Is Too Much Lemon Juice Bad For Your Health? Here's The Answer!

Lemon juice or lemonade is a summer cooler we all love to enjoy. It's a very popular drink around the world and with good reason- it's easy-to-make, delicious and healthy. All you need to make this thirst quencher is a couple of ripe lemons, a squeezer and cold or warm water. Add a sweetener of your choice and some table salt or rock salt if you like and your refreshing drink is ready! 

However, there are some notions connected with lemon juice which are giving it a notorious tinge among some people. Some people believe that drinking too much lemon juice is bad for the bones, because of the acid present in lemon. Is that really true?A quick Google search on the effects of lemon juice on your bones will throw up very confusing results. Some articles on the web say that lemon juice may be bad for the bones, while some suggest that it may be effective against arthritis. We asked experts about whether there are any side-effects to drinking lemonade or lemon juice to bust these myths about the drink.

Is Lemon Juice Bad For Your Bones?

Lemon juice is generally considered good for health when consumed as one of the first drinks in the morning. It is even credited with aiding weight loss and detoxifying the system. But are there any side-effects of the drink? Consultant Nutritionist Dr. Rupali Datta says, "There are no scientific studies of any sort that say lemon juice is bad for health." She went on to explain that due to the presence of vitamin C and anti-inflammatory properties, some believe that it may help improve arthritis, but the belief that lemon juice may harm the bones is, according to her, unfounded.

Also Read: 6 Ingenious Lemon Hacks You Will Thank Us For

Bengaluru-based nutritionist Dr. Anju Sood echoed Dr. Datta's sentiments on the subject. When asked about possible side-effects of having lemon juice, Dr. Sood too said that there weren't any major ones, adding, "When someone is suffering from gastric stress or extreme acid reflux, then maybe it's not advisable to drink lemon juice, due to the acid present in the fruit."

How Much Lemon Juice Should You Drink In A Day?

Is there any upper limit to the quantity of lemon juice you should consume in a day? Dr. Datta and Dr. Sood both suggest that having the juice squeezed from two lemons per day, is quite enough to keep you hydrated. Moreover, it is perfectly healthy to drink lemon juice every day. "You can add salt or sugar (if you're not a diabetic) and cumin or jeera powder to your lemon juice and water and enjoy a refreshing glass of shikanji every day", says Dr. Datta. Meanwhile, Dr. Sood believes that honey is the best addition to your lemon juice.

"Lemon juice and honey is a good booster for your liver and kidney. While your liver is the organ for metabolisation of food, your kidney is responsible for flushing out toxins", says Dr. Sood. An additional benefit of lemon juice, as highlighted by Dr. Sood is the replenishment of ascorbic acid in the body. "Ascorbic acid is water soluble and gets removed from the body every day. Lemon juice can help replenish the antioxidant in your body." You may know ascorbic acid by its more popular name- Vitamin C, which is essential for hair, heart and your overall health.

In Conclusion: Should You Drink Lemon Juice Daily?

So as it turns out, you may drink lemon juice daily, as it is a drink that can keep you both hydrated and healthy. Drinking lemon juice with warm water the first thing in the morning is especially healthy. Lemon juice also contains potassium, which is a crucial nutrient during the summer season. Dr. Rupali suggests lemon juice with salt as an oral rehydration solution for the summers. She also suggests squeezing a bit of the juice over legumes and vegetables in salads, to boost the absorption of iron by the body.

By-Ndtv