Does Lemon Water Lower Blood Sugar Levels?

Last Updated on March 18, 2021 by Dr Sharon Baisil MD

With the diagnosis of high and imbalanced blood sugar levels, it becomes crucial for an individual to pay extra attention to their health and life habits. Including safe and better food habits and meal, practices can assist in managing one’s diabetic conditions.

Lemon is a very medicinal item. Its juice is said to have several advantages and medicinal benefits on the health. But does this also work as a remedy for diabetes and controlling blood sugar levels?

Are you curious about …?

• Does lemon water lower blood sugar levels?
• Are lemons good for diabetes?
• What is the glycemic index of lemons?
• What is the nutritional profile of lemon?
• What are the benefits of drinking lemon water?

Well, these are several valid questions that you may want to know the answers to. Today, we will help you resolve your doubts about lemon water and will together acknowledge the numerous other advantages of this common beverage.

Make sure you stay until the end, as this will help you better know how to manage your diabetic blood sugar levels and overall health.

So let us dive right into today’s discussion with knowing the effect of this fruit first.

Are lemons good for diabetes?

Lemons are one of the best fruits out there. They provide a solution to almost everything revolving around health ailments. They provide the same remedial effects on the blood sugar levels of the body as well.

Lemons have been regarded as one of the superfoods for diabetic patients. It is very helpful to keep the sugar levels under normal levels and prevent extreme imbalance.

Lemons fall under the citrus fruit categories. Like oranges, lemons are also very nutritious. When talking about diabetes, lemons are even better than oranges. This is because lemons have lesser sugar in them.

Excess carbs or direct sugars in a particular food item can contribute to raising blood sugar levels. This is the main reason leading to spikes in blood glucose levels beyond normal margins.

Fortunately, lemons do not have such effects on diabetic blood sugar levels. In addition to this, lemons may even reduce blood sugar levels, which is a major necessity for diabetic patients.

Citrus fruits, including lemons, have a lot of fiber. Soluble fiber present in food assists in slower digestion. This is beneficial as slower digestion leads to a slow release of sugars in the bloodstream, ultimately leading to a controlled and low rise of sugar.

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In this way, diabetic patients can avoid suffering from sudden rises and spiking blood sugar levels.

Lemons also have an encouraging effect on losing weight. Diabetic patients have to always keep a check on their body weight. Adding citrus fruits and lemon juices can help in the same. Lemons can also help in reducing the number of lipids in the body.

The presence of vitamin C is the main benefit of lemons. Vitamin C in the body has been known to reduce Type 2 diabetes and its chances of severing.

Vitamin C is also an immunity-boosting nutrient. This helps in keeping the body protected from many diseases and health dangers.

So, now you know that lemons are pretty excellent for diabetic health. But do these positive effects stay the same for lemon water as well? Let us find out.

Does Lemon Water lower blood sugar levels?

Well, to give a direct answer – Yes! Lemon water is an outstanding medicinal drink for the body, especially for blood sugar issues.

As a beverage option, lemon water is one of the best drinks to add to your diabetic meal routines. Lemon water is one of the most refreshing and versatile drinks.

The intake of lemon water may not directly reduce your blood sugar levels, but it can lead to a managed diabetic health over time. It helps in preventing any sudden raises in the blood glucose levels of the body.

Therefore, a glass of lemon water assists in maintaining a healthy blood sugar level, despite diabetes.

Apart from just the rises in blood sugar levels, diabetic patients can also experience a loss of hydration. Lemon water is a drink that can prevent the body from dehydration. Hence, it is a remedial and medicinal drink for diabetic individuals.

Lemon water hydrates the body and, at the same time, provides enough nourishment as well.  This aids in keeping away the body from the risks of fatigue and loss of energy.

Lemon water is also a healthy drink to keep the cholesterol levels of the body under safe limits. Keeping the heart-healthy and fit is also a requirement for the diabetic body.

Hence, the consumption of lemon water beverage assists in reducing heart risks as well.

Moreover, this drink is a detoxifying agent. It helps keep the body clean and improves metabolism by cleaning the digestive organs, tracts, and much more.

Lemon water is also a reserve of innumerable vitamins and minerals. This can add to the good nutrient content in the body.

A glass of this lemon water is also enriching in fiber. As we discussed earlier, lemon is a fiber source that can improve the metabolism and management of blood sugar balance. Fiber also heals and lightens the digestive system, which one of the primary needs for diabetes control.

Note: keep in mind that lemon water’s benefits on diabetic health can only be obtained if it is had without the adding of sugars. Sugars or artificial flavors can increase the blood sugars of the body.

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It is best recommended to have this drink early in the morning before having anything else.

Let us now know more about the details of the fruit alone.

What is the glycemic index of lemon?

It is very important to learn about the number of carbohydrates found in a particular food item. This is an effective way to study the consequences of that food on one’s body, especially blood sugar levels.

The glycemic index is one such reading and tanking system, which enables one to know the levels of sugar in food and its eventual impacts on the body.

The glycemic index of food items is based on a scale from 0 to 100. These ranks are also further divided into three categories on which food is classified.

Given below is a table that demonstrates the glycemic index categories:

With this table’s help, you can now easily find out which category a food falls under before including it in your meal plans.

You might be curious about what the glycemic index of lemon is. Well, the glycemic index of lemon falls under the low GI category. It ranks at 20, meaning that lemon is absolutely safe and even recommended for diabetic consumption.

Let us now focus on all of the other nutrients of lemon, then just carbohydrates.

Here we go!

What is the nutritional profile of lemons?

We already talked about the carbohydrate-content in lemon. Let us now have a closer look at the quantities of all nutrients found in lemon.

The table below jots down the list of types and quantities of nutritional elements found in lemon.

From the above table, we can conclude that lemons are low in fats, carbs, and calories. It has plenty of various vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.

Now, let us have a look at what the various benefits of the lemon water beverage can be on health.

What are the benefits of having lemon water?

Until now, we discussed the safety of lemon water on diabetic patients, the glycemic index of lemon, and its nutrients. Let us now find out what the benefits of drinking lemon water are.

Here is a list of advantages of having lemon water:

1. This is a very healthy drink and a perfect alternative for your daily beverage like sodas. It does not have empty calories or excess sugars that will harm your overall health.

2. Lemon water in the morning can promote weight loss.

3. A glass of lemon water keeps you hydrated throughout the day.

4. This also enriches your body with vitamin C, which in turn strengthens immunity and offers protection.

5. Lemon water is also a common medicinal beverage for coughs, colds, sore throats, etc.

6. Lemon water also has benefits on the skin. It provides moisture, repairs, and reduces damage, etc.

7. One glass of this beverage each morning also keeps the digestive system properly functional and out of risk of discomforts.

References

1. https://foodstruct.com/food/lemon
2. https://health.clevelandclinic.org/7-reasons-to-start-your-day-with-lemon-water-infographic/
3. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.3109/03009737709179057
4. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0965229918303558
5. https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/6/12/5955
6. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/10942912.2017.1303709
7. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0002822304015718
8. https://care.diabetesjournals.org/content/31/2/247.short
9. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11745-998-0258-y
10. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/1471-2288-9-81
11. https://wchh.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/pdi.1097
12. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0031938496002223

• Author
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Dr Sharon Baisil MD

Medical Doctor at Beat Diabetes

Dr Sharon Baisil MD is an international award-winning doctor, known for creating innovative technologies for the prevention and treatment of Diabetes. He developed the android app called Beat Diabetes, which is presently the most downloaded diabetes app in India. It was chosen as ‘Diabetes-App of the Year’ globally by Healthline. Dr Sharon has helped over 100,000 individuals with Diabetes from 140 countries, during the past 4 years, to control their sugar levels. You can read all the best-selling Diabetes eBooks by Dr Sharon Baisil MD , by clicking here .  All the diabetes articles written by Dr. Sharon are thoroughly researched and draw from peer-reviewed journals like the Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology, ensuring the highest quality and reliability of information.

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