How to Make Lemon Water + Benefits

How to make lemon water that is refreshing and hydrating, is easy to make, and will energize your body like coffee while also boosting your immunity system and providing other benefits. Cold and warm lemon water options.

Learning how to make lemon water is easy. Starting the daily habit is harder. But to convince you I can tell you that drinking a glass a day carries many benefits. It can curb your appetite, hydrate your body, fire up your metabolism, and ease constipation.

Drink warm lemon water instead of a morning coffee to wake up as warm lemon water balances acidity better, is more quickly absorbed and pumps energizing vitamin C into your body, waking up your brain and kicking up your digestive juices. 

Cold lemon water does have its place, later in the day, to support general hydration, promote fullness, and just to be a much healthier beverage than commercial hydration drinks.

And generally, like my ginger tea, and my apple cider vinegar and lemon juice drinks, drinking lemon water does wonders for your skin.

Lemon Water Basics

Generally lemon water is plain water hot or cold with fresh lemon juice added. A typical glass of lemon water is 8 ounces with 1 ounce (2 tablespoons) of lemon juice. Freshly squeezed juice is recommended for optimum nutritional benefit. If you buy bottled juice, look for organic and one that has only lemon in the ingredient list.

How to Make

Here are general steps to make hot or cold lemon water. For detailed measurements see recipe card below.

Step 1. Prepare the lemons. To get the most juice from a lemon:

• Start with a room temperature lemon
• Roll the lemon on the counter to crush the walls
• Microwave it for 5 seconds before juicing

Step 2. Juice the lemons. Cut the lemon in half, and squeeze juice into a 2-cup jar, or use a juicer.

Step 3. Add 1 cup of water to a glass, and add 1 tablespoon of lemon juice and stir.

Step 4. Drink or adjust the temperature.

• To make cold lemon water, refrigerate the glass of lemon water for an hour.
• To make warm lemon water, microwave the glass of lemon water 60 seconds.
• To make hot lemon water, boil water as you would tea, add it to a mug with 1 tablespoon of lemon juice.

9 Benefits of Lemon Water

1. Boosts hydration [source]
2. Improves skin [source]
3. Triggers weight loss [source]
4. Fights germs that cause cavities [source]
5. Aids digestion and prevents kidney stones [source]
6. Balances acidity upon morning wake up [source]
7. Restores electrolytes as a great recovery drink after exercise [source]
8. The drink also flushes the liver, and reduces pain in joints [source]
9. But most importantly lemon water boosts the immune system in an extraordinary way. [source]

What Are Benefits of Cold Lemon Water?

Drinking water cold is beneficial because it tastes better and you are more likely to drink more of it. Cold lemon water tastes delicious and so you are more likely to drink more of it. It's particularly alluring in hot weather and after a workout thus is more hydrating. And after a workout, it is useful to re-hydrate you and replenish body salts and nutrients such as potassium, calcium, phosphorus, and magnesium.

Drinking it cold with the peel is also better for weight loss, with the thinking that the soluble pectin fiber in lemon helps you feel full longer. [source]

What Are Benefits of Warm Lemon Water?

I prefer the taste of cold lemon water, it is delicious and refreshing. But science says the bio-availability of lemon water's nutritional benefits is higher when the lemon water is warm.

Warm lemon water is absorbed into cells more easily and stays there, leaving you more hydrated. Warm lemon water also flushes toxins more easily, and assists digestion gently. For this reason, warm is best. Hot lemon water is also recommended, and is taken like a hot cup of tea, with similar benefits to drinking warm lemon water.

Ways to Use & Variations

When is Best Time to Drink Lemon Water?

Drink 8 ounces of warm lemon water as the first drink of the day. This will turn your acidic body alkaline and boost your energy. I use it instead of coffee.

Use in other drinks

Use fresh lemon water to make wellness shots and ginger shots. Both types boost immunity, provide a burst of energy, have anti-aging effects and more.

Add fruit

Flavor your lemon water with fruit. Similar to my fruit-sweetened healthy lemonade, add blended pear to sweeten lemon water or use lemon water instead of plain water in my fruit infused

FAQS

How Does Lemon Water Boost Immunity?

Basically, lemon water, cold or warm, creates an alkaline pH in your body. And an alkaline environment is super hard on illness. Virus and bacteria have a difficult time thriving. And, of course, lemon is high in basic vitamin C, long known for its antiviral and antibacterial strengths. [source]

Disadvantages of Drinking Lemon Water Daily

You can drink too much. Despite the benefits of lemon water, there are negatives to drinking too much a day. Drink no more than 2 glasses of water with 1 tablespoon of lemon juice a day.

Lemons can erode teeth enamel, cause heart burn, trigger ulcers and even migraines for those prone to them. [source] [source]

Can I Drink Water With Lemon Every Day?

Sure you can, but keep it to one glass a day. And when you drink it and what temperature it is matters too.

Why Does Lemon Water Temperature Matter?

Temperature matters for several reasons. In general, the temperature can change the molecular structure of lemon juice and affect which benefits are bioavailable.

Other Detox & Lemon Drinks

• Healthy Lemonade
• How to Make Ginger Tea
• Apple Cider Vinegar and Lemon Juice
• Celery Juice
• Ginger Juice
• Ginger Shots
• Lime Water Benefits
• Lime Juice

Or, check up my round-up for 7 Lemon Water Drinks for Detox

If you try my recipes, please leave a comment and rating below and tag me on your Instagram post with @greensmoothiegourmet so I can see and share your remakes!!

I invite you to keep up with me on:
Instagram | TikTok | Facebook | Pinterest | Twitter

Subscribe HERE to get recipes delivered to your inbox!

📖 Recipe

How to Make Lemon Water

Created by Dee Dine

How to make lemon water that is refreshing and hydrating, is easy to make, and will energize your body like coffee while also boosting your immunity system and providing other benefits. Cold and warm lemon water options.

5 from 4 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe SaveSaved! Rate Recipe

Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Cook Time 5 minutes mins

Total Time 10 minutes mins

Course Breakfast

Cuisine American

Servings 2

Calories 7 kcal

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

Cold lemon water

• 1 cup (8 ounces) water (cold water)
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice

Warm lemon water

• 1 cup (8 ounces) water (room temperature, warm or hot)
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice

Optional

• 1 teaspoon lemon peel, grated

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

 

Cold lemon water

• Add the 8 ounces of water to a glass. The water can be naturally chilled from the dispenser or refrigerated for an hour.
  1 cup (8 ounces) water
• Either measure out lemon juice from a jar, or juice a single room-temperature lemon. To prepare it for optimum juicing, roll it on the counter to break up the taut skin, and microwave it for 5 seconds. Wash, slice and juice.
  1 tablespoon lemon juice
• Add 1 tablespoon of lemon juice to the water, stir and drink right away.

Warm or hot lemon water

• Use water warmed by zapping it in the microwave for 60 seconds, or use water warmed in a pot on the stove.
  1 cup (8 ounces) water
• Either measure out lemon juice from a jar, or juice a single room-temperature lemon. To prepare it for optimum juicing, roll it on the counter to break up the taut skin, and microwave it for 5 seconds. Wash, slice and juice.
  1 tablespoon lemon juice
• Add 1 tablespoon of lemon juice to the water, stir and drink right away.

Optional

• To either drink, consider adding ½ teaspoon of fresh lemon peel, grated or chopped. Blend briefly and drink as is for added benefits.

Video

 

Notes

One juiced lemon provides up to 3 tablespoons of juice.

1.To prepare lemons, start with a room temperature lemon, roll it to break the peel structure, and microwave for 5 seconds for optimum juice output. You can also use quality bottled pure lemon juice with no added ingredients.

2.Refrigerate the water for cold lemon water. Cold lemon water is easier to drink and more hydrating.

3.Microwave the water for warm lemon water. The bio-availability of lemon water's nutritional benefits is higher when the lemon water is warm.

4. Consider adding lemon peel to your water for added nutrition and soluble pectin fiber which squelches appetite. Add ½ teaspoon of a lemon's peel to one cup of water, and blend briefly in a high speed blender.

5.Experts suggest drinking 1 (8-ounce) glass a day with each glass containing about about 1 tablespoon of lemon juice. To protect your teeth, use a straw.

6.Use fresh lemon water to make wellness shots , detox water, and ginger shots, or flavor your lemon water with fruits.

Nutrition

Calories: 7kcalCarbohydrates: 2gProtein: 1gFat: 1gSaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 13mgSugar: 1gVitamin C: 12mg

Keyword hot lemon water, how to make lemon water, lemon water, warm lemon water

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!