Families, enjoy drinking lemonade in the summer!

As the beginning of autumn arrives, many people in the circle of friends start to post their "first cup of milk tea in autumn", but there are also many people who still firmly drink the refreshing and healthy lemon water.

Amid the sweet milk tea colors, the refreshing lemon slices float in the clear water, like a stream of clear water, refreshing everyone from the taste buds to the heart.

Copyright images in the gallery. Reprinting and using them may lead to copyright disputes.

Some friends firmly choose lemon water, not only because of its refreshing taste, but also because they have heard that lemon water has many benefits, such as whitening and nourishing the skin, improving immunity, preventing colds, delaying aging and so on.

Does drinking lemon water really have these benefits? Here are the answers:

Although drinking lemon water does not have these effects, it still has unique advantages compared to boiled water. We recommend: drink more lemon water in summer!

What exactly are you drinking when you drink lemonade?

If you want to understand what you are drinking from lemon water, you should first look at what nutrients are contained in a glass of lemon water.

This is the most common glass of lemonade, and its main components are obvious: a lemon slice + water. The lemon slice is composed of the lemon peel, inner peel, lemon pulp and lemon seeds.

Copyright images in the gallery. Reprinting and using them may lead to copyright disputes.

Therefore, the main nutrients of lemon water, except for water, basically come from lemon slices, including vitamin C, potassium, calcium, a small amount of polyphenols and flavonoids, coumarins, as well as citric acid, limonene, and limonin compounds that bring a fresh and complex flavor.

We know that if a food wants to play the role that people expect, on the one hand, it depends on whether it contains the nutrients needed to achieve the role; on the other hand, it depends on whether the nutrients it contains reach a certain dosage. Only when both are met can the desired effect be achieved.

Can drinking lemon water whiten your skin? Answer: Not really

If you want to whiten your skin and fight aging, you can take in more vitamin C, high-quality protein, and phytochemicals with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects, such as anthocyanins and tea polyphenols, through food.

Unfortunately, lemons do not contain high-quality protein, and there are very few phytochemicals such as anthocyanins and tea polyphenols. The only vitamin C that can bring whitening effect does not seem to be in high content, not to mention lemon water.

We calculate based on a 60-gram lemon cut into 6 slices. A slice of lemon weighs about 10 grams and contains 2.2 milligrams of vitamin C. In other words, if we soak 2 slices of lemon in a glass of water each time, assuming that all the vitamin C in the lemon slices is dissolved in the water, we can only take in about 5 milligrams of vitamin C from a glass of lemon water.

This amount is far less than the vitamin C you get from eating a kiwi or a handful of strawberries. Therefore, it is too unrealistic to hope to whiten your skin with lemon water.

Copyright images in the gallery. Reprinting and using them may lead to copyright disputes.

Can drinking lemon water improve immunity? Answer: No

Vitamin C does help regulate immunity and can appropriately shorten the duration of cold symptoms and relieve cold symptoms. However, the vitamin C content in lemon water is not high.

If you really want to improve your immunity, it is better to eat more white meat rich in high-quality protein, as well as fresh fruits high in vitamin C such as kiwi, cherry tomatoes, strawberries, oranges, and fresh dates!

The biggest benefit of drinking lemon water: It makes you drink more water

When we drink lemon water, the main ingredient we can get is "water", but compared to boiled water, lemon water still has unique advantages.

The unique volatile aroma substances and sour taste of lemon can enhance the pleasure of drinking water to a certain extent, and may cause people to drink more water without realizing it.

The benefits of drinking more water are obvious, such as making bowel movements smoother, helping with weight loss, etc.

Especially in the hot summer, a glass of lemon water can really be regarded as a great way to relieve heat and replenish water, so drink as much as you like!

Copyright images in the gallery. Reprinting and using them may lead to copyright disputes.

How to drink lemon water to be healthier?

It should be noted that it is not recommended to add sugar or honey to lemon water for flavoring. This will instantly make the originally refreshing and healthy lemon water fall from the seat of "healthy water" and become a little helper for raising blood sugar and gaining weight.

If you want to make lemon water more "palatable", you can try adding some "ingredients" to improve it; at the same time, pair it with other foods to get better nutrition.

1

If you want to whiten your skin, try fresh fruits and high-quality protein

Lemon water is low in vitamin C, so you can make up for it by “stacking” it with other foods rich in vitamin C.

For example, afternoon tea can be arranged with lemonade + fruits rich in vitamin C such as strawberries, cherry tomatoes, oranges, kiwis, and winter dates.

Copyright images in the gallery. Reprinting and using them may lead to copyright disputes.

At the same time, you can also pair it with some foods high in high-quality protein, such as instant chicken breast with very little seasoning, boiled eggs, and low-salt cheese.

High-quality protein and vitamin C can replenish the raw materials for the skin to synthesize collagen to a certain extent, help the skin restore its elasticity and make the skin fuller, which can also make the skin appear whiter and tenderer to a certain extent.

2

If you want to improve nutrition, you can add nuts and original dried fruits

If you feel that lemon water is not as nutritious as you imagined, you can pair it with other foods that are high in nutrient density, such as plain nuts or plain dried fruits.

Original nuts can provide minerals and a certain amount of protein, while original dried fruits can provide relatively rich dietary fiber and a certain amount of sugar.

It should be noted that the sugar content of original dried fruits is generally high. If they are used as a snack, the staple food in the main meal can be reduced appropriately.

Copyright images in the gallery. Reprinting and using them may lead to copyright disputes.

3

If you want a better taste, use two tips

The sour taste of lemonade is easy to accept, but what makes people unacceptable is the subtle bitterness of lemonade. If you want to make lemonade taste better but don't want to add sugar or honey, you can try two methods:

1. Remove the lemon seeds

Lemon seeds and lemon peels are the main sources of the bitter taste of lemonade, especially lemon seeds, which contain very bitter limonin. Lemon peels contain a lot of aromatic substances, so removing them will easily affect the flavor. You can greatly reduce the unpleasant taste by just removing the lemon seeds.

2. Soak lemon in hot water

Hot water is conducive to the release of aromatic substances in lemon peel. The fragrant lemonade can appropriately cover up the discomfort of sourness and bitterness, making it easier for people to accept.

But please note that after brewing, it is best to let it cool down before drinking. The sour and bitter taste will be relatively lighter at low temperatures.

The dog days of summer are about to pass, and the hot and humid weather will soon be replaced by the cool and refreshing autumn air. Let us moisten our mouths and souls with a glass of fresh and fragrant lemonade!

Author: Wang Lu, registered nutritionist in China

Review | Ruan Guangfeng, Deputy Director of Kexin Food and Health Information Exchange Center