Side Effects of Lemon Juice
Do you know Lemon/
Lemon water has side effects too.
Lemon is generally a safe fruit that can be used for culinary and
beauty purposes. Many people drink lemon juice with water in the morning
as a way to cleanse, make their skin look better and many other
benefits that some traditional medicines claim. Along with various
benefits, drinking lemon juice/water has side effects too.
Firstly,
lemon is very acidic and some people have to avoid it because of its
low pH (those with sensitive stomachs). Secondly, lemon is largely used
to treat many skin problems like acne scars, pimples and pigmentation,
because lemon is slightly acidic, it’s believed that it will help in
erasing these problems. But, this is not always true and lemon might
have side effects on your skin. Here are some precautions you need to
take before using lemons for your face.
Well-known
for its traditional medicinal uses and beauty purpose, lemon juice is
also known to have side effects on human body. These side effects
include tooth erosion, ulcers., upset stomach, GERD, dehydration, kidney
& gallbladder problems, frequent urination.
Lemon Juice For Dry skin: If you have dry or normal skin lemon juice may cause excessively dry and flakey skin.
Lemon For Pimples: The acid in lemon juice may cause your pimples to sting or possibly bleed.
Lightens skin: Astringents like lemon juice can cause your skin to lighten.
Not for dark skin: Those with dark skin should avoid using lemon juice on skin as an acne treatment as it can cause dark spots on your skin
Other side effects of lemon
1. Tooth Erosion
Consuming
too many acidic foods or beverages, such as lemon water, causes
extensive contact of acid with your teeth. This will erode tooth enamel
and make your teeth sensitive, especially to hot or cold foods. To
protect your teeth, drink acidic beverages through a straw. Citric and
ascorbic acids are strong antimicrobials, which deter mouth infections,
but drinking too much lemon juice can irritate mucous membranes and
potentially lead to canker sores.
2. Heartburn
Drinking too much lemon with water may trigger heartburn,
or make this condition worse if you’re used to experiencing it.
Heartburn causes severe burning and pain in your chest. Cutting back on
acidic foods and drinks helps to prevent and relieve heartburn symptoms.
3. GERD and Ulcers
GERD
is also known as gastroesphageal reflux disorder, symptoms of which are
heartburn, nausea and vomiting. GERD symptoms are triggered by fatty,
spicy or acidic foods, of which lemon juice is one. Lemon juice can
exacerbate GERD symptoms as the acid content can irritate the esophageal
lining. If you have ULCERS, the increased acid content can also irritate the stomach lining and stop the ulcer from healing properly.
4. Upset Stomach
Drinking
too much lemon water may upset your stomach because it retains its high
acidity level until further digested. Sometimes increasing stomach
acidity is helpful for digesting food, but too much may temporarily
irritate mucous membranes and lead to stomach pain and acid reflux or
heartburn. To prevent this side effect, start with small amounts of
lemon juice and consider drinking it with some food or diluting it with
purified water.
5. Frequent Urination and Dehydration
In
rare cases, lemon water might have a diuretic effect. Lemons have a high
content of vitamin C, or ascorbic acid. This nutrient is well-known for
its diuretic properties, which means it increases urine production in
the kidneys, thereby helping your body to eliminate excess fluid and
sodium more quickly. While regular lemon water, made with a moderate
amount of lemon juice or by adding lemon slices to water, loading your
water up with large amounts of lemon juice might have a diuretic effect
in some cases. If you start to feel dehydrated after heavy lemon water
consumption, consider cutting back the amount of lemon juice you add to
your drink.
6. Kidney or Gallbladder Problems
The peels of
lemons and limes are among a small number of foods that contain
measurable amounts of oxalates, naturally-occurring substances found in
plants, animals, and human beings. When oxalates become too concentrated
in body fluids, they can crystallize and cause health problems. For
this reason, individuals with already existing and untreated kidney or
gallbladder problems may want to avoid eating lemon or lime peels.
Laboratory studies have shown that oxalates may also interfere with
absorption of calcium from the body.
7. Wax Coatings
Conventionally
grown lemons and limes may be waxed to protect them from bruising
during shipping. Plant, insect, animal or petroleum-based waxes may be
used. Carnauba palm is the most common plant-source wax. Other
compounds, such as ethyl alcohol or ethanol, are added to the waxes for
consistency, milk casein (a protein linked to milk allergy) for “film
formers” and soaps for flowing agents. Since you may not be able to
determine the source of these waxes, this is another good reason to
choose organically grown lemons and limes.
Conclusion
Do
not drink lemon with water to treat any medical problem without the
advice of your doctor. If you experience any side effects from drinking
this beverage, stop drinking. If side effects persist, seek medical
attention as soon as possible. If you are drinking lemon with water for
its vitamin C content for general health, keep in mind that this
nutrient is very unstable. Make just half a glass of water with juice
from half a lemon or even just a few drops if you have a sensitive
stomach, and drink the mixture in one go.
EGYPTAIR
