling.

Improves pores and skin

Skin loves moisture, so consuming water is at all times a good suggestion. Fortifying that water with a fruit that’s excessive in vitamin C is a fair higher one.

Why? Because vitamin C — along with brightening your complexion — stimulates collagen manufacturing. Collagen naturally corporations and tightens your pores and skin. 

Supports digestion

You in all probability already know that the acid in your abdomen helps you break down the meals you eat. But do you know that acid ranges have a tendency to say no as we age? Limes can complement that abdomen acid.

It’s additionally price noting that consuming water helps relieve constipation.

Boosts immunity

Have you been getting sick quite a bit not too long ago? Your food plan could also be compromising your immune perform.

Increasing your vitamin C ranges (inside cause — an excessive amount of could cause abdomen issues) might help you flip issues round. Vitamin C can improve the quantity and high quality of your white blood cells. Staying hydrated helps your physique produce lymph, which, Sedlacek explains, carries these white blood cells all through your physique.

In addition, the antioxidants present in limes battle irritation, which strengthens your immune response.

The outcome: shorter and extra rare bouts of illness.

Helps regulate blood sugar

Lime water could possibly be particularly helpful to people who’re watching their blood sugar. Limes have a low glycemic index, which helps stop wild sugar swings all through the day.

Supports wholesome weight reduction

We all know that wholesome weight reduction methods require you to eat your fruits and veggies and drink loads of water. But do you know that a study carried out over 24 years discovered a correlation between elevated consumption of citrus and weight reduction? We can’t assume that elevated consumption of citrus juice is equally correlated with weight reduction, nevertheless it’s actually a very good signal.

“Limes are low in calories, high in micronutrients and punch above their weight with regard to both water and fiber content,” Sedlacek says. “They’re really good for us, but most of us aren’t going to make a snack of them. The juice — without added sugar — is the best we can do.”

Improves iron absorption

If you wrestle to get sufficient iron in your food plan, or have an iron-deficiency anemia prognosis, it’s necessary to get loads of vitamin C.

When consumed alongside your iron-rich meals of selection, the vitamin C in lime water helps your physique higher take in these minerals. That’s nice information as a result of inadequate shops of iron can result in hair loss, stressed leg syndrome, fatigue and a number of different disagreeable signs.

May scale back danger of most cancers, kidney stones and coronary heart illness

If you generally tend towards kidney stones, you’d profit from consuming lime water on daily basis. Citrate — which is present in lime juice — has been proven to dissolve kidney stones and forestall them from forming.

The vitamin C and antioxidants present in limes are additionally identified to scale back stress on the center.

While actually much less definitive than a few of the different preventative properties of lime, a 2021 study discovered that the extra citrus you eat, the much less probably you’re to develop lung most cancers. Further research are wanted to know if these findings are generalizable to citrus juice.

“Limes aren’t a cure-all by any stretch of the imagination, but they are a welcome addition to a healthy diet,” Sedlacek notes.

Should you drink lime water on daily basis?

You don’t want to limit the quantity of lime water you drink in a day any greater than you do common water. While hyponatremia is unusual, it will probably occur, so be sure to monitor your water consumption, no matter flavoring.

In reality, you’re extra more likely to expertise the well being advantages should you’re consuming it on daily basis. Your greatest guess is consuming lime water very first thing within the morning, in lieu of fruit juice or a sugary espresso drink.

Sedlacek provides, “Starting your day with a sugary drink will make it harder to stay on track throughout the day. A glass of lime water will deliver on flavor without kicking off a craving.”

The backside lime

Adding a spritz of lime juice to your water doesn’t simply make it tastier — it provides to the already vital well being advantages we get pleasure from after we’re correctly hydrated. Squeezing this new behavior into your day by day routine is a fast, reasonably priced and straightforward method to enhance your vitamin.