Will drinking lemon water cause kidney stones? Can’t you soak lemons in hot water? Four common misconceptions about lemon water revealed!

Lemon, a magical fruit known for its sourness, has records in the Compendium of Materia Medica that it can produce body fluids, quench thirst, and dispel heat. Modern medicine also believes that lemons are also helpful in preventing cardiovascular diseases, anti-oxidation, and delaying aging. Nowadays, lemon water has become the first choice for many people. However, as the saying goes, "the more famous you are, the more trouble you will have." Inappropriate statements about lemon water have also been circulated on the Internet. Let's decipher them.

Image source: Copyright Library

01

Rumor: Drinking lemon water will cause kidney stones

Analysis: Rumor. Drinking lemon water does not promote the formation of stones, and it also helps the absorption of nutrients such as calcium.

There are many causes of stones. Genetics, metabolism, anatomy and diet are all major factors, among which diet is the most concerned.

The main component of stones is calcium oxalate. The large amount of oxalic acid in the diet aggravates the formation of stones to a certain extent. For example, the oxalic acid content in vegetables such as spinach, celery, and leeks is very high, but lemons are not among them.

Moreover, unlike oxalic acid which forms an insoluble substance when it meets calcium, the citric acid in lemon combines with calcium to form calcium citrate tetrahydrate, which is slightly soluble in water, with a solubility of 0.02 grams per 100 grams.

At the same time, the slightly acidic nature of citric acid in the intestines can also promote the absorption of various mineral elements such as calcium, iron, and zinc, which is beneficial to health.

02

Myth: You can’t soak lemons in hot water

Analysis: Rumor. Brewing lemon with hot water will not cause excessive damage to the nutrients, but will stimulate its unique flavor.

Some people worry that too high water temperature will destroy the vitamin C and other nutrients in the lemon, resulting in a lower nutritional value of lemonade. In fact, the loss of vitamin C in fruits is affected by multiple factors, temperature is only one of them, and also includes light, oxygen and time. Even at room temperature, as the storage time of lemon slices increases, the vitamin C in it will gradually oxidize.

Some people believe that vitamin C has better heat resistance in an acidic environment and will not suffer excessive loss even at temperatures of 60°C or higher.

Moreover, high temperature can force lemons to release a lot of flavor substances, making lemonade more fruity and tasting more sour. On the contrary, brewing with cold water will make the taste more bland.

Therefore, you can use slightly hotter water to make lemon water, and it will taste better after it cools down.

03

Rumor: People with stomach problems should not drink lemon water

Analysis: Rumor. Drinking lemon water in moderation will not increase the burden on the gastrointestinal tract.

"Gastric disease" is a general term for gastrointestinal diseases. However, the symptoms and contraindications of different diseases are actually different, and may even be completely opposite. Therefore, it is unscientific to simply classify a certain type of food as a contraindication for patients with gastric disease.

As for the fact that some people worry that drinking lemon water will irritate the stomach, in fact, the main concern is that the sour taste of lemon water will stimulate the production of more stomach acid. The actual situation is not the case.

The sour taste of lemons mainly comes from citric acid, which is lower in acidity than stomach acid. The pH value of pure lemon juice is only about 2.5. Moreover, only one lemon is usually used, and the water used in the brewing process has already diluted the citric acid. As long as it is consumed in moderation, it will not cause any burden to the stomach.

04

Myth: Lemon water can lower uric acid and alkalize urine

Analysis: Inaccurate. Lemon water cannot change the pH of urine and has little effect on lowering uric acid.

Uric acid is a product of purine metabolism in the body and is excreted from the body through the kidneys. Studies have shown that when the urine pH is 6.75, 90% of the uric acid is in a free state in the urine, which is conducive to the excretion of uric acid. On the contrary, when the urine is weakly acidic, it is not conducive to the excretion of uric acid.

Some people believe that when citrate is decomposed in the body, the metal cations it carries will lower the pH of urine. In fact, this effect is very weak, and the daily intake of citrate is relatively small, so it is impossible to achieve the effect of changing the pH value of urine.

In addition, some studies have shown that vitamin C and flavonoids in lemons can promote uric acid excretion and relieve the inflammatory symptoms caused by gout. However, there are no systematic reports on this topic, and there is no conclusive evidence that drinking lemon water can reduce uric acid.

Diet only accounts for 20% of the factors that induce elevated uric acid levels, and more of it is caused by problems with one's own metabolic mechanism. Therefore, while changing eating habits, what should be done is to actively seek medical treatment and use medication to lower uric acid levels.

Image source: Copyright Library

What are the benefits and contraindications of drinking lemon water?

How to drink daily?

As a natural drink, lemonade still has certain benefits. On the one hand, it not only contains certain nutrients, but also can increase the amount of water you drink. On the other hand, replacing sugary drinks with lemonade tastes fresher and healthier, and is suitable for daily drinking by pregnant women, children and the elderly. In addition, lemonade also has the effects of cooling off, promoting body fluids, relieving greasiness and increasing appetite. However, people with gastric and duodenal ulcers and excessive gastric acid secretion should not drink too much. When brewing daily, use fresh lemons with skin and cut into thin slices. One slice can brew about 1 liter of water, and can be replaced after brewing 2-3 times. It is not recommended to buy lemon juice drinks, or replace fresh lemons with dried lemon slices, and it is not recommended to add sugar or honey when brewing. Although lemonade is good, try not to drink it on an empty stomach, and drink it in moderation every day.

Image source: Copyright Library

in conclusion

Drinking lemon water not only prevents the formation of stones, but also promotes the absorption of various mineral elements such as calcium, iron, and zinc; brewing lemons with hot water will not cause excessive loss of vitamin C and other nutrients in the lemons; drinking lemon water in moderation will not increase the burden on the gastrointestinal tract; lemon water cannot change the pH of urine, and there is no conclusive evidence that drinking lemon water can lower uric acid.

Author: Zhang Yu, researcher at the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, doctor of medicine, and master's supervisor

Review | Zhong Kai, Director of Kexin Food and Health Information Exchange Center

The article is produced by "Science Refutes Facts" (ID: Science_Facts). Please indicate the source when reprinting.

The pictures in this article are from the copyright gallery and are not authorized for reproduction.