Celebrities and naturopaths won’t start their day without guzzling a glass of lemon water. Here’s what this a.m. habit can and can’t do for your health

1. It helps keep you from getting sick

We’ve all heard that vitamin C, which is found in citrus fruits like lemon, gives your immune system a boost (more on vitamin C later). But one of the benefits of lemon water is helping to prevent infection. Certainly the acidic environment in the stomach serves as a barrier, deterring pathogens from gaining a foothold and causing illness. Ingestion of highly acidic foods, including lemon juice, contributes to the acidic environment. Chemicals in lemon known as phytonutrients have antioxidant properties that can also help protect the body from diseases.

2. It aids digestion

Another one of the benefits of lemon water is that the acids help to digest food. The citrus flavonoids in lemon aid the acid in the stomach in breaking down food, which may improve overall digestion. Warming the water seems to provide the greatest digestive benefits. Aiding digestion is especially important as we get older because the amount of acid in our stomach declines with age. In addition, if you add lemon slices and zest to your water, you may be able to harness some of the benefits of pectin, a fiber found in its pulp and peel.

3. It gives you a Vitamin C boost

Citrus fruits are a great source of vitamin C. A fourth of a cup of lemon juice yields 23.6mg of vitamin C, about a third of the recommended daily allowance for women and a fourth for men. Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant that helps protect cells against free radicals, this could even help protect us against cardiovascular diseases and cancer. And although we don’t think much about this ailment anymore, vitamin C prevents scurvy, a disease of weakened connective tissue that results in bleeding gums, among other symptoms.

4. It keeps you hydrated

Adding lemon to water can enhance the taste, making it more appealing to some, helping them to drink more and improve hydration. Although the old rule was to drink eight 8-ounce glasses a day, nutritionists now recognise that the amount will vary based on what you weigh, how active you are, and where you live.

5. It may help you look younger

The vitamin C in lemon juice might actually help your skin as well, definitely one of the benefits of lemon water. Because vitamin C is a nutrient that can fight off free-radical damage, it can protect skin. This could be due to vitamin C’s effects on collagen, which helps make up the connective tissue under the skin. In addition, the hydration from the water helps skin stay more subtle and provides a more youthful appearance. Your skin is an organ, and hydration helps it function at its best.