Lime water is a simple and refreshing drink that can offer many health benefits. It is made by squeezing lime fruit juice into a glass of water, or by infusing water with lime slices or wedges. It can be enjoyed hot or cold, plain or sweetened, and with or without other ingredients.

Lime water is not only delicious but also nutritious. Limes are rich in vitamin C, a powerful antioxidant that can boost your immune system, fight infections, and prevent scurvy. Limes also contain other nutrients and antioxidants, such as calcium, potassium, flavonoids, and limonene.

Lime water vs. lemon water

Lime water is often compared to lemon water, another popular among citrus fruits. Both citrus fruits have similar benefits, but there are some differences between them. Lemons are slightly sweeter and larger than limes, so you may need more limes to get the same amount of juice as lemons.

Lemons also have slightly more vitamin C than limes, while limes have slightly more calcium and vitamin A. However, these differences are not significant enough to make a major impact on your health, and for the purpose of this article, all benefits of lime water apply as well to lemon water.

Health benefits of lime water

Lime water benefits are numerous, such as:

Promotes water consumption and hydration

Drinking lime water can help you stay hydrated and meet your daily fluid needs. Water is essential for your body to function properly and maintain its temperature, blood pressure, and metabolism. Lime water can also make plain water more appealing and flavorful, which can encourage you to drink more of it.

Among all the other benefits of lime water, this one, in my view, is the most important, and for this benefit alone drinking lime water every day is one of the best health habits one can adopt to improve wellbeing.

Might reduce the risk of certain cancers

Lime water contains antioxidants that can protect your cells from oxidative stress and inflammation, which are linked to the development of cancer. Lime water also contains limonene, a compound that has been shown to have anti-cancer effects in animal and laboratory studies.

Limonene can inhibit the growth and spread of tumors, induce apoptosis (cell death), and modulate the immune system. However, more human studies are needed to confirm the effectiveness and safety of limonene in cancer prevention and treatment.

Could play a role in overall skin health

Lime water can boost your skin health, making your skin look healthy and radiant by providing vitamin C and antioxidants. Vitamin C is essential for the synthesis of collagen, a protein that gives your skin its structure and elasticity.

Vitamin C also helps heal wounds, reduce scars, and prevent infections. Antioxidants can protect your skin from sun damage, pollution, and aging signs.

Improves digestion and bowel activity

Lime water can stimulate the production of saliva and gastric juices, which can aid in digestion and prevent indigestion, bloating, gas, and constipation. Lime water can also help balance the pH level of your stomach and intestines, which can prevent acid reflux, ulcers, and infections.

Fights infections and boosts immunity

Lime water can help you fight off infections and boost your immunity by providing vitamin C and antioxidants. Vitamin C can enhance the function of white blood cells, which are responsible for fighting pathogens and foreign substances in the human body.

Vitamin C can also shorten the duration and severity of common colds and flu. Antioxidants can strengthen your immune system by reducing inflammation and oxidative stress.

Helps with weight loss and metabolism

Lime water can help you lose weight and improve your metabolism by increasing your water intake, suppressing your appetite, enhancing your digestion, and detoxifying your body. Water intake can increase your energy expenditure (calories burned) and reduce your calorie intake (calories consumed) by making you feel full longer.

Lime water can also improve your digestion by stimulating the liver to produce bile, which helps break down fats. Lime water can also help flush out toxins from your body by increasing urine output and promoting liver function.

Lowers blood sugar

Lime water can help lower your blood sugar levels by providing vitamin C and antioxidants. Vitamin C can improve insulin sensitivity (how well your cells respond to insulin) and glucose uptake (how well your cells absorb glucose) in people with diabetes or prediabetes and hence can lead to fewer blood sugar spikes.

Antioxidants can prevent oxidative stress (damage caused by excess free radicals) in your blood vessels, which can impair blood flow and increase the risk of diabetes complications.

Prevents scurvy

Scurvy is a rare but serious condition caused by a deficiency of vitamin C. It can cause symptoms such as bleeding gums, loose teeth, bruising, anemia, fatigue, joint pain, poor wound healing, and infections.

Scurvy can be prevented by consuming enough vitamin C from foods (citrus fruit intake) or supplements. Lime water is an excellent source of vitamin C that can help you avoid scurvy.

Reduces inflammation

Lime water can help reduce inflammation in your body by providing antioxidants and flavonoids. Inflammation is a normal immune response to injury or infection, but it can become chronic and harmful when it persists for a long time or affects healthy tissues.

Chronic inflammation can contribute to many diseases, such as arthritis, asthma, diabetes, heart disease, and cancer. Lime water can help reduce inflammation by neutralizing free radicals (unstable molecules that cause damage to cells) and inhibiting inflammatory enzymes (proteins that trigger inflammation).

Reduces kidney stones

Lime water can help reduce the risk of kidney stones by increasing your urine volume and citrate levels. Kidney stones are hard deposits of minerals and salts that form in your kidneys and can cause pain, bleeding, infection, and blockage of urine flow.

One of the most common types of kidney stones is calcium oxalate stones, which are formed when calcium and oxalate (a substance found in some foods) combine in your urine. Lime water can help prevent calcium oxalate stones by increasing your urine volume, which dilutes the concentration of calcium and oxalate in your urine. Lime water can also increase your citrate levels, which binds to calcium and prevents it from forming stones.

Bottled vs. fresh juice of lime fruits

Bottled lime juice is a convenient and easy way to make lime water, but it may not have the same benefits and quality as fresh lime juice. Bottled juice is usually pasteurized, which means it is heated to kill bacteria and extend its shelf life.

However, this process can also destroy some of the vitamin C and antioxidants in lime juice, reducing its health benefits. Bottled juice may also contain preservatives, additives, or artificial flavors, which can affect its taste and nutrition.

Therefore, if you want to make lime water with bottled juice of lime fruits instead of fresh lime juice, you should check the label for the ingredients and expiration date, and use it sparingly.

Fresh lime juice is always preferable for making lime water, as it has more vitamin C and antioxidants, and a better flavor and aroma.

Side effects of lime water

Lime water is generally safe and beneficial for most people, but it may have some side effects for some people. These include:

Tooth enamel erosion

Lime water is acidic and can erode the enamel (the hard outer layer) of your teeth over time. This can make your teeth more sensitive, prone to cavities, and discolored.

To prevent tooth enamel erosion, you can drink lime or lemon water through a straw, rinse your mouth with plain water after drinking lime water, or brush your teeth with fluoride toothpaste after drinking lime water.

Acid reflux

Lime water can trigger or worsen acid reflux (also known as heartburn or GERD) in some people who have a sensitive stomach or esophagus. Acid reflux is a condition where stomach acid flows back into the esophagus (the tube that connects your mouth to your stomach) and causes a burning sensation in your chest or throat.

To avoid acid reflux, you can drink lime or lemon water in moderation, avoid drinking lime water on an empty stomach or before bedtime, or take antacids if needed.

Allergic reaction

Lime water can cause an allergic reaction in some people who are allergic to citrus fruits or have a history of food allergies. An allergic reaction can cause symptoms such as hives, itching, swelling, difficulty breathing, nausea, vomiting, or anaphylaxis (a severe and potentially life-threatening reaction).

If you have an allergic reaction to lime water, you should stop drinking it immediately and seek medical attention.

Photosensitivity

Lime water can make your skin more sensitive to sunlight and increase the risk of sunburns or skin rashes. This is because limes contain psoralens, compounds that react with ultraviolet (UV) rays and cause skin damage. This condition is known as phytophotodermatitis or lime disease.

To prevent photosensitivity, you should avoid direct exposure to sunlight or use sunscreen when drinking lime water.

Drink lime water every day

The best time for drinking water infused with citrus fruits depends on your personal preference and health goals. Some people prefer to drink lime or lemon water in the morning to start their day with a boost of vitamin C and hydration.

Others like to drink lime water at bedtime to relax their muscles and promote sleep quality. You can also drink it throughout the day to keep yourself hydrated and refreshed.

Drinking lime water every day can have many health benefits as long as you do not exceed the recommended intake of vitamin C and do not experience any adverse effects.

The recommended intake of vitamin C for adults is 90 mg per day for men and 75 mg per day for women. One medium lime provides about 20 mg of vitamin C, so you can safely drink up to four glasses of lime water per day each containing the juice of one lime fruit without exceeding the limit[i].

However, if you are taking vitamin C supplements or eating other foods rich in vitamin C, you may need to adjust your intake accordingly.

Bottom line

Lime water is a simple and easy way to improve your health and wellness. It can provide many health benefits for your immune system, digestion, skin, weight loss, blood sugar, scurvy prevention, inflammation reduction, and kidney stone prevention. It can also make plain water more enjoyable and flavorful.

However, lime water may also have some side effects for some people, such as tooth enamel erosion, acid reflux, allergic reactions, or photosensitivity. Therefore, you should drink lime water in moderation and consult your doctor before drinking it if you have any medical conditions or allergies.

Do you drink lime or lemon water regularly? What benefits have you noticed from drinking it? Share your thoughts and experiences with us in the comments below!

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[i] 5 Vitamin C | Dietary Reference Intakes for Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Selenium, and Carotenoids | The National Academies Press