Imagine this: it is summertime, and the weather is scalding hot outside. So, you treat yourself to a refreshing ice-cold glass of lemonade. Feels good, right? Lemonade is one of the best cold beverages to have when you are feeling warm and sticky. But then, Is lemonade healthy?
Lemonade is healthy because it contains a lot of micronutrients including vitamins and minerals. It is rich in vitamin C that can enhance your immunity and help you fight against diseases. Lemons are very good for hydration especially in summers when you sweat a lot. Also, lemons are beneficial for weight loss.
Lemonades are also the easiest to make, just some squeezes of fresh lemon, cold water, and sugar! This beverage is undoubtedly healthy too, with the direct source of Vitamin C in it. But there’s also quite a bit of sugar and then other ingredients if you are drinking a store-bought lemonade.
So, is lemonade good for you? In this article, I am going to break this down for you to see and realize the verdict yourself.
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Let’s Think: What Are Lemonades Made of?
First, let us check what a glass of lemonade would contain. Homemade lemonades are easy to make. You’ll need cold water, a fresh juicy lemonade, some sugar to your liking, and maybe even some ice!
Some people use sugar cane, honey, or different types of sweeteners. Depending on their preferences, they also use a bit of salt to balance it out. Blend them all together according to your proportions, and boom! You have a refreshing cold beverage to enjoy.
Store bought lemonades contain pure filtered water, lemon pulp, sugar, and some natural flavoring. But the quantity of sugar in the different packages differs.
Again, sparkling lemonades like Sprite or 7UP also contain some sodium with carbonate.
Some of Lemonade’s Potential Health Benefits
Personally, I love having lemonade when I am feeling a bit under the weather or feverish. The cool cup of lemonade always made me feel stronger!
Other than the very obvious effects of lemonade during hot weather, what actual nutritional benefits do lemonades really contain?
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Source of Direct Vitamin C:
Lemons are one of the best citric fruits that contain citric acid. A cup of lemon juice a day can easily cover up a daily requirement of Vitamin C. This is extremely important for our body to stay healthy and fresh.
Vitamin C keeps your gums healthy and nice, saving you from multiple trips to the dentist. This vitamin is absorbed into the blood through a glass of lemonade or lemon juice.
Bursts of Energy!
Since lemonade contains quite a bit of sugar, it never fails to provide us with some extra energy. It’s also one of the reasons why it feels so good to have hot weather. Lemon water boosts our metabolism slightly.
It Hydrates Our Body:
Lemonades and lemon juices keep up the balance of the required fluids in our body. It keeps us hydrated, which is very important for our body to function properly. Another reason why we enjoy it so much! It makes our bodies feel good.
Antioxidants:
Lemonades contain excellent antioxidants. It boosts up our immunity system and keeps us healthy. Antioxidants also play a secret role to maintain clean and fresh skin.
Contain Electrolytes:
Lemonade contains electrolytes that are essential for our body to function. They keep us hydrated, manage our pH levels. We must ensure taking enough electrolytes and cleansing drinks to keep our bodies clean and clear.
Reduce the Risk of Kidney Stones:
It has been found that drinking adequate lemon juice per day can significantly decrease kidney stones in people. The citrate in lemons can prevent calcium stones from forming.
This chemical can also play a role in breaking up small stones, which allows them to pass more easily. So, lemonade plays a big role in reducing kidney stone risks and helping to pass the stones.
Takes Care of Our Mental Health:
A refreshing glass of lemon juice can brighten our mood and make us feel good. That burst of energy can help us rid the cobwebs of our brain!
Good for Our Mouth:
Lemon water can keep our gums healthy and freshen our breath! Helps to worry less about scurvy too!
Help Indigestion:
Lemons can help indigestion. It detoxifies the body, burning fats and cleaning the insides that make us feel light and nice afterward.
What Are the Bad Bits of Lemonades?
Well, some unhealthy parts are tagged with lemonades.
Too Much Sugar:
Lemonades come with a hefty amount of sugar since it balances out the sourness of the lemon. Too much sugar comes with health complications:
- It could spike the sugar level in your blood.
- Uncontrolled sugar intake also results in weight gain.
- If you take a lot of sugar, it could also affect your teeth in the long run.
Lemonade Contains Acid:
Since there are lemons, excellent providers of citric acid in lemonades, intake of too much lemon juice or lemonade could result in acid related problems like gastrointestinal issues, indigestion issues, and so on.
So, Is Lemonade Healthy? How Can We Bring Changes to It to Make It Healthier?
Lemonade is one of the healthiest drinks. But having too much lemonade, especially with a lot of sugar is going to result in adverse effects. So, while this drink is good for our body, we should also try to reduce how much sugar we take with it.
One way to do this is to switch to regular lemonade instead of sodas. Soda drinks are much unhealthy and contain almost no good nutrition that lemonade can have.
Another way to cut down on the sugar can be switching to homemade lemonade instead of store-bought ones. If you make your lemonade at home, you can also control how much of each ingredient you use, personalizing it according to your health requirements.
If you want to switch to a completely healthy lifestyle, you can try out lemon water. To make lemon water, all you have to do is squeeze in some lime juice in a glass, mix it and then you have an excellent detox drink!
Using a little bit of honey instead of regular sugar makes it healthier too, if you are not worried about your sugar intake. Honey is an antioxidant that can prevent inflammation in our bodies.
Diet plans often contain a glass of only lemon water in the morning right after waking up. Why? Because it’s so healthy!
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Is it healthy to drink lemonade every day?
Yes, it is as lemonade will make sure your body is hydrated throughout the day.
Is lemonade better for you than water?
If you drink lemonade a lot, it’s okay to drink water a bit less, but there’s no way lemonade can be a substitute for the water.
Is lemonade good for losing weight?
As lemonade contains vitamin C and antioxidants, it’s good for digestion and helps with losing weight.
Final Verdict
Is lemonade healthy? Absolutely!
For kids who have no health complications, normal lemonades are okay to have in moderate amounts.
For any adult person, homemade lemonade is recommended. That way, you can avoid the unhealthy parts of store-bought lemonades and still get the benefits of the drink.
Happy lemons!
