Health Benefits Of Lemon Tea
Everyone enjoys a freshly brewed cup of tea to invigorate the senses, but besides the flavour, the benefits of tea are umpteen. While most enjoy their concoction prepared traditionally with ginger, cardamom and a dash of milk, or just black, straight up, health aficionados swear by healthier alternatives—lemon tea—to be precise.
While the benefits of drinking a glass of warm water with a freshly squeezed lemon and some honey, first thing in the morning is a ritual followed by many people across the globe, a cup of lemon tea also serves the same benefits in equal measures.
Tea is an excellent calorie-free alternative to sugar-laden beverages and helps if you are following a stringent diet regimen. It also helps with various health issues, such as cold or nasal congestion. According to a report by the University Health Service (UHS) of the Rochester University, a piping hot cup of lemon tea is scientifically known to have helped people suffering from symptoms of a common cold. But one need not restrict themselves to preparing this beverage hot since it can also be enjoyed ice cold.
Let’s look at the various reasons as to why one must include this healthy beverage in their daily diet, which is a mantra most celebrities are also now swearing by.
Benefits Of Lemon Tea: Stay Hydrated, Always!
According to experts, women should be drinking at least 2.5 litres of water a day and men should be drinking at least 3.5 litres of water in a day. This includes water from food and other sources like tea, coffee, juices etc. However, some people are unable to keep track of their daily consumption of water, or may not be able to drink enough water because they don’t like the taste. This is when lemon tea comes to the rescue.
When we wake up in the morning, our bodies are partially dehydrated due to fasting for at least eight hours during shut-eye. Lemons are best known for being able to rehydrate the human body within minutes of drinking it. And lemon tea helps with the same. Consumption of lemon tea can be especially beneficial during the summer or humid weather when the body tends to lose more water and salts due to sweating.
Tip: Boil some water and squeeze some lemon in it and consume first thing in the morning after waking up. You can add some organic honey to it as well. You can also skip the usual tea prepared with milk and instead boil water, add tea leaves and allow it to brew for two minutes. Ensure to add the leaves after turning off the stove and cover the saucepan. Strain the black tea and add a dash of lemon and honey.
Benefits of lemon tea: Load up on Vitamin C
Citrus fruits like lemons and oranges are high sources of vitamin C, which is a primary antioxidant that helps protect cells from the damage caused by free radicals. Vitamin C is also beneficial for people battling a common cold and it is best said to amp up on vitamin C during seasonal changes to boost immunity. A regular dose of consuming lemon tea surely aids this and reduces the risk of cardiovascular diseases as well as lowers the risk of a stroke. It also helps in lowering blood pressure. According to studies, the juice of one lemon contains about 18.6 mg of vitamin C and the recommended daily intake for adults is between 65 to 90 mg.
Tip: Vitamin C helps counteract the negative effects of free radicals, which is good for the vision. It decreases the risk of developing cataracts by 80 per cent. It also helps heal wounds faster and is good for teeth and bones. You can also add some fresh basil leaves to your lemon tea for maximum health benefits.
Benefits of lemon tea: Helps in weight loss
Studies indicate that drinking lemon tea (whether hot or cold) in measured quantities helps aid weight loss, as it flushes the toxins out of the body and enhances the metabolism. The health benefits mainly come from the fact that it cleanses the body by expelling toxins from the system that might be the root cause of diseases and infections. With lemon tea, you can drink your way to managing a healthy weight. You can add ginger to come up with ginger lemon honey tea as it makes a solid combination to burn calories. It is known to increase satiety and reduce hunger pangs.
Tip: For best results, have this hot brew in the mo ing to feel energised and rejuvenated throughout the day. You can also add ginger to your tea as it has gingerol, a bioactive that helps lower the risk of infections.
Benefits of lemon tea: Aids digestion
Lemon is known to increase insulin resistance, which helps to reduce fat levels in the body. If one experiences nausea or vomiting due to some sickness, lemon tea with ginger works like a miracle in helping get rid of these symptoms and gives instant relief while helping digestion. Fresh ginger is most effective in treating gastrointestinal problems and abdominal pain.
Tip: Ginger can inhibit the growth of many different types of bacteria that lead to stomach ailments. So, add that in the brew or you can also use green tea leaves instead to help with digestion.
Benefits of lemon tea: Prevents against cancer
Lemon contains quercetin, which is a flavonoid that protects the insulin-producing cells in the pancreas from free radicals that have severely damaging effects on the body. Studies have also found that quercetin has an anti-inflammatory effect, and prevents against allergic reactions. It also checks the growth of cancer cells and may be effective against certain types of cancer, especially colon cancer.
Tips: Add freshly plucked mint leaves for extra health benefits since it is also known to protect against cold, flu, gastric problems and is also good for the skin.
Make your own lemon tea
Here are some simple and fuss-free ways that you can incorporate lemon tea into your daily routine:
You will need the following ingredients:
1 cup water
1 lemon
1 tsp. tea leaves
Organic honey to taste
Method:
Boil a cup of water, one it’s done turn off the flame.
Add a ½ teaspoon or ¾ teaspoons of your regular tea leaves.
You can also use green tea instead.
Cover the pan and allow it to brew for about 2 minutes.
Squeeze the lemon juice into the tea.
Add organic honey to taste. Avoid refined sugar if you really want to take advantage of its health benefits.
Use a fine strainer to pour the lemon tea into a cup. This will ensure that you get only the clear liquid without the tea leaves or the lemon seeds.
You can also enjoy it cold during the summer.
You can add fresh ginger also to enhance the taste. Grate some ginger and put it into the concoction while you wait for the tea to brew. Strain or consume with the ginger shavings in the lemon tea.
You can also add fresh mint leaves for helping with digestion and controlling the foul breath.
Lemongrass can also be used while brewing the lemon tea. It helps with digestion and lowers the risk of infections while boosting immunity.
Benefits of lemon tea: FAQs
Q. What are the precautions one must take while consuming lemon tea?
A. Though there are not too many adverse side effects, lemon tea is not suitable for pregnant women and those who are breastfeeding because of its caffeine content. Overconsumption may lead to miscarriage or the caffeine content may be passed on to the baby while breastfeeding. It is also not suitable for kids. Those having high blood pressure should refrain from regular consumption of lemon tea. Do not consume lemon tea in case you have diarrhoea or irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). You can go in for plain black tea instead without milk. In some people, it can even cause stomach ulcers.
Q. Is it true that the indiscriminate consumption of lemon tea can lead to Alzheimer’s and teeth sensitivity?
A. There are studies that link the regular consumption of lemon tea, leading to Alzheimer’s in the later stages of life. It can cause an accumulation of plaque in the brain, which has been linked to Alzheimer’s. However, it’s opposite in the case of teeth. Extreme consumption of lemon tea can lead to the erosion of the tooth enamel. This can cause extra sensitivity in the teeth when exposed to extreme hot or cold substances.
