Adding Lemon to Black Tea

Adding Lemon To Black Tea – What Science Says [With Proofs]

I am pretty sure you have tasted black tea or lemon juice at least a few times in your lifetime. Even though, how about a lemon tea? The robust and strong flavor of black tea blends just perfectly with humble lemon to bring you a refreshing sensation leaving you all zesty. 

Can We Add Lemon to Black Tea?

Yes, you can. Lemon tea is full of powerful antioxidant properties from black tea as well as from lemon. This elixir-like drink provides a plethora of benefits to you. Among them, detoxifying ability, boosting the immune system, promoting anti-aging, and reducing heart disease risk are significant.

What are the Benefits of lemon tea?

While black tea has many benefits, with lemon, you may never have appreciated its benefits! It does wonders in your body. So, let’s dive in to find out how beneficial lemon tea is, 

Benefits-of-Lemon-Tea
  1. Detoxifying the body

Lemon is a natural detoxifier. Miracle compounds present in Lemon eliminate the toxins that accumulate in your liver. You may wonder how could toxins get accumulate, and what are these so-called toxins?

Well, it could be different pollutants found in the environment. These chemicals get into your body through different means and hinder the normal functioning of your system.

Lemon consists of ascorbic acid and vitamin C. These wondrous compounds are capable of enhancing and purifying your liver[1]Zhou, T., Zhang, Y. J., Xu, D. P., Wang, F., Zhou, Y., Zheng, J., Li, Y., Zhang, J. J., & Li, H. B. (2017). Protective Effects of Lemon Juice on Alcohol-Induced Liver Injury in Mice. BioMed research international, 2017, 7463571. https://doi.org/10.1155/2017/7463571.

That’s not all! It will flush out toxins and wastes from your other organs as well.

Do you want your systems to detoxified? Well, here’s what you have to do! You may have a ravishing lemon tea first thing in the morning on an empty stomach.

  1. Promotes anti-ageing and improves your skin

If you’re a skincare enthusiast, you might already know what I am about to say!

Vitamin C or ascorbic acid is a common ingredient in many skincare products, especially in anti-aging and brightening products.

The reason is, vitamin C is a very powerful antioxidant and is capable of neutralizing oxidative stress, which may cause premature aging[2]Tan, B. L., Norhaizan, M. E., Liew, W. P., & Sulaiman Rahman, H. (2018). Antioxidant and Oxidative Stress: A Mutual Interplay in Age-Related Diseases. Frontiers in pharmacology, 9, 1162. https://doi.org/10.3389/fphar.2018.01162

On the other hand, vitamin C is essential in producing collagen in skin cells[3]Pullar, J. M., Carr, A. C., & Vissers, M. (2017). The Roles of Vitamin C in Skin Health. Nutrients, 9(8), 866. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu9080866.  Collagen supports skin structure. So, lemon tea indirectly reduces wrinkle formation and may delay the signs of aging.

You would like to add some extra benefits, don’t you? Well, all you have to do is, incorporate some honey into lemon tea!

Anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory properties of lemon tea with honey hinders acne and pimples and promote overall skin health.

  1. Reducing the risk of diabetes

Hesperidin, a natural compound found in lemon, mainly does the trick!

It can promote insulin synthesis of the pancreas, and at the same time, hesperidin and polyphenols in black tea are known to increase the activity of insulin[4]Munir, K. M., Chandrasekaran, S., Gao, F., & Quon, M. J. (2013). Mechanisms for food polyphenols to ameliorate insulin resistance and endothelial dysfunction: therapeutic implications for diabetes and its cardiovascular complications. American journal of physiology. Endocrinology and metabolism, 305(6), E679–E686. https://doi.org/10.1152/ajpendo.00377.2013.

This, in turn, aids in managing sudden spikes of blood sugar and helps to prevent the risk of diabetes. Furthermore, citric acid in lemon can deplete the conversion of starch into sugar.

  1. An aid to facilitate digestion

You and I both know that lemon is a citrus fruit. So, lemon tea is obviously an acidic drink. If you have this on an empty stomach, it stimulates producing stomach acids as well as bile secretion[5]Boyer J. L. (2013). Bile formation and secretion. Comprehensive Physiology, 3(3), 1035–1078. https://doi.org/10.1002/cphy.c120027.

In turn, these enzymes facilitate the digestion of foodstuff. That’s not all! Lemon tea is a wondrous tonic that cleanses your digestive tract and, even more, removes any harmful bacteria.

  1. Facilitates iron absorption

It is a well-known fact that tannins in tea can reduce iron absorption. On the other hand, ascorbic acid or vitamin C is well known to facilitate iron absorption[6]Lynch, S. R., & Cook, J. D. (1980). Interaction of vitamin C and iron. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 355, 32–44. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1749-6632.1980.tb21325.x.

Ascorbic acid finds in abundance in lemon. So, the beneficial effect of adding lemon to black tea is that it can easily counteract black tea’s effect on iron absorption.

If you have your black tea with some lemon in it, well, you do not have to worry about iron absorption at all!  

  1. Aid in weight management

Lemon is one of the trending weight loss aids. Did you know, Lemon, together with tea, can enhance its miracle weight loss properties?

Black tea polyphenols and lemon polyphenols together enhance abdominal fat loss[7]Meydani, M., & Hasan, S. T. (2010). Dietary polyphenols and obesity. Nutrients, 2(7), 737–751. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu2070737

Furthermore, Lemon juice and caffeine in black tea combined can reduce your appetite to greater extents.

So, I need not say more! This prevents you from overeating as well as from snacking. This is excellent news if you want to lose weight.  

On a side note, lemon tea is a ravishing low-calorie drink if you’re on a diet plan or not. Also, if you are ever trying fasting, you can drink lemon black tea while fasting because it’s a zero-calorie drink you can take, and it improves your fat-burning process.

  1. Improves mental health

Lemon tea is a remarkable brain health booster. It’s a plethora of beneficial antioxidants and micronutrients, including vitamin C, Copper, and Potassium, that promote the transmission of nerve impulses[8]Briguglio, M., Dell’Osso, B., Panzica, G., Malgaroli, A., Banfi, G., Zanaboni Dina, C., Galentino, R., & Porta, M. (2018). Dietary Neurotransmitters: A Narrative Review on Current Knowledge. Nutrients, 10(5), 591. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu10050591.

You need to trust me when I say a cup of lemon tea will definitely make you feel less lethargic. Relaxing scents, together with other wonder compounds, make you calm.

Thereby lemon tea can elevate your mood and memory. That’s not all! Its brain and nerve system stimulating effect can alleviate symptoms of depression and anxiety. 

Furthermore, lemon tea eliminates free radicals and prevents the onset of nerve system-related diseases like Parkinson’s’ and Alzheimer’s[9]Lobo, V., Patil, A., Phatak, A., & Chandra, N. (2010). Free radicals, antioxidants and functional foods: Impact on human health. Pharmacognosy reviews, 4(8), 118–126. https://doi.org/10.4103/0973-7847.70902.

  1. Promotes a healthy heart

Powerful antioxidants in lemon tea do the trick!

Hesperidin and Diosmin are two flavonoids present in lemon. In addition to that, Theaflavin and Thearubigins are flavonoids found in black tea. All these combine to reduce the risk of heart diseases.

It is common knowledge that low cholesterol levels links to good heart health, isn’t it?

So, hesperidin and diosmin in lemon reduce “bad” cholesterol[10]Khan, Yasmin & Khan, Rafeeq & Afroz, Syeda & Siddiq, Afshan. (2010). Evaluation of hypolipidemic effect of citrus lemon. J. basic appl. Sci. 6. 39-43.. The result is the prevention of stroke and heart disease.  

  1. Boosts immune system

A piping hot cup of black tea at a time of sickness is miraculous, isn’t it? Well, add some lemon juice to your black tea. It will leave you feeling nothing but zesty! 

Lemon tea is one of the best immune system boosters. The inexplicable compound is ascorbic acid or vitamin C in lemon[11]Ströhle, A., & Hahn, A. (2009). Vitamin C und Immunfunktion [Vitamin C and immune function]. Medizinische Monatsschrift fur Pharmazeuten, 32(2), 49–56..

In addition to that, flavonoids in lemon tea provide many anti-inflammatory properties to your system.

So, whenever you have a sore throat, a casual cold, or a cough, don’t forget to enjoy a cup of lemon tea with honey a few times a day. It will definitely relieve you from all the distress.

Make notes on this!  It will come in handy in the next monsoon!

  1. Anti-cancer activity

According to studies, it is shown that ascorbic acid can enhance the anti-cancer activity of black tea polyphenols in several folds[12]Li, W., Wu, J. X., & Tu, Y. Y. (2010). Synergistic effects of tea polyphenols and ascorbic acid on human lung adenocarcinoma SPC-A-1 cells. Journal of Zhejiang University. Science. B, 11(6), 458–464. https://doi.org/10.1631/jzus.B0900355.

Thus, lemon tea poses potential anti-cancer activity beneficial to your body. 

Too much lemon tea may trigger some side effects

Well, read through to know what they are….

Excessive amounts of daily lemon tea may result in tooth enamel erosion.

If you have signs of acute pain and sensitivity in your teeth, especially for sharp temperature changes, you may have to watch out for your daily dose of lemon tea.

Moreover, too much lemon tea may change the pH level of your digestive system, resulting in acid reflux and eventual heartburn.

Lemon juice and caffeine in tea are potential diuretics. This could stimulate frequent urination, dehydrating your body.

At the same time, large amounts of calcium might be flushed out of your system, increasing the risk of on setting of old age osteoporosis.

Due to high amounts of caffeine, pregnant and lactating mothers advise to stay away from lemon tea.

Furthermore, the acidity of lemon may dissolve Aluminium in tea bags leading to Aluminium toxicity. In severe cases, aluminum toxicity could be a reason for the increased risk of several diseases, including encephalopathy.

Too much regular lemon tea consumption can cause stomach problems such as diarrhea, irritable bowel syndrome, and ulcer in some people.

Moderate amounts or a cup of lemon tea per day may not lead you to serious side effects. So, be a little more cautious about how much lemon tea you have in a day.

Preparing your perfect cup of Lemon tea

In its purest form, Lemon tea is a tangy fusion of lemon juice with your black or green tea.

The beneficial properties of lemon and black tea together give you a miraculous cup of elixir to many health issues you face in your everyday life! 

You may have your cup of lemon tea cold or hot, depending on your mood. On a hot sunny day, you can chill with a glass of icy lemon tea, whereas on a rainy, cold day, nothing makes you cozy like a piping hot cup of lemon tea. 

Here are some quick and easy ways to add lemon to your black tea: Each cup will give you its unique flavor, scent, and even benefits.

1.     freshly squeezed lemon juice

2.     home-dried lemon peel

3.     freshly grated lemon peel

4.     a drop of safe and food-grade lemon essential oil

Well, here’s an idea for you to try out; you may add a few drops of honey, some ginger, or a stick of cinnamon to your lemon tea to make it even more wholesome!

What do you prefer the most?

Adding lemon juice or grating lemon zest into your cup of black tea.

Now, I am going to let you know a small secret!

Lemon Peel contains limonene antioxidants. This compound does wonders in your systems, reducing the risk of chronic diseases like osteoarthritis, diabetes, and cancer.

So, next time try your lemon tea with grated lemon zest!

Bottom Line 

Do not hesitate to indulge in your usual cup of lemon tea to have all the benefits and to feel refreshed every day. It is one best zesty cups of drink!

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