It’s not just the citrusy scent of lemon that can perk you up — consuming lemon juice may also boost digestion, immune health, and more. Here are five potential benefits of lemon juice.
1. Lemon Juice May Promote Digestion
Lemon juice is acidic, which can be beneficial for digestion. “I’m a big fan of lemon juice water in the morning because it activates the digestive system in a positive way,” says Abigail Hueber, RD, a functional dietitian and the owner of Above Health Nutrition in Boston.
Most anyone can benefit from lemon water in the morning (see recipe below), but especially those who could use digestive support, says Hueber.
Some folks have a low production of stomach acid (called hypochlorhydria), which has various causes, including bacterial infections like H. pylori, acid-reducing medications (like proton pump inhibitors, or PPIs), and chronic stress. “Lemon water helps create a more acidic environment in the stomach, which can improve digestion,” Hueber explains.
Lemon juice is not a cure for digestive concerns, but drinking 16 ounces (oz) of water with ¼ to ½ of a squeezed lemon in the morning is a good way to jump-start digestion, Hueber says.
2. Lemon Juice Is Rich in Antioxidants
Lemon juice can supplement a healthy, balanced diet by providing antioxidants, says Laura M. Ali, RD, a culinary nutritionist in Pittsburgh. Antioxidants are important for health because these compounds may prevent or delay cell damage caused by free radicals (unstable molecules that can damage DNA).
Vitamin C is one antioxidant found in lemon juice. One ounce of lemon juice offers 12 mg of vitamin C, making it a good source of the nutrient that, as an antioxidant, may help prevent cancer and heart disease.
3. Lemon Juice May Support Immune Function
Vitamin C is also key for immune function. Importantly, vitamin C acts as an antioxidant and supports the function of immune cells that fight off illness.
4. Lemon Juice Promotes Hydration
Squeezing fresh lemon into a glass of water may help you stay hydrated. “The fresh flavor lemon juice adds often makes drinking water more enticing and refreshing,” says Ali.
Lemon juice on its own is not more hydrating than other fluids, says Melanie Betz, RD, a registered dietitian and the founder of the Kidney Dietitian in Chicago. But if incorporating lemon juice helps you drink more water, that’s a win.
5. Lemon Juice May Help Prevent Kidney Stones
Lemon juice contains citric acid, a compound that can ward off calcium kidney stones (a common type of kidney stone composed of calcium oxalate or calcium phosphate). “Citric acid, or citrate, can help prevent calcium-based kidney stones by binding to calcium in the urine and creating a soluble complex that dissolves calcium out of urine,” Betz says.
While this may reduce your chances of developing a kidney stone, it’s unlikely to dissolve or pass an existing stone, she notes. (Be sure to speak to your doctor about appropriate treatment if you have existing kidney stones.)
But you’d have to drink up to a ½ cup of lemon juice daily to see a significant increase in the amount of citrate in your urine, Betz says. Instead of using lemon juice to prevent kidney stones, she recommends eating a diet rich in fruits and vegetables and limiting red meat, organ meat, and shellfish (which are high in purines, compounds that prompt uric acid production and encourage the formation of stones). A healthy diet will increase urine citrate to help prevent kidney stones.
