Warm Lemon Water Benefits: What It Can and Can’t Do
Warm lemon water has been used in traditional wellness practices, including Ayurvedic medicine, for many years. Historical references to drinking lemon with warm water date back centuries.
My morning routine goes through phases, and warm lemon water is often my go-to drink to start the day. Sometimes it’s because I need a break from coffee, and other times because it simply feels like it helps me start the day feeling refreshed.
I originally became more consistent with this routine during the coronavirus pandemic, when supporting my health and immune system was especially important to me. While lemon water isn’t a treatment or preventive measure for viral infections, it remains a simple way for me to start the morning hydrated.
Is Warm Lemon Water Good for You?
Warm lemon water can be a healthy, low-calorie way to stay hydrated while adding some vitamin C and beneficial plant compounds to your diet.1 Lemon juice also contains citrate, which may help reduce the formation of certain kidney stones.2
However, some popular claims about lemon water go beyond the evidence. It has not been shown to “detox” the body, meaningfully change blood pH or prevent viral infections.
Key Takeaways
- Hydration is one of the main benefits of drinking warm lemon water.
- Lemons provide vitamin C, an antioxidant that supports normal immune function.3
- Lemon juice contains citrate, which may help prevent certain kidney stones.
- Warm lemon water may support digestion for some people, although evidence for a special digestive effect is limited.
- Lemon water does not detoxify the liver or meaningfully alkalize the blood.
- Unsweetened lemon water can be a simple, low-sugar beverage choice for people with diabetes.
Potential Benefits of Warm Lemon Water
Helps You Stay Hydrated
One of the simplest warm lemon water benefits is hydration. Adding lemon can make plain water more appealing, which may encourage you to drink more.1
I personally enjoy it first thing in the morning, before food. The warmth and lemon flavor make it an easy alternative when I want a break from coffee.
Staying adequately hydrated supports digestion, kidney function and many other normal processes throughout the body.
Provides Vitamin C and Antioxidants
Lemons are a source of vitamin C, an essential nutrient and antioxidant. Vitamin C contributes to collagen production, helps with the absorption of nonheme iron and supports normal immune function.3
The amount you get depends on how much lemon juice you use. Lemon water shouldn’t replace fruits and vegetables as your primary sources of vitamin C, but it can contribute to your daily intake.
Lemons also contain naturally occurring plant compounds, including flavonoids.
May Support Normal Immune Function
One reason I’ve enjoyed warm lemon water is the feeling that I’m doing something positive for my health first thing in the morning.
There is some science behind one part of that idea: vitamin C plays an important role in normal immune function.3 However, that doesn’t mean lemon water “boosts” immunity beyond normal function.
I originally wrote this article during the COVID-19 pandemic, when supporting our immune systems was on everyone’s mind. It’s important to clarify that drinking warm lemon water has not been shown to prevent COVID-19 or other viral infections.
A balanced diet, regular physical activity, adequate sleep and appropriate medical care are much more important for supporting overall health.
May Help With Digestion and Regularity
In the morning before food, I find warm lemon water to be a gentle way to start my digestive system.
Drinking enough fluids helps support normal digestion and bowel regularity, and some people find warm lemon water particularly soothing in the morning. Evidence that lemon water provides a special digestive advantage over plain water, however, is limited.1
Ayurvedic medicine has traditionally viewed this differently. In Ayurveda, lemon and warm water are believed to help stimulate agni, a term referring to digestive fire.
That traditional concept isn’t the same as established medical physiology, but it helps explain why warm lemon water has long been used in Ayurvedic wellness practices.
Provides Citrate
Lemon juice also provides citric acid and citrate.
Citrate can bind with calcium in urine and may help reduce the formation of certain types of kidney stones. The National Kidney Foundation notes that lemon juice mixed with water can help increase urinary citrate.2
If you have a history of kidney stones, however, follow an individualized prevention plan from your healthcare provider rather than relying on lemon water alone.
Does Warm Lemon Water Detox Your Body?
Warm lemon water is often promoted as a “detox” drink. I used to think of it this way too, especially because drinking it can leave me feeling refreshed and energized in the morning.
However, there isn’t good evidence that lemon water specifically detoxifies the liver or removes toxins from the body. Your liver and kidneys already perform the body’s primary detoxification functions.
What lemon water can do is support hydration, which helps your kidneys and other organs perform their normal functions.
So, while I still enjoy the refreshed feeling I get from drinking warm lemon water, I wouldn’t describe it as a literal liver detox.
Does Lemon Water Make Your Body More Alkaline?
Another popular claim is that drinking warm or hot lemon water helps balance the body’s pH and creates a more alkaline environment.
Foods and beverages can influence the pH of urine, but your body tightly regulates blood pH through systems involving the lungs and kidneys. Drinking lemon water has not been shown to create the type of systemic alkalization sometimes associated with alkaline diets.4
For that reason, lemon water shouldn’t be used with the expectation that making the body “more alkaline” will help it fight viruses or bacteria.
Warm Lemon Water and Diabetes
For people with diabetes, unsweetened warm lemon water can be a practical alternative to sugary beverages.
Water contains no carbohydrate, and adding a modest amount of fresh lemon juice contributes relatively little compared with lemonade, soda, juice and other sugar-sweetened drinks.
The key word is unsweetened. Adding sugar, honey, syrups or other carbohydrate-containing sweeteners changes the drink’s nutritional profile and can affect blood glucose.
Lemon water shouldn’t be considered a treatment for diabetes or high blood sugar. Its biggest advantage is that it provides flavor and hydration without requiring the added sugar found in many other beverages.
For more about hydration and diabetes, see our guide to the effects of water on blood glucose.
Is Warm Lemon Water Better Than Cold Lemon Water?
There isn’t strong evidence that warm lemon water provides substantially greater health benefits than cold or room-temperature lemon water.
Most of the benefits come from the water and lemon rather than the temperature.
Warm water may simply feel more soothing and comfortable first thing in the morning. That’s one of the reasons I personally enjoy it.
If drinking it warm makes you more likely to stay hydrated, that’s a practical benefit in itself.
How to Make Warm Lemon Water
My approach is simple:
- Fill a glass or mug with warm—not boiling—water.
- Squeeze fresh lemon juice into the water according to taste.
- Add a lemon slice if you like.
- Drink it unsweetened, especially if you’re watching your blood sugar.
You can adjust the amount of lemon based on how tart you prefer it.
Possible Downsides of Drinking Lemon Water
Warm lemon water is generally a simple beverage, but more isn’t necessarily better.
Because lemon juice is acidic, frequent exposure can contribute to tooth enamel erosion.1 Diluting the lemon juice and rinsing your mouth with plain water afterward can help limit acid exposure.
Acidic drinks may also aggravate heartburn or reflux in some people.
If lemon water bothers your stomach, teeth or digestive system, there’s no health requirement to drink it. Plain water remains an excellent choice for hydration.
My Experience With Warm Lemon Water
For me, the appeal of warm lemon water has always been its simplicity.
It gives me an alternative when I want a break from coffee, encourages me to drink water early in the day and leaves me feeling refreshed. I also like knowing that lemon provides some vitamin C and beneficial plant compounds.
Over the years, we’ve learned more about what lemon water can and can’t do.
It can help with hydration, provide some vitamin C and citrate, and may support digestion for some people. It doesn’t need exaggerated claims about detoxification, alkalizing the body or preventing infections to be a healthy addition to a morning routine.
Sometimes a glass of warm water and fresh lemon can simply be exactly that—a refreshing way to start the day.
Frequently Asked Questions about Warm Lemon Water Benefits
References
- Cleveland Clinic. “Is Starting Your Day With Lemon Water Healthy?“ [↩] [↩] [↩] [↩]
- National Kidney Foundation. “Six Easy Ways to Prevent Kidney Stones.” [↩] [↩]
- National Institutes of Health, Office of Dietary Supplements. “Vitamin C: Fact Sheet for Health Professionals.” [↩] [↩] [↩]
- Cleveland Clinic. “What Is the Alkaline Diet, and Is It Safe?” [↩]
