The Little-Known Side Effects Of Lemon Juice

Lemon juice may cause excessive dry and flakey skin. The acid in lemon juice may cause your pimples to sting or possibly bleed. Citric and ascorbic acids are strong antimicrobials, which deter mouth infections. But too much can irritate mucous membranes and cause canker sores. It can trigger heartburn, ulcers, GERD, dehydration, and kidney problems.

Do you know that 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 traditional medicines claim.

But along with various benefits, drinking lemon juice/water has side effects too.Lemon is very acidic and some people have to avoid it because of its low pH (those with sensitive stomachs) level.

It is largely used to treat many skin problems like acne scars, pimples, and pigmentation, because lemon is slightly acidic and said to erase the problems. But this is not always true and it might have side effects on your skin.

Here are some factors you need to consider before using lemons on your face.

1. For dry skin: If you have dry or normal skin, lemon juice may cause excessively dry and flakey skin.
2. For pimples: The acid in lemon juice may cause your pimples to sting or possibly bleed.
3. Lightens the skin: Astringents like lemon juice can cause your skin to lighten.
4. Darkens the skin: Those with dark skin should avoid using lemon juice on skin as an acne treatment as it can cause dark spots on the skin.

Other Side Effects Of Lemon Juice

1. Tooth Erosion

Consuming too many acidic foods or beverages, such as lemon water, causes extensive contact of acid with your teeth. This erodes the tooth enamel and makes 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’ve already experienced 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

The symptoms of gastroesphageal reflux disorder (GERD) are heartburn, nausea, and vomiting. These 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, start consuming just 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.

Regular lemon water, made with a moderate amount of lemon juice or by adding lemon slices to water, 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

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 also shown that oxalates may interfere with the 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, it is good to choose organically grown lemons and limes.

How To Consume Lemon Water

So do not drink lemon water to treat any medical problem without the advice of your doctor. If you experience any side effects from this juice, stop drinking it. 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.