Drinking lemon water in the morning has been touted as a miracle worker. Some swear it gives them better skin and overall health.
To see if these claims have any validity to them, I decided to attempt the lemon-water challenge, which consisted of drinking a glass of lemon water each morning right when I woke up for a week.
The challenge: Drink a glass of lemon water each morning for a week
The process was simple, each morning before work, somewhere between 8 a.m. and 9 a.m., I combined 8 ounces of water with the juice of half a lemon.
Some recipes I found online suggested that the water be warm, but that made for a not-so-great taste, so I opted against it.
Much to my surprise, I actually saw results
Upon the completion of my one-week lemon-water challenge, I noticed my skin was almost flawless: no breakouts, no excess oils, no new blemishes. I also found that my skin was much softer to the touch and appeared to be much brighter.
Essentially, drinking the lemon juice created a natural highlight on my face.
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A few days after I stopped drinking lemon water each morning, I found that some acne started to come back. So, it appears to be true for me that lemon water really does help with complexion.
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I also found that the lemon water helped with my oral health.
I'm cursed with bad breath, so mornings have always been a particularly difficult time for me.
However, I soon found that the lemon water improved this. The fruit's citric acid seemed to help break down and fight the bacteria in my mouth.
At the end of the week, I also found I was much less bloated. Some research suggests that lemon water can act like a natural diuretic (things that help rid the body of excess fluids), which may explain this.
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Conclusion: The challenge improved my skin, but it's hard to determine the other health benefits
Other than improving my complexion, freshening my breath, and making me less bloated, I didn't notice any other health benefits.
I didn't get sick during this week, so perhaps the lemon water did boost my immune system or help my internal organs, but both of those things would be pretty hard to pinpoint from this short challenge.
On the other hand, I did notice one negative effect of drinking lemon water.I found each day that I became thirsty more quickly in the mornings, and if I didn't quench that thirst, a weird aftertaste was left in my mouth.
Overall, I would certainly consider adding lemon or infused water into my daily routine. The benefits to my skin were undeniable and, although I may have been thirstier, there's nothing wrong with staying extra hydrated.
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