Lemon contains antioxidants called bioflavonoid, which gives many health benefits. Because of acidic nature of this food, it also comes with certain side effects too, which are known to a few only.
Table of Contents
Side Effects Of Lemon Water In Empty Stomach
1. Sensitive Stomach
It is also harmful to people with the sensitive stomach, as it is acidic in nature and can lead to low PH. Also in cases of ulcers, this kind of food can irritate the stomach lining and also affect healing.
2. Tooth Erosion
Its side effects can also cause tooth erosion, eroding the tooth enamel and making teeth sensitive. The pH of tooth enamel is around 5.5, so it can erode easily by something acidic in nature i.e. above this pH.
Lemon juice has a pH of around 2 as it has loads of citric acid ascorbic acid in it. So, when these acids act on the enamel on your tooth it can act on the calcium present in the enamel and erode them.
In addition to it, lemon also has natural sugar that act on your teeth and cause further tooth decay.
3. Can Worsen Heartburn, GERD, and Ulcers
issues like GERD, heartburn(causing severe pain and burn in a chest), and ulcers occur when you take acid rich food. So, it is important to cut down on acidic food to prevent that.
The lemon juice, when taken regularly, can increase these issues. The acidic nature of the juice irritates the linning uour stomach and your esophagus, bringing on a bout of heartburn or acid reflux. In addition to this, it can also make your stomach acids to go back to the esophagus and cause heartburn.
It happens as it activates the stomach enzymes and when the digestive juices move upward you experience a burning sensation along with acid reflux.
Studies suggest side-effects of lemon are many especially, the acidity side-effect. if you are someone suffering from heartburn, GERD, or other gastrointestinal issues better not take this juice.
4. Sunburn
Increases the chances to have the sunburn, and it is also seen that this thing is majorly found to be in light-skinned people. So, limit your lemon juice intake to avoid the side-effects of lemon.
6. Can Trigger a Migraine
Citrus fruits like lemon are very potential to trigger migraine. In a study, it was found that a glass of citrus fruit can anytime give you a severe migraine depending on the current acidity level of your body.
It is because lemon juice has a content called tyramine, a protein product, that is a migraine trigger. However, don’t completely eradicate lemon but reduce the amount for sure if you suffer from migraine.
7. Can Increase Iron Content
Vitamin C tends to increase the non-heme iron (plant irons) absorption in your body. It is worse for people who suffer from genetic issues called hemochromatosis in which the body stores excess iron. Excessive iron in your body can damage the organs of your body.
So, it is advisable to cut down the lemon juice intake if you are someone with more iron in your body.
8. Can Cause Dehydration
Side effects of lemon juice can lead to dehydration. With an excessive intake of lemon juice, you have to use the washroom a number of time which in turn can dehydrate your body.
Drink a lot of water to make up the water loss due to frequent urination. The high vitamin C content in lemon juice can increase urine excretion. So, if you are taking it frequently, to avoid the side effects of lemon juice have an adequate amount of fluids.
9. Can Cause Nausea, Vomiting, And Stomach Upset
Lemon juice is rich in Vitamin C. Vitamin C is essential for the body but too much of it can have a significant health hazard. if you feel nausea, vomiting, and stomach upset after drinking lemon juice than this can bee the side effect of lemon juice.
It happens when your body has enough of Vitamin C and is not capable to absorb such high amounts. To flush it out the excess from the body, it comes out in the form of the bowel, or you end up vomiting.
If you suffer from such issues immediately discontinue the use and start it again in low amounts after a week.
10. Can Worsen Mouth Sores
Food high in acidity can lead to an allergic reaction in your mouth. The allergic reaction can form cranker sore in your mouth. These canker sores are identified as little open sores inside the mouth.
Studies suggest too much of lemon juice can form canker sore or can irritate the canker sores already present. This condition is mostly seen in people who are allergic to lemon juice. Nevertheless, even if you have a blister, mouth sore, or a mouth ulcer it’s better not to consume lemon juice as it will cause irritation and itching.
Benefits
- It is important to cure many diseases like Meniere’s disease (improves hearing and decreases dizziness), Kidney stones, Scurvy (caused due to lack of vitamin C , common cold, and flu.
- It helps in metabolization and decreasing fat in body and detox both, body as well as skin.
- Also have benefits on skin, removes blackishness and tan.
Quantity Intake For All
It is prescribed that one must take only a little quantity of lemon, half a lemon in one glass of water. And it must not be taken to cure any medical problem without the consultation of the doctor.
Quantity Intake For Pregnant Women Or Breastfeeding Women
It is advised that the pregnant and breast feeding women must not consume lemon quantity higher and should only according to the food amount and not more than that as that can be risky.
Although lemon does come with a variety of health benefits on health as well as skin, overdoing its intake and application can harm body at large, after all, it has an acidic nature, therefore its quantity must be controlled, and if some kind of symptoms is seen, a proper medical examination must be done.
Its proper way is to take a little amount with a large amount of water, so that its acidic content gets diluted, and one only gets the benefits of its antioxidants.
