Reading Time: 8 minutes

Individually, honey and lemon benefits are numerous. Both have their own amazing qualities and health benefits. Put them together though, in the form of honey and lemon water, and you get an amazing combination. It’s a combination that your immune system loves, keeps your body in great shape, and tastes great. Honey and lemon water has been used as a health-boosting tonic for centuries, and with good reason as you’ll soon find out.

honey and lemon water main img1

A little bit about honey

Honey is a very sweet substance made mostly by honey bees, but also some other related insects too. The bees collect pollen from plants and flowers. Then, using their own particular process turn that pollen into honey.

Honey is loaded with different vitamins and minerals that benefit our bodies. It has a sweetness that is comparable to table sugar and is a high-carb, high-energy food. Honey is normally produced for human consumption via the practice of beekeeping. The honey is collected from the manmade hives of these domesticated bees.

Honey contains both antibacterial and anti-inflammatory compounds. This gives it certain healing and protective properties.

It must be stated that there is a massive difference between commercially produced honey and raw honey. Commercially produced honey is often heavily blended with many other kinds of honey, filtered, and pasteurized. These processes remove a lot of the good nutrients and health benefits of raw honey. Therefore, where possible always try to source raw honey. 

honey and lemon main img3


 


A little bit about lemons

The lemon, or citrus limon, is a citrus fruit native to South Asia. Its juice is used throughout the world for both culinary, and cleaning purposes. The pulp and rind of the lemon are used a lot in cooking and baking for their zesty flavor.

Lemons are extremely high in vitamin C and have loads of other vitamins and minerals. It has a citric acid content of around 5 – 6%, the highest of any citrus fruit! Lemon juice also has loads of electrolytes, which are critical for our nerve, and muscle function.

List of honey and lemon water benefits


#1 Improves digestion

Drinking honey and lemon water can be a great digestive aid. It promotes increased stomach acid and bile secretion production. These are needed for breaking down food, and absorption of nutrients. When food lies undigested in the stomach it can cause all sorts of stomach woes, such as indigestion, and flatulence. The very act of drinking increases your hydration levels which is really important in keeping your digestive system running smoothly. Of course, honey and lemon water will taste better and have many more good, and beneficial nutrients than water alone. A win-win in anybody’s book.

Honey itself has been proven as a good treatment for stomach ulcers. It has also been shown to be good as a prebiotic. That means it increases the good bacteria in your digestive system.


#2 Benefits your immune system

Many studies show that vitamin C is a nutrient that is highly valued by our immune system. Lemon juice is full of vitamin C. In fact, just 100ml will provide you with 48% of your recommended daily allowance. This vitamin encourages the creation of white blood cells. These cells are what help fight any infections in your body. In other words, white blood cells are like the soldiers of your immune system.

Combine the above with the anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and antioxidant properties of honey and you have an immune system wonder tonic. So, don’t delay and drink honey and lemon water for your immune system today!


#3 Helps with coughs and sore throats

Honey and lemon water is well known as a natural remedy for colds and coughs. As mentioned previously, it’s a wonder combination for your immune system. And you definitely want your immune system in tip-top shape when battling with a cough or sore throat. Honey has a naturally soothing effect on a sore throat. It also has natural antibacterial properties that help with fighting and preventing throat infection. This coating and soothing effect of honey on the throat is effective in helping suppress coughs, and reduce irritation of the throat.

You may need to reduce the amount of lemon and increase the honey amount in some instances. It depends on how your throat feels with the lemon. I often find that too much lemon can be a harsh feeling on a sore throat.

So, if your battling with typical cold symptoms then go get yourself some comforting honey and lemon water. 

honey and lemon main img4


#4 Helps with weight loss

It is a widely held belief that honey and lemon water helps with weight loss by melting, or cutting through fat. This claim is not technically true, in that it’s not backed by sufficient scientific study. However, I’ve always believed that these kinds of claims don’t exactly materialize out of thin air either. There must be some truth in them, right? If there wasn’t then these kinds of claims would be quickly discredited.

Anyway, whether honey and lemon water cuts through fat or not is somewhat irrelevant. What matters are the results. Drinking more water, whether that be plain, or honey and lemon water, will help you lose weight, Drinking more water keeps you feeling fuller, suppresses hunger, and aids your digestion. All these things help with weight loss.

Of course, there is another important point to consider here, and that’s the honey content of your honey and lemon water. You don’t want your glass half full with honey if you’re trying to lose weight. Honey is high in sugar and a high-calorie food source. Remember, just enough to flavor it will do the job.

#5 Replenishes your body after hard exercise or sickness

High intensity, and/or long-duration physical activity is hard on our bodies. Large amounts of water, electrolytes, and energy are lost. Honey and lemon water can be a great natural, rehydrating energy drink. Lemon is full of electrolytes. Combined with the high carb content of honey, and the other micro-nutrients of both, this makes a great energy replenisher. 

Honey and lemon water is also great to take during, or after an illness. Excessive vomiting and/or diarrhea, such a when we are very sick, can cause the body to become severely dehydrated. Taking this drink will help get your hydration, and nutrient levels back up to normal.


#6 Gives your body a boost

If you need a little boost then honey and lemon water can be a great solution. All those vitamins and minerals, the natural sugar energy from the honey, and the invigorating freshness of the lemon will get you going in no time. And it’s a much healthier, natural alternative than other mass-produced stimulant drinks. Loads of people swear by a glass of honey and lemon water in the morning to get them going.


#7 Helps prevent kidney stones

Honey and lemon water can help in the prevention of kidney stones. These are hard lumps that form in the kidney when certain minerals accumulate at too high a level in the urine.

The high levels of citric acid in lemons are the magic ingredient here. A 2014 study showed it to prevent stone formation in two ways. Firstly, by binding with urinary calcium, and secondly, it binds calcium oxalate crystals, which prevents their growth. Citric acid from any fruit will do the job, but lemons have the highest citric acid levels of any citrus fruit. 

So, if you want to keep kidney stones at bay then drink more honey and lemon water.


How to make honey and lemon water 

Another great thing about honey and lemon water is that it’s so simple to make. Adjust the lemon or honey amounts to suit your taste. Don’t go more than 2 teaspoons (3 at most) of honey though, unless you’re trying to pack in extra calories.  Also, don’t use very hot or boiling water for this.  The reason being is that it will destroy some of the goodness in the honey and lemon juice.

Personally, I find 2 teaspoons of honey, and 1/4 lemon to be my preferred taste. It can be enjoyed hot or cold, however, the honey will dissolve a lot easier in warm water. So, if you like it chilled then just make it with warm water as normal and then chill it after.

Choose fresh, unwaxed, organic lemons, and raw honey when possible for the maximum health benefits. 

Honey and water lemon recipe

Ingredients

  • Juice of 1/2 lemon.
  • 1 cup of warm water.
  • 1-2 teaspoons of honey.

Method

  • Place the honey in a cup.
  • Add in the warm water.
  • Stir until the honey dissolves.
  • Add in the lemon juice and stir again.
  • Enjoy the taste and health benefits!

 


When to take honey and lemon water

You can take honey and lemon water whenever you like. That being said most people take it first thing in the morning on an empty stomach. The thinking behind this being that it gets the digestive juices going before breakfast. Honestly, I take it anytime that I feel like it, why limit this delicious wonder to the morning only. Also, many people take this only when they get sick, in an effort to get better faster. Taking this drink regularly will keep your body healthy, and reduce the chances of getting sick in the first place.

Risks of drinking honey and lemon water

There is only one real significant risk with honey and lemon water. That’s the danger honey poses to babies under 1 year of age. There’s a risk of them developing a rare, but very serious disease called botulism if fed honey at this age. So I would definitely avoid giving any honey-containing product to babies under 1 year of age.

One other less serious risk is tooth enamel erosion. Lemon juice is corrosive to tooth enamel. To counteract this problem just rinse with fresh water after drinking honey and lemon water to neutralize the acid.


Nutritional values of honey (100g)

The below tables give a detailed breakdown of the nutritional values of honey. Honey is high sugar, and zero fat food.

Carbs in honey

NutrientAmountDV
Carbohydrate82.40 g30 %
Fiber0.2 g1 %
Sugars82.12 g 
  Fructose40.94 g 
  Galactose3.10 g 
  Glucose (dextrose)35.75 g 
  Maltose1.44 g 
  Sucrose0.89 g 

Vitamins in honey

NutrientAmountDV
Betaine1.7 mg 
Choline2.2 mg 
    Folate2.00 mcg 
    Folic acid0.00 mcg 
Niacin0.121 mg1 %
Pantothenic acid0.068 mg1 %
Riboflavin0.038 mg3 %
Vitamin B60.024 mg2 %
Vitamin C0.5 mg1 %

Minerals in honey

NutrientAmountDV
Calcium, Ca6.00 mg0 %
Copper, Cu0.036 mg4 %
Fluoride, F7.0 mcg 
Iron, Fe0.42 mg2 %
Magnesium, Mg2.00 mg0 %
Manganese, Mn0.080 mg3 %
Phosphorus, P4.00 mg1 %
Potassium, K52.00 mg1 %
Selenium, Se0.8 mcg1 %
Sodium, Na4.00 mg0 %
Zinc, Zn0.22 mg2 %

Nutritional values of lemon juice(100g)

Carbs in lemon juice

NutrientAmountDV
Carbohydrate6.90 g3 %
Fiber0.3 g1 %
Sugars2.52 g 
  Fructose1.10 g 
  Glucose (dextrose)0.99 g 
  Sucrose0.43 g 

Fats and Fatty Acids in lemon juice

NutrientAmountDV
Fat0.24 g0 %
  Saturated fatty acids0.040 g0 %
    Decanoic acid0.020 g 
    Dodecanoic acid0.001 g 
    Hexadecanoic acid0.012 g 
    Octadecanoic acid0.004 g 
    Pentadecanoic acid0.001 g 
    Tetradecanoic acid0.002 g 
  Monounsaturated fatty acids0.006 g 
    Cis-octadecenoic acid0.004 g 
    Octadecenoic acid0.004 g 
    Tetradecenoic acid0.002 g 
    Trans-octadecenoic acid0.000 g 
  Polyunsaturated fatty acids0.021 g 
    Cis,cis,cis-octadecatrienoic n-3 acid (ALA)0.01 g 
    Cis,cis-octadecadienoic n-6 acid0.012 g 
    Octadecadienoic acid0.012 g 
    Octadecatrienoic acid0.009 g 

Vitamins in lemon juice

NutrientAmountDV
Choline5.1 mg 
    Folate20.00 mcg 
    Folic acid0.00 mcg 
Niacin0.091 mg1 %
Pantothenic acid0.131 mg3 %
Riboflavin0.015 mg1 %
Thiamin0.024 mg2 %
Vitamin A6.00 IU0 %
    Carotene, beta1.00 mcg 
    Cryptoxanthin, beta4.00 mcg 
    Lutein + zeaxanthin15.00 mcg 
Vitamin B60.046 mg4 %
Vitamin C38.7 mg43 %
Vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol)0.15 mg1 %
    Tocopherol, alpha0.15 mg 

Minerals in lemon juice

NutrientAmountDV
Calcium, Ca6.00 mg0 %
Copper, Cu0.016 mg2 %
Iron, Fe0.08 mg0 %
Magnesium, Mg6.00 mg2 %
Manganese, Mn0.012 mg1 %
Phosphorus, P8.00 mg1 %
Potassium, K103.00 mg2 %
Selenium, Se0.1 mcg0 %
Sodium, Na1.00 mg0 %
Zinc, Zn0.05 mg0 %

 


Conclusion

Keeping your immune system healthy is one of the most important things you can do to ensure good overall health. Honey and lemons are full of great stuff that your immune system needs. Honey and lemon water is such an easy drink to make and tastes great too. It’s super easy to adjust the flavor to suit your own taste. It’s almost easier to make this natural remedy than it is to go out and buy something manmade. And you know it’s going to be way healthier for you in the long run.

It truly is amazing what nature has provided us with. It’s also kind of sad that all the knowledge of these natural remedies is rapidly being lost. Less and less people have any knowledge of them. Simultaneously, we become more and more dependent on pharmaceuticals to treat illness and keep us healthy. So, spread the word I guess, and keep the knowledge out there!

If you’re interested in another great medicinal wonder of nature then check out this article about mint. An amazing plant indeed.

So, you now have plenty of reasons to make yourself some invigorating honey and lemon water, and no excuses not to.

As always leave a comment if you have any thoughts, advice, or views on this topic.

Disclaimer

Always consult your GP before undertaking any form of weight loss, fitness, or exercise.

 


Michael Duffy
Michael Duffy

Fitness, health, and outdoor enthusiast! 2 decade of experience training for, and competing in different sports. Boxer, runner, road cyclist, triathlete, and XC mountain biker. More about me here.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.