Citrus Water

Have you ever heard of ‘Good’ water?

There’s a reason why citrus water is often called ‘Good water.’ The critical ingredient, lemon or lime, has several health benefits. It is rich in vitamin C and antioxidants that help protect your body from free radical damage.

When chugging bottles of regular water down your throat sounds boring or too much, sizzle things up a little and make a glass of citrus water instead.

Moreover, if you’re hung up on fizzy sodas or other drinks, you’ll find it easier to switch to infused water from plain water and get all the health benefits.

What is Citrus Water?

Lemon or citrus-infused water is simply lemon and water mixed.

Simple right? You can tweak the quantity of both main ingredients per your preferred taste.

You can also add mint leaves, honey, lemon rind, turmeric, or a host of other ingredients to it. All these may help boost your metabolic rate and give you an instant energy boost.

Hot Vs. Cold Fruit Infused Water?

Should you have the drink cold or hot? There’s quite a debate on the topic!

Some experts suggest drinking it cold. That can help burn calories and give you the most benefit.

But there’s another school of thought which claims that having warm water instead helps metabolism and digestion.

However, there isn’t much research to back either claim. So it all comes down to your choice of temperature. 

But Regardless of whether you like it hot or cold, one thing is a given: infused water is a recipe for health.

Here’s a lovely little citrus-infused water recipe to tickle your taste and senses. But you don’t have to stick to these ingredients only.

Although the usually preferred additives are lime, cucumber, and mint, the drink is highly customizable, and you can create hundreds of combos using different fruits and vegetables.

Citrus Infused Water Recipe

Here’s a fun and zesty recipe to tickle your taste buds. Try it once, or make it a ritual to meet your daily water and fruit requirements.

Remember, citrus-infused water isn’t just about lemons. You can use other citrus fruits like lemon-lime, tangerine, blood orange, grapefruit, etc.

Ingredients

• Blood orange slices, grapefruit, or tangerine
• Lemon slices
• Lime
• A pitcher of filtered water

Method

1. Dice all the fruits into slices.
2. Now place all the slices in a large pitcher or mason jar.
3. Fill the mason jar or pitcher with water.
4. Please place it in the fridge for a few hours for the flavor to settle.
5. Serve the drink chilled with ice cubes, or enjoy it at room temperature.

Note: If you want, you may squeeze the fruit instead. Also, add mint leaves, honey, cinnamon, ginger maple syrup, etc. You can also try other drink variants, like mint citrus water.

How Long Can Citrus Fruits Drink Last When Refrigerated?

Drinking the fruit-flavored water within 3-5 days is ideally the best. The longer you keep it, the worse the fruit will taste. Remember, this is not plain water that’ll taste the same when kept for days. 

Nutrition Information

One lemon juice can fulfill 21% of your daily value of vitamin C. These are rich in flavonoids that help boost your immunity and protect you against diseases. 

That, plus the fact that lemon juice only has traces of fat, carbs, protein, and sugar, makes it an excellent choice for adding as the main or side ingredient in all kinds of infused water drinks.

Here’s a little nutritional fact breakdown that’ll give you a picture of the key elements in a squeeze lemon, so you can understand how much a glass of citrus water can do for you. It has:

• 18.6 mg of Vitamin C
• 49.4 mg of potassium
• 9.6 mcg folate
• 0.01 mg of vitamin B-1
• 0.01 mg of vitamin B-2
• 0.96 mg vitamin B-5

Benefits of Citrus Infused Water

On the outlook, it may not seem that a single glass can make a marked difference for you, but it can still give you a hydrating boost and be used as a low-calorie beverage after a workout or early in the morning. 

Here are some benefits of the drink.

Keeps You Hydrated

We all know the rule of thumb: You must have eight glasses of water daily. But you aren’t alone if you procrastinate having gulps of plain water throughout the day. Many people dislike regular water and prefer fruit juices, sugary drinks, or other beverages. 

Infused water can help you stay hydrated while giving you all the benefits of citrus fruits. As a result, you may feel more energized and productive throughout the day.

As per research, dehydration or inability to meet your daily water intake can lead to:

• Kidney stones
• Constipation
• Brain fog,
• Mood swings, etc.

It gives You Your Daily Value of Vitamin C

Vitamin C also helps boost the natural production of collagen and hormones. It gives you fresh, glowing skin and protects you from infections, eczema, insomnia, and dry eyes.

Aids Weight Loss

One of the easiest ways to shed those extra pounds is having citrus-infused water daily (especially early in the morning.)

It is one reason many people use fruit-infused water as a kickstart beverage for the day.

Moreover, since citrus-infused water hydrates your body, it also fills the stomach. So it also helps limit your daily diet.

Prevents Kidney Issues and Stones

If you’ve ever gone through kidney stones, you’d know how painful they can be! There’s good news, though. Citric acid is believed to prevent kidney stones.

The National Kidney Foundation recommends using a mixture of lemon juice and water to prevent the formation of kidney stones.

Improves Digestion

A glass of lemon juice before your main meal can also help boost the metabolism and aid the digestion of food. The enzymes in the drink help increase the secretion of gastric acid responsible for breaking and digesting food in the stomach.

Myths Associated with Citrus Water

Although there’s no denying that citrus water benefits health in several ways. But again, it’s no magic potion. It cannot cure your body miraculously of high-degree diseases. Neither does it work as a weight loss supplement, shaping and helping in weight loss overnight.

So, here we are debunking a few myths associated with citrus water.

Myth 1: Citrus Fruit Water Prevents and Cures Cancer

Many believe it is a miracle drink and can help prevent cancer. The belief is based on the fact that a glass of infused water changes the pH of the blood and makes it more alkaline. 

Since cancer cells cannot build or survive in an alkaline environment, it reduces your chances of having cancer. 

As per the US Institute of Cancer Research, it’s just a presumption with no research to back the claim. No food can impact the blood pH levels of the body.

Myth 2: Citrus-Infused Water Improves IQ

Drinking water, staying hydrated, and having infused drinks have many health benefits. They may also help improve cognitive function and help you focus better.

But there’s no scientific evidence backing the claim that it also increases IQ levels, unlike what many people believe.

Myth 3: Citrus Infused Water Cures Acne

Citrus-infused water does have several benefits for the skin, owing to its Vitamin C levels. But again, it cannot eliminate acne.

Many people also believe applying lemon juice directly to the skin can make it look younger. While the fact is, that is one of the worst things you can do to your skin!

As per Tsippora Shainhouse (a certified dermatologist), lemon water can lead to skin burns and worsen inflammation.

Takeaway

This summer, give yourself a much-needed break and boost your energy with a citrus-infused drink. You can also experiment with different sliced fruits and flavors and make your rainbow citrus drink.

Add a little flavor to boring water, make a pitcher of citrus-infused water today, and enjoy the refreshing drink while hydrating your senses.