Will lemon water help remineralize teeth?

by Yvette
(Hammond, LA)

QUESTION: I have been doing a lemon cleanse and have decided to continue this daily intake of lemons. It has really benefited me greatly.

Now my bowels move throughout the day, and my eyes are getting whiter. Also, my tension headaches are pretty much gone.

Recently, my four year old was diagnosed with four cavities and he also has a growth hormone disorder.

I was wondering if lemon water would aide in the remineralization of his teeth?


ANSWER:

So glad to hear your great results with drinking lemon water! If your eyes are whiter, that is a good sign that your liver must be functioning better also.

To answer your question: Even though drinking lemon water can help to alkalize the body (once it is metabolized), I don’t believe it will help re-mineralize teeth. In fact, it may do more harm.

Eating lemons or drinking too much lemon water can harm tooth enamel. So if the teeth are already demineralized, adding lemon water is not going to help.

There can be a number of different causes for demineralized teeth in children and adults (such as hormone imbalance), but the main culprit for most children is consuming too much sugar (in all its forms), including juice, sweets, candy, cookies, and especially sodas.

Sodas and and sports drinks are highly acidic (in the range of 2.5 pH) and full of sugar and are unhealthy for children, especially during the growth stages.

One of the most effective ways to remineralize teeth is by drinking alkaline water. Doing so will safely and effectively alkalize the body, remove acidic wastes, and provide an abundance of naturally occurring minerals in water.

I also recommend using an unrefined, natural salt, such as Celtic sea salt, which contains an abundance of trace minerals in a form that the body can readily utilize.

Supplementing with Vitamin D3 (or getting regular moderate sun exposure) is also critical for mineral absorption and utilization in the body.

I highly recommend the book Cure Tooth Decay: Heal And Prevent Cavities With Nutrition. The information in this book can save people thousands of dollars of dental work!

In addition, there is a remineralizing toothpaste formulated by Dr. Collins that contains Nova Min (calcium sodium phosphosilicate), which has had good results in helping rebuild tooth enamel by an ionic release of minerals essential for healthy teeth. You can read the reviews on this page at Amazon.com Dr. Collins Restore Toothpaste

It also kills bacteria associated with cavities. And it contains NO fluoride, which I do not recommend because it has never been proven to help prevent tooth decay and ingesting is detrimental to health.

I know that many dentists insist that fluoride is beneficial for preventing tooth decay. I keep an open mind, but at this point my research tells me otherwise.

I encourage you to do your own research about fluoride and decide for yourself. you can read our article on fluoride here.

Is lemon acid bad for my teeth?

by Eimear
(Ireland)

I put boiling water and half a lemon into my car cup each morning and sip away on that once it cools down. I was just wondering would this be harmful to my teeth?

It is very acidic, but I actually crave my lemon and water each morning. Thanking you, E

WBH response:

What a great idea for drinking lemon water daily!

First of all, I would trust your body's craving for lemon water. It probably needs it.

To answer your question about whether the lemon acid will harm your teeth, it is true that eating a lemon or drinking straight lemon juice every day can harm tooth enamel.

So the key is to always drink lemon juice in a dilution of water. One-half lemon in 12 to 16 ounces of water will provide many health benefits without damaging tooth enamel.

If you are still concerned about your teeth with the lemon-water dilution, you can always swish plain water (or even better, alkaline water) in your mouth after you drink the lemon water.

Another thing to consider is the temperature of the water that you are using to make your lemon water beverage. You mentioned that you put the lemon juice in boiling water and then wait until it cools down to drink it.

I recommend that you just put the fresh-squeezed lemon juice in room temperature water and take that with you. Boiling hot water will destroy some of the enzymatic properties of the lemon.

Since you are letting it cool down anyway, why not just add the lemon juice to warm or room temperature water?

You can read more here on the best temperature to drink lemon water to get the most health benefits.

Of course, if it is winter time and you want a warm or hot morning beverage, then drinking hot or warm (preferably warm over hot) lemon water is fine.

In general, it is better to drink room temperature lemon water for optimal health benefits. However, many people have found that drinking hot lemon water at the onset of a cold or flu or allergies, can help break down mucus and relieve congestion.