4 Reasons Men Should Be Drinking Lemon Water

Lemon water is an ideal way to start your morning with energy, hydration, and endurance. Simply squeeze the juice of a 1/8- 1/4 wedge of lemon into a glass of room temperature or slightly cool water.

Citrus fruits contain bioactive compounds such as phenolics, flavonoids, vitamins, terpenoids, reducing sugars and essential oils, which have a large range of protective health benefits including antioxidative, anti‐inflammatory, antitumor, and antimicrobial activities

1. Fat Loss Promoter

Having a high percentage of body fat increases your risk of developing diseases such as diabetes, hyperlipidemia (high cholesterol), and hypertension (high blood pressure), which can lead to arteriosclerosis, type 2 diabetes (T2DM), metabolic syndrome and certain cancers.

In animal models, consumption of lemon constituents suppressed body weight gain, fat accumulation, hyperlipidemia, hyperglycemia, and insulin resistance.

When you gain body fat, it’s a combination of growth in fat cell size and the formation of new adipocytes (aka fat cells) through a process called adipogenesis, or adipocyte differentiation.

Currently, it is thought that disruption of adipocyte differentiation limits fat expansion, which is linked to the development of insulin sensitivity, resistance, and T2DM.

Studies found naringenin has the ability to inhibit adipogenesis and impair mature fat cell function. Although lemons only contain small amounts of naringenin, other citrus fruits such as grapefruit and oranges are excellent sources.

“In metabolic syndrome, obesity, and related cardiovascular complications, naringin influences AMPK-, PPARα–, and CPT-1–mediated fat utilization and preserves mitochondrial function.

Moreover, naringin also prevents the TNF-α–mediated inflammatory process and tissue damage in liver and vasculature.”

Naringin and naringenin supplementation have proven to be effective for the treatment of metabolic syndrome and obesity in animal models. However, more research needs to be conducted on the effects of naringin and naringenin on humans.

2. Blood Sugar Regulator

Studies show that citrus flavonoids regulate blood sugar levels with a similar mechanism to Metformin, the main pharmaceutical drug to control diabetes and insulin resistance.

As surprising as this is, hesperidin, hesperetin, naringin, and naringenin have been shown to decrease hepatic gluconeogenesis.

Hepatic gluconeogenesis is the production of glucose by the liver, which is released into the bloodstream for energy use.

In a person with impaired insulin function, gluconeogenesis results in high levels of blood sugar and initiates tissue damage associated with T2DM (type 2 diabetes).

3. Energy Boost

Three common causes of fatigue are:

Dehydration and hypotension

Stress and anxiety leading to poor sleep

Iron deficiency anemia

Lemon water targets all 3 with hydration, nourishing the HPA axis (hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal) and aiding in iron absorption.

DEHYDRATION and HYPO-TENSION

When you get your blood pressure taken, do you often see 80/60 mmHg?

If so, you probably have hypo-tension (aka. low blood pressure) and the most common reason is dehydration, but it could also indicate a serious medical condition.

Dehydration can also appear as:

dizziness, fainting, black outs

poor concentration and delirium

extreme thirst

constipation

cold, clammy skin

nausea

headaches

fatigue

Have you ever felt dizzy from standing up suddenly?

If so, this is called postural hypo-tension (or orthostatic hypo-tension) and can be treated by drinking 300–500 ml of water.

So, keep count of how many glasses of water (or lemon water) you drink per day and if it is less than 8, try increasing your hydration one glass at a time.

4. Skin Rejuvenation

The skin contains approximately 30% water, which contributes to plumpness, elasticity, and resiliency. However…

“One of the more pervasive myths regarding water intake is the improvement of the skin or complexion. By improvement, it is generally understood that individuals are seeking to have a more “moisturized” look to the surface skin or to minimize acne or other skin conditions.

Numerous lay sources such as beauty and health magazines as well as the Internet suggest that drinking 8–10 glasses of water a day will “flush toxins from the skin” and “give a glowing complexion” despite a general lack of evidence94, 95 to support these proposals. The skin, however, is important in maintaining body water levels and preventing water loss into the environment.”

Dry skin is typically associated with:

Moderate dehydration

Exposure to dry air

Prolonged contact with hot water

Excessive scrubbing with soap (strip oils from the skin)

Certain medical conditions

Specific medications

While more serious levels of dehydration will show reduced skin turgor or “tenting of the skin” when pinched.

So what does drinking water do for the skin?

Improvements in skin thickness and density can be seen with increased water intake, particularly in people who consume low amounts of water. However, adequate skin hydration is NOT sufficient to prevent wrinkles or other signs of aging, which are related to sun exposure, genetics, and environmental damages.

The ascorbic acid and vitamin C content from lemons is also an effective vulnerary, which nourishes the skin and connective tissue (tendons, ligaments, and muscles) to speed up healing for wounds and injuries.