While lemon water has a lot of hype behind it, its close sibling Lime water is beginning to shine! If like me, you’re constantly looking for ways to get more out of a glass of water, this isn’t something you won’t want to skip out on.
Limes are full of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants which can help a regular glass of water pack an extra punch. It’s an easy way to stay hydrated and add some extra goodness to your diet.
How Do You Make Lime Water?
Lime water is easy to make, all you need to do is fill a pitcher with water and squeeze the juice from fresh limes right in. You can also add lime slices and lime peel to the pitcher for extra flavor. Put the pitcher in the fridge, and serve it when you want a glass of water.
A good ratio to make the perfect lime water is around 2 tablespoons of lime juice per 8 cups of water. I find that this is the right amount without having to add sugar to knock out some of the sourness.
You can play around with this ratio but keep in mind that the more juice you add, the more acidic the beverage becomes.
Just how healthy is lime water?
Although, they are not exactly a fruit people are keen to bite into, they do pack a lot of health benefits? Adding lime to drinks, baked foods, and water is a good way to score some extra nutrients.
Limes are a good source of Vitamin C with 32% of the daily amount on one fruit. However, it is quite low in other vitamins and minerals.
Vitamin C is an antioxidant. Antioxidants are compounds that help to combat free radicals. As free radicals damage DNA. they can accelerate the aging process as well as the likely hood of developing illnesses such as cancer and heart disease.
Limes contain a little bit of calcium. While it’s not a lot compared to milk and fortified plant-based milk, everything adds up! Calcium is not only important in maintaining healthy bones and teeth. It also helps to keep your heartbeat regular, maintain proper muscle contractions, and helping blood to clot normally.
One of the benefits of lime is its iron content. There is more iron in a glass of milk or in fortified plant-based milk, but as iron deficiency is the most common deficiency, limes are a handy way to add some extra iron to your diet. One of the reasons anemia causes fatigue is because iron helps to create hemoglobin. Hemoglobin is a protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen during blood circulation. If you’re pregnant or menstruating, you’re especially prone to iron deficiency – try to drink some lime water in between servings of milk and other sources of iron for a boost!
Limes are also very low in sugars and fats. The calories, sugar or fat content of a drink is not always indicative of health, but the benefits of regular lime water come without any nonsense.
Is fresh lime juice better?
Ideally, lime water should be made with fresh whole limes, however, you can still make it with pre squeezed lime juice. You might notice that the taste is slightly different if you use this as Fresh lime juice has a brighter, tangy taste. Many lime juice concentrates have additives and preservatives to increase the shelf life, but unfortunately, this also alters the taste.
Benefits of Limes & Citric Acid
Hydration
Lots of people struggle to stay hydrated because they don’t like how water tastes. The CDC recommends adding a lemon or lime slice to make infused water.
Staying hydrated isn’t just about drinking water! Electrolytes are key in hydration. These are minerals, like sodium, chloride or potassium, in the blood that help the body to regulate fluid levels. Drinks with more electrolytes will help you stay hydrated longer than regular water. Limes are a good source of electrolytes. So, if you’re wondering why you drink a lot of water but are still thirsty or dehydrated, you could be low on electrolytes.
Skin Health
One of the reasons vitamin C is common in topical skincare products like a facial cleanser is because it can stimulate the production of collagen.
Consuming vitamin C is also good for your skin. This vitamin along with the flavonoids in lime is good for maintaining and creating collagen. It’s also linked with protection against sun exposure.
One study found that women who consumed a lot of vitamin C had less wrinkles and more hydrated skin. While you won’t get all your daily requirements of this vitamin in lime water, it’s a handy way to add more to your diet.
Good For Digestion
Lime water can also be beneficial for your digestive health.
For people who struggle to drink water due to the taste, lime can make it more appetizing.
Dehydration is bad for digestive health. Water helps to keep food moving through the intestines but if you’re dehydrated, the large intestine will absorb water from food instead. This then results in constipation.
The flavonoids in limes also help to stimulate the digestive juices in the stomach that help aid digestion while the naturally occurring acid in lime helps digestive saliva break down food. Limes also have dietary fiber which prevents constipation.
Good For The Immune System
Vitamin C plays a role in maintaining a strong immune system.
Vitamin C is a water-soluble vitamin. As our bodies do not store it, this means it needs to be consumed every day. Lime won’t prevent you from catching a cold, but consuming vitamin C on a regular basis has been associated with shorter, less severe colds.
If you are sick, a gentle glass of lime water won’t upset your stomach or irritate a sore throat like a glass of orange juice or apple cider vinegar might.
Boosts Metabolism
Another benefit of limes is that they help you maintain a healthy weight. Citric acids can boost metabolism, helping you burn more calories and store less fat if weight loss is your goal.
Good For Heart Health
The Vitamin C in limes is good for heart health. Another of its medicinal properties is that can lower blood pressure. High blood pressure increases the risk of developing heart disease.
One study in animals found that lime juice helped to slow down the procession of atherosclerosis. This is a disease that results in narrow arteries and blood vessels as plaque builds up in them. Bear in mind that this was an animal study and human tests do not always yield the exact same results.
Reduces Inflammation
Vitamin C and antioxidants in limes and citrus foods can have surprising medicinal benefits.
Oregon State University reviewed several studies and concluded that vitamin C was linked with reducing inflammation. One study deduced that people who consumed very little vitamin C were more than three times more likely to develop arthritis than those who consumed more.
Which is better lemon or lime water?
Lemons and limes have very similar nutritional profiles so neither one is much healthier than the other.
Lemon juice has some more vitamin C, vitamin B6 and copper. If you prefer limes to lemons, you won’t be missing out on that much if it’s your drink of choice.
Can you drink lime water or citrus fruits every day?
There’s no reason why you cannot drink lime water every day.
The only thing to keep in mind is that the acidity in lime and other citrus fruits can damage your tooth enamel. While lime water won’t be as acidic as a glass of orange juice or another citrus fruit if you’re drinking lots of lime water and citrus juices, try to protect your teeth by drinking with a straw.
Is it good to drink lime water in the morning?
Drinking lime water first thing in the morning on an empty stomach can help kick start your metabolism, the digestive process and prevent dehydration.
Lime can also help manage blood sugar levels in the morning as they help regulate how sugar is absorbed. This can prevent blood sugar spikes later.
Is Lime water better warm or cold?
Both warm and cold lime water has benefits and none are better than the other. Whether you should drink warm or hot water depends on what you’re looking for.
Both warm and cold water is hydrating and aids the digestive system.
When is cold lime water better?
If you’re working out, cold water is better because it keeps your body cooler.
The electrolytes in lime water also make it an ideal drink to bring to the gym. It’s a much better choice than sugary drinks with electrolytes. As you lose electrolytes in sweat, lime water is better than plain water at replenishing them.
When is warm lime water better?
If you’re under the weather, warm lime water is the better choice. Consuming enough vitamin C is important for your immune system while the temperature of the water
Warm water can relieve cold and flu symptoms like a sore throat, fatigue, a cough and a runny nose.
What can you add to lime water to make it better?
- Lemon has similar nutritional benefits to lime. You can have the best of both worlds and combine these two drinks for some extra nutrients.
- Mint: Lime water can help with digestive issues, and mint leaves can make those benefits stronger. Studies found that the menthol in peppermint oil helped to ease IBS symptoms and improved digestion. Mint is also a good source of antioxidants.
- Ginger: A warm cup of ginger and lime water will be a big help if you’ll feeling unwell. Ginger can alleviate nausea and increase appetite. Ginger is also an antioxidant and is anti-inflammatory.
What Shouldn’t Be Added To Lime Water?
If you start to add sugars or sweeteners, it could just end up canceling out all the health benefits.
Be especially wary about mixing activated charcoal with your lime water. Albeit trendy, activated charcoal is known for absorbing toxins but it can’t actually differentiate between what’s a toxin and what’s not. It will hinder the body’s absorption of many of the vitamins and minerals. So, keep your lime water and activated charcoal water separate!
