The Proven Health Benefits of Honey Lemon Water (Science Based)

Honey lemon water has many health benefits due to its abundance of vitamins, nutrients, and antioxidants. Raw, unprocessed honey has antimicrobial properties and has been used for centuries to treat many health conditions. Lemons and lemon juice have high levels of vitamins and antioxidants that can help to strengthen your immune system, prevent infections, and keep your heart healthy.

Drinking warm honey and lemon water helps to boost your health and provide you with energy. In fact, many people drink warm honey lemon water in the morning to give their metabolism a healthy boost.

In this article, you will learn about the many reasons why honey lemon water is so good for you. You will also find out how scientific research backs up many of the health claims of honey and lemon.

The Health Benefits of Lemon Water

Lemon is a tangy citrus fruit that is packed with goodness. In fact, consuming a glass of warm water with the juice of a freshly squeezed lemon can provide you with up to 50% of your recommended daily vitamin C intake.

All types of lemons are low in calories and carbohydrates. For example, the juice from one lemon contains 11 calories and 4 g of carbs. Lemon juice also contains folate, vitamin A, calcium, potassium, and magnesium. (1)

One of the main benefits of consuming diluted lemon juice with honey is that lemons are rich in antioxidants. This is why a lot of people drink honey and lemon water for detox. Scientists say that citrus fruits like lemons are a rich source of vitamin C. However, other compounds in citrus juices like flavonoids also play an important role in keeping your body healthy. (2)

You can also boost the antioxidant properties of lemon honey tea by adding some grated lemon peel. Research has revealed that lemon peel is also a rich source of antioxidants with antimicrobial properties. (3)

The Health Benefits of Raw Honey

The best kind of honey to use is the raw, unprocessed type of bees’ honey. Unprocessed honey contains all of the nutrients and goodness in honey that sometimes get lost in processing.

According to information provided by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), one tablespoon of raw honey contains about 64 calories and 17 g of carbs. (4) Although this may seem a lot, it’s good to remember that honey also contains amino acids, minerals, and important enzymes.

The glycemic index (GI) of honey is 10, which means that it doesn’t raise blood glucose levels as much as sugar. (5) For example, 1 oz. (28 g) of sugar has a GI rating of 19 which is more than the equivalent amount of honey. (6)

The main health benefits of honey come from its antioxidant and antimicrobial properties. Research into the health benefits of honey has shown that it contains a wide range of enzymes, phenolics, and organic acids with powerful antioxidant properties. (7)

Scientists say that phenolic compounds are essential to prevent certain diseases and promote good health. (8)

Raw honey, especially Manuka honey, also helps to reduce inflammatory responses in the body. (9)

The Health Benefits of Honey Lemon Water

Let’s look at the many ways that combining honey and lemon can be good for you.

Honey Lemon Water Can Strengthen Your Immune System

Drinking lemon and honey water can give your immune system a boost and help your body fight infections.

Scientists say that vitamin C which is found in lemons is necessary to protect your immune system. The journal Nutrients reported that vitamin C protects the body against oxidative stress. This can strengthen your body to resist serious infections. Researchers also found that dietary vitamin C can prevent and treat certain respiratory infections. (10)

Some studies have found that taking vitamin C when you have a cold can help to clear your symptoms quicker. (11)

Adding honey to a glass of warm lemon juice will also provide your body with important infection-fighting enzymes. For example, studies have shown that honey contains many compounds that destroy free radicals and help protect your immune system. (12)

In fact, darker honey may have a higher antioxidant level than lighter honey. (12)

Consuming a glass of honey lemon tea will help you fight infections more effectively and stay healthier.

Regularly drinking honey lemon water could be one of the 10 hacks to boost your immunity almost immediately.

Honey Lemon Water Helps Reduce Inflammation

One important benefit of honey lemon tea is that it helps lower inflammation in the body.

Doctors have said that inflammation is connected with the development of many chronic diseases. (13)

Honey has anti-inflammatory properties that can help to improve your general health. A review of the medicinal properties of honey found that honey’s anti-inflammatory potential could help treat many diseases. Certain compounds in honey help to suppress enzymes that cause inflammation. (14)

Combining lemon water and honey in a drink can help boost the anti-inflammatory properties of honey. For example, scientific studies have shown that citrus fruits such as lemons contain bioactive compounds that have an anti-inflammatory effect. (15)

Learn about more foods that can help to reduce inflammation.

Honey and Lemon Can Help Cure a Sore Throat and Cough

Due to the high amount of vitamin C in lemon juice and the soothing properties of raw honey, you can drink honey lemon water to help treat a sore throat and cough.

According to doctors from the Mayo Clinic, taking a warm honey lemon drink when you have a sore throat is a classic natural remedy for cough. (16)

Honey can actually act as a cough suppressant and prevent coughing from disrupting your sleep. Doctors from the National Health Service reported in 2018 that honey can reduce coughing fits. Children who took honey for a cough, coughed less than those who received no treatment. (17)

The doctors recommended drinking hot water with lemon and honey to help treat symptoms of a sore throat. Squeeze half a lemon into a mug of warm water and add 1-2 teaspoons of honey (preferably Manuka honey) and drink to help get rid of an irritating cough. You can also use hot water but make sure not to use boiling water. Adding lemon and honey to boiling water destroys many of their beneficial nutrients.

Find out what you should do if you start coughing up yellow or green mucus.

Honey Lemon Water Can Boost Your Digestive Health

There are a number of reasons why honey lemon water benefits your digestion.

First, regularly drinking lemon honey water keeps you well hydrated which is important for your digestive health. Research points to the fact that some gastrointestinal disorders can be the result of dehydration. (18)

Doctors also say that getting enough fluids every day can help manage chronic constipation. (19)

Adding some lemon zest to your delicious honey lemon tea can also add some dietary fiber to your drink. A review of the benefits of citrus peel reported that rind from citrus fruits like lemons is a good source of fiber. Citrus peel can help with digestion and also contains important bioactive compounds that can improve intestinal health. (20)

Honey also contains many beneficial properties that promote digestive health. Studies into the medicinal properties of honey have found that it contains over 180 compounds, many of which improve gut microflora. Also, the antimicrobial properties of honey help to relieve inflammation and kill off gastrointestinal bacterial infections. (21)

If your digestion doesn’t work properly, find out what you can do to improve your digestive health.

Honey Lemon Water Can Help Treat Kidney Stones

If you have kidney stones, you can drink honey lemon water 2 or 3 times a day to help treat them.

Scientists have found that lemon juice could be a natural alternative to treating certain types of kidney stones. (22)

How can honey help treat kidney stones? There are no scientific studies showing that the medicinal properties of honey directly affect kidney stones. However, honey could have a therapeutic effect on your urinary system when you drink it together with lemon.

First, you can use honey as a natural sweetener in warm lemon drinks to treat kidney stones.

Second, honey has powerful antibacterial properties that may help prevent urinary tract infections. A review in 2013 found that diluted honey can help treat urinary tract infections. Honey was effective in eradicating bacterial strains such as E. coli, Proteus species, and Strep. faecalis. (23)

To help get rid of kidney stones using warm lemon honey water, you should take 5 or 6 tablespoons of lemon juice a day. Add 1-2 teaspoons of raw, unprocessed honey to sweeten the flavor and help prevent urinary bacterial infections. You can also add apple cider vinegar to your drink as apple cider vinegar (ACV) can help treat kidney stones as well.

Honey Lemon Water Can Lower Your Risk of Heart Disease

Drinking honey lemon water every morning can have a positive impact on your cardiac health.

There are a number of factors why the combination of honey and lemon benefits your heart.

One cohort study that examined how to lower the risk of coronary heart disease found that vitamin C helps to keep your heart healthy. It was noted that a heart-healthy diet should include vegetables and fruits that are rich in vitamin C (such as lemons). (24) The juice from a large lemon meets almost half of your recommended daily vitamin C intake!

Other research has found that antioxidants found in citrus fruits and their peel have a protective effect on heart health. (25)

Likewise, the polyphenol antioxidants in honey can also protect you from heart disease. A review of the therapeutic effect of honey on the cardiovascular system found that regular honey intake reduces the risk of heart disease. Researchers found that honey protects the heart because it helps prevent blood clotting, improves blood circulation, and prevents clogged arteries. (26)

There are a number of other simple ways to keep your heart healthy.

Lemon honey tea helps lower blood pressure

The citric acid content in lemon juice has an anti-hypertension effect. Studies have shown that lemon juice and extracts of lemon peel can help to lower blood pressure. Consuming lemon water daily and regular walking can help reduce blood pressure naturally. (27)

Honey also has a positive effect in helping to lower high blood pressure. (28)

Learn about additional ways to lower your blood pressure naturally.

Related: How to use apple cider vinegar to reduce blood pressure (evidence based).

Lemon juice and honey can help lower bad cholesterol (LDL) and increase good cholesterol (HDL)

One study on 35 males found that taking 70 g of honey a day lowered low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels in a 4-week period. This is the type of cholesterol that doctors refer to as “bad” cholesterol. The effect of regular honey consumption also helped regulate blood glucose levels. (29)

Because lemons contain high levels of vitamin C, lemon juice can also help to lower LDL cholesterol. A review of randomized controlled trials found that supplementing your diet with vitamin C can reduce cholesterol levels. Researchers found that taking 500 mg vitamin C a day can significantly decrease LDL cholesterol concentrations and increased “good” cholesterol (HDL). (30)

Read about other ways to lower cholesterol naturally.

Honey Lemon Water Can Help to Detox

One of the benefits of taking lemon water with honey in the morning is that it can help rid your body of toxins.

Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant and the fact that lemon juice contains so much vitamin C means it can help detox your body. (31)

Raw honey is a natural ingredient that is packed with beneficial enzymes, amino acids, and antioxidants. While there is no research on the detoxifying effect of honey, scientific research shows that honey is beneficial in treating and preventing a number of inflammatory diseases. (12)

Adding a spoon of honey to your lemon detox drink certainly won’t do any harm and will provide you with a healthy and natural source of energy. You can also add raw apple cider vinegar to your drink to increase its detox effect. But make sure to use apple cider vinegar with the mother. Here are simple recipes of powerful apple cider vinegar detox drinks.

Get other great ideas on how to detox your body every day.

Honey Lemon Water May Help You Lose Weight

Starting your day with a glass of honey lemon water can help to promote healthy weight loss.

One interesting study on humans found that lemon extracts have the potential to help lose weight. One group of 30 people took lemon peel extracts as a supplement with their diet. At the end of the trial, scientists noted that the group taking the lemon extract had a slightly lower body mass index than that group who took the placebo. The study concluded that “lemon peel extract has some beneficial effects for childhood obesity.” (32)

While there is no direct evidence that honey lemon water promotes weight loss, increasing your fluid intake helps you feel fuller. This can restrict the desire to snack and help reduce portion size. You also get plenty of vitamins, nutrients, and minerals in honey lemon water drinks.

Also, switching from sugary soda to healthy lemon and water drinks can also help to lower your daily calorie intake and help lose weight.

Find out how much walking you have to do to lose weight.

How to Use Honey Lemon Water

Recipe of Honey Lemon Water

1. Boil some water and let it cool a little in a mug.
2. Add fresh juice of half a lemon (beginners can start with a smaller dose of a quarter of a lemon). For best results, use organic fruits.
3. Mix in raw, organic, unpasteurized honey (you can experiment with different flavors). Add the honey after the water had cooled down as the heat will destroy the nutrients in the honey.
4. To drink immediately, you can add in a little bit of cold water.
5. Enjoy the drink as soon as you wake up.

If you want to increase your daily intake of vitamin C, you could add more lemon juice to the honey drink. However, it’s good to remember that honey contains calories, even though it is healthier than sugar.

Many people like to start their day with a refreshing cup of warm honey lemon water. This gives your metabolism a kickstart and sets you up for the day.

You may also enjoy a cup of warm water with lemon and honey to relax with in the evening.

Drinking lemon water in the morning is also one of the 70 habits featured in my e-book 70 Powerful Habits For A Great Health which will guide you how to take positive steps to improve your wellness and overall health.

You can also experiment with this cleansing ginger lemon tea as it has amazing health benefits as well.

Side Effects of Honey Lemon Water

Honey and lemon are natural ingredients that are full of goodness. Generally, consuming honey and lemon drinks every day is safe and shouldn’t cause any adverse effects.

If you are using honey and lemon water for its health benefits, there are a few things to remember: (33, 34)

• Lemon juice is acidic and could affect your tooth enamel. You could drink through a straw or rinse your mouth with clean water to avoid any risk of damaging to tooth enamel. Always drink a diluted lemon juice.
• Lemon juice can cause symptoms of heartburn in some people.
• You should avoid honey if you are allergic to pollen or bee-related products.
• Excess amounts of honey can cause diarrhea, abnormal heart rhythms, or tingling on your skin.
• Infants under 12 months old should never be given honey.
• Drinking honey lemon water may make you pee more. This is not because lemon is a diuretic but just because you increase your fluid intake.

You can also read about the amazing health benefits of lemon water in my article: Health Benefits of Drinking Lemon Water

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