Using slices of lemon to make a cup of hot lemon water

by Angie
(Birmingham, AL)

I am trying to recover from some adverse conditions caused by a sensitivity to Vitamin D3 and fish oil.

Everything I read says to make your lemon water with the juice of 1/2 a lemon.

Is it okay to slice lemons and place them in a cup, pouring boiling water over them and letting them steep for 8 to 10 minutes?

ANSWER:

I am sure you will get some of the benefits of the lemon by using that approach. However, I would suspect that you will not get nearly as much of the lemon juice from the lemon if you do it that way.

In addition, I personally do not put lemon slices in my water or any other beverages because I don't know what is on the lemon rind, especially if the lemons are not organically grown.

Even if they are organically grown, the skins could harbor bacteria and parasites. But if you have a good produce wash that kills bacteria and parasites, you might be ok using organic lemons.

However, lemons that are not grown organically are most likely sprayed with oil-based chemicals that do NOT easily wash off, even with a produce wash. Therefore, these chemicals could end up in your lemon water.

If I had a lemon tree in my backyard, did not have to spray chemicals on the tree or lawn, and could wash off the lemons first to remove bacteria and such, I would probably be ok with putting a slice of lemon in my tea.

By the way, I always ask restaurants not to put any lemon slices in my beverages. I wonder how long those slices have been sitting around and how many people have touched them before they end up in my drink.

I am not a germaphobe, but seeing lemon slices in beverages have always bothered me. I think my sensitivity comes from watching one of those TV documentaries that identified all the different types of bacteria in the home.

Benefits of lemon slices in water

by John Chin
(Malaysia)

I drink lemon water early morning before eating regularly. I cut two slice of lemon fruit of about 5mm thick of each slice into a glass of warm water before sleep at night.

I want to know does it give my body the health effects as stipulated as above mentioned.Thanks

ANSWER:

John, I believe squeezing one-fourth to one-half lemon juice into the water is going to provide more health benefits than just putting lemon slices in water.

You will get some benefits of the lemon juice that infuses into the water but not to the same degree that you get from juiced lemons.

In addition, unless you are buying organic lemons (or picking them locally) and thoroughly washing the skins with a vegetable brush, I do not recommend putting lemon slices in water.

Most commercial fruits are sprayed with pesticides or other chemical contaminants. Even the skin of organic fruit can have harmful bacteria or parasites on them.

So I highly recommend thoroughly washing lemon skins with a vegetable brush and produce cleanser before cutting the lemon and putting the slices in your water.

The same holds true for restaurants. In fact, even more so. For this reason, I always request "no lemons" in my water when I eat out. I am not a germaphobic, but I know that most restaurants do not wash the lemons well and numerous people handle them . . . Not worth it to me.

In conclusion, you will get more benefits from juiced lemons vs lemon slices, and you will have less risk of ingesting contaminants from the skins.

If interested, you can read more here on the Benefits of Cut Lemons.

How about drinking warm water with 3 slices of lemon?

by Maria Phillips
(Corpus Christi, USA)

I have been drinking warm water with three slices of lemons all day.