Here are a few advantages of adding a sprinkle of lime to your water, whether you want to boost your health or maintain your weight.
If drinking water feels like work, try adding a slice of lime for a splash of flavor. After all, this spherical, green fruit, which grows on one of the various citrus trees, has numerous health benefits. In actuality, the strong lime is loaded with nutrients and has only a trace quantity of sugar.
There is no doubt about it: sufficient hydration is critical. It improves memory, can prevent headaches, and can even help with weight loss. With water constituting 60% to 75% of the human body, it is critical to refill your system from lost sources, whether that is through hydration with water, other beverages, or fruits and vegetables.
Citrus fruits, in general, have anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory properties, and they can even protect the cardiovascular system. Limes, for example, may zing up salads, spruce up numerous foods, offer a sour kick to cocktails, or simply lend a pleasant flavor to an ice-cold glass of water.
Lime, a citrus fruit, is a great source of antioxidants. Antioxidants safeguard your body by avoiding or reversing the effects of free radicals or molecules that injure cells.
Nutritional Information for Lime
The USDA provides the following information for one 67-gram lime.
A single lime delivers a healthy dosage of minerals, including 20 milligrams of vitamin C, which is 22% of the daily recommended dose for men and 27% for women, as well as trace amounts of vitamin A, calcium, and folate.
Limes are also high in potassium, vitamins A, B, C, and D, calcium, and magnesium.
Lime water? Here are some Health Advantages of Lime Water
Add a couple of slices of lime to your next glass of water to boost its nutritional value. You may just enjoy a lot of rewards as a result. The following are some of the potential health benefits of lime water.
Encourages Hydration
Hydration is critical to your health, with adults being advised to consume at least 2 liters of water every day. You will need to hydrate with extra water during and after exercise to replace lost fluid. Adding a taste to your water, such as lime, can stimulate increased drinking, particularly among those who dislike drinking plain water.
Remember that if you’re thirsty, you’re probably already 1% to 2% dehydrated. As a result, waiting until you feel thirsty is not the greatest way to stay hydrated.
Contains C vitamin
Limes are high in quality nutrients that your body requires, particularly vitamin C. Because the human body cannot create vitamin C on its own, humans must achieve their daily requirements through food or supplementation. Among its many advantages, vitamin C is essential for immunological function and aids in the absorption of iron from plant-based meals.
It has antioxidant properties.
Limes include antioxidants, which, in conjunction with vitamin C, boost the immune system and promote anti-inflammatory characteristics, thus reducing inflammation. Limes may also aid in lowering the risk of some diseases.
A 2019 review of 69 research indicated that consuming more vitamin C, carotenoids (found in limes), and -tocopherol (a kind of vitamin E) was connected with a lower risk of acquiring cardiovascular disease and even total cancer, supporting the increasing consumption of fruits and vegetables.
Aids Digestion and Gut Health
Lime’s acidic nature leads you to salivate, which is helpful for digestion. Saliva, for example, contains the digestive enzyme amylase (also generated in the pancreas), which aids in the breakdown of starchy foods.
Several studies have also shown that flavonoids, a type of phytochemical found in limes, can regulate numerous gut physiology in the gastrointestinal tract. It also increases the secretion of gut hormones and digestive juices, as well as the gut microbiota, which helps the immune system combat the growth of certain dangerous bacteria that can lead to infection.
Aids in weight loss
Who doesn’t want to keep their weight in check? However, it is easier said than done to lose weight.
Another advantage of lime water is that it aids with weight management. Citric acids can increase metabolism, allowing you to burn more calories while storing less fat.
Frequent physical activity and portion control are essential for weight loss and control. As a result, strive for at least 30 minutes of physical exercise most days of the week, and make fruits and vegetables half of each meal.
Jumpstart your day by drinking a glass of lime water in the morning and speed up your metabolism, or suck on a lime wedge before meals.
Lowers blood sugar levels
Lime juice, as a good source of vitamin C, can be beneficial to diabetics.
Lime juice has a low glycemic index and can help manage how your body absorbs sugar into your system. As a result, you might have fewer blood sugar spikes.
Lower the risk of heart disease.
Limes are high in magnesium and potassium, both of which are beneficial to heart health.
Potassium naturally lowers blood pressure and improves circulation, lowering your risk of stroke or a heart attack.
Lime chemicals known as limonins are being studied for their ability to lower cholesterol levels. When high blood pressure is paired with excessive cholesterol, blood arteries can stiffen and narrow. They also increase the chance of having a heart attack, a stroke, or developing heart disease.
Cancer prevention
Cancer is the uncontrolled proliferation of abnormal cells that can occur in various regions of the body, such as the breasts, lungs, and kidneys.
Consuming lime water may lower your risk of acquiring cancer and aid in the treatment of the disease. The antioxidant properties of limes promote healthy cell growth and immune system function.
Inflammation is reduced.
Inflammation is the root cause of arthritis, gout, and other joint diseases. Because vitamin C helps reduce inflammation in your body, adding lime juice to water can help relieve the symptoms of arthritis and other illnesses that cause joint pain and stiffness.
According to one study, people who ate the least quantity of vitamin C were more than three times as likely to develop arthritis.
If you have gout, limes can help. Gout is usually caused by high uric acid levels, and lime can lower the level. Uric acid is a byproduct of the body’s breakdown of purine-containing meals such as beef, liver, mushrooms, and dry beans.
Reduces the severity of colds
Although it is often held that vitamin C supplementation lessens the risk of catching a cold, this may not be true for the majority of people. Those who take vitamin C on a daily basis, on the other hand, may experience milder symptoms and a shorter duration of the common cold.
Although results vary, data suggests that for treating a common cold, vitamin C intake should be increased within 24 hours after symptoms start and continue for 5 days.
Prevents Bacterial Diseases
Limonene, a molecule found in citrus fruit peel, has been shown to protect against several strains of Streptococcus, a kind of bacteria that can cause diseases such as Scarlet fever and strep throat.
Limonene’s anti-biofilm characteristic allows it to act as an inhibitor against the formation of biofilm, which can lead to infections in your body. Aside from that, limonene has antibacterial, antifungal, and antiviral chemicals that can protect your body from harmful bacterial and fungal activities.
Improves Skin Health
Vitamin C’s potent effects are highlighted by its capacity to increase collagen formation, a vital protein that helps improve and preserve skin suppleness, as well as lessen the look of wrinkles.
Your skin is constantly exposed to environmental elements and pressures, such as atmospheric pollution, which, according to a study, can produce oxidative stress and hence damage, promoting aging. Antioxidant agents, such as those found in lime peel and skill extract, can, on the other hand, increase skin suppleness.
To Conclude
It is necessary to consume at least eight 8-ounce glasses of fluid every day, including water.
Lime water is easy to make. All you need are a couple of limes from the grocery store.
To remove pesticides, grime, and wax from fresh limes, carefully wash them. After filling a glass halfway with water, squeeze the juice of one or two limes into it.
Drink lime water without sugar or other additives for the greatest results.
If drinking plain water seems boring to you, you might discover that adding lime to it makes it more fascinating and pleasant. Furthermore, there is evidence that adding lime to water has a number of health benefits. Therefore, the next time you pour yourself a glass of cold water, try adding a squeeze of lime. Both your taste senses and your body will be grateful.