Everyone enjoys a freshly brewed cup of tea to invigorate the senses, but besides the flavour, the benefits of tea are umpteen. While most enjoy their concoction prepared traditionally with ginger, cardamom and a dash of milk, or just black, straight up, health aficionados swear by healthier alternatives—lemon tea—to be precise.
While the benefits of drinking a glass of warm water with a freshly squeezed lemon and some honey, first thing in the morning is a ritual followed by many people across the globe, a cup of lemon tea also serves the same benefits in equal measures.
Tea is an excellent calorie-free alternative to sugar-laden beverages and helps if you are following a stringent diet regimen. It also helps with various health issues, such as cold or nasal congestion. According to a report by the University Health Service (UHS) of the Rochester University, a piping hot cup of lemon tea is scientifically known to have helped people suffering from symptoms of a common cold. But one need not restrict themselves to preparing this beverage hot since it can also be enjoyed ice cold.
1. Stay Hydrated, Always!
According to experts, women should be drinking at least 2.5 litres of water a day and men should be drinking at least 3.5 litres of water in a day. This includes water from food and other sources like tea, coffee, juices etc. However, some people are unable to keep track of their daily consumption of water, or may not be able to drink enough water because they don’t like the taste. This is when lemon tea comes to the rescue. When we wake up in the morning, our bodies are partially dehydrated due to fasting for at least eight hours during shut-eye. Lemons are best known for being able to rehydrate the human body within minutes of drinking it. And lemon tea helps with the same. Consumption of lemon tea can be especially beneficial during the summer or humid weather when the body tends to lose more water and salts due to sweating.
2. Load up on Vitamin C
Citrus fruits like lemons and oranges are high sources of vitamin C, which is a primary antioxidant that helps protect cells from the damage caused by free radicals. Vitamin C is also beneficial for people battling a common cold and it is best said to amp up on vitamin C during seasonal changes to boost immunity. A regular dose of consuming lemon tea surely aids this and reduces the risk of cardiovascular diseases as well as lowers the risk of a stroke. It also helps in lowering blood pressure. According to studies, the juice of one lemon contains about 18.6 mg of vitamin C and the recommended daily intake for adults is between 65 to 90 mg.
3. Helps in weight loss
Studies indicate that drinking lemon tea (whether hot or cold) in measured quantities helps aid weight loss, as it flushes the toxins out of the body and enhances the metabolism. The health benefits mainly come from the fact that it cleanses the body by expelling toxins from the system that might be the root cause of diseases and infections. With lemon tea, you can drink your way to managing a healthy weight. You can add ginger to come up with ginger lemon honey tea as it makes a solid combination to burn calories. It is known to increase satiety and reduce hunger pangs.
4. Aids digestion
Lemon is known to increase insulin resistance, which helps to reduce fat levels in the body. If one experiences nausea or vomiting due to some sickness, lemon tea with ginger works like a miracle in helping get rid of these symptoms and gives instant relief while helping digestion. Fresh ginger is most effective in treating gastrointestinal problems and abdominal pain.
