I Drank Lemon Water for 30 Days and It Changed My Life

Here’s what happened when I drank lemon water every day for a month. It’s kind of crazy.

Thirsty? Before you reach for the nearest sweet tea or soda, keep in mind that the added sugars in these drinks may provide some short-term satisfaction, but they can also have long-term health consequences, such as increasing your risk of obesity and diabetes.

Pouring a glass of water is arguably the simplest shortcut to healthy hydration. But, to be honest, plain water can taste a little boring and “blah.” Sure, it’s not the worst-tasting beverage on the planet. However, if you’re like me and enjoy a burst of flavor with every sip, the flat taste of regular water can sometimes make those other less-than-healthy drink options appear that much more appealing when you’re thirsty.

When plain water loses its allure, lemon water — that is, a glass of water accompanied by a fresh lemon wedge or two — can be a great hydrating solution.

Adding lemon wedges to your water may appear to be a minor way to simply improve the taste of your water, but research suggests that drinking lemon water can also provide a variety of health benefits.

To begin, adding an ounce of lemon juice to your water is said to provide more than 10% of your daily vitamin C requirement. Lemons are high in other nutrients, such as B vitamins, potassium, and folate, that can aid in inflammation reduction, healthy blood pressure, muscle recovery and repair, cell damage repair, immune system support, and even weight loss.

I was sick of drinking boring “blah” glasses of water and curious about the extent of lemon water’s potential health benefits, so I decided to try drinking lemon water instead of plain H2O every day. When it comes to drinking lemon water, it turns out that the juice — along with the pulp and peel — might actually be worth the squeeze.

Over the course of 30 days, I drank 8–12 cups of lemon water per day beginning around 9:00 a.m. To ensure consistency, I measured everything and drank my lemon water from mason jars, indicating the amount in each glass with each sip or new pour. I would squeeze at least one ounce of lemon juice into each cup of water I drank, then drop 1/4 of the lemon into my glass — pulp, rind, and all.

I would drink a minimum of 4 cups of lemon water between 9:00 a.m. and noon. Then I’d drink lemon water as needed throughout the day, usually consuming an average of 10 cups of lemon water before hitting the hay each evening.

Nothing else in my usual routine changed except for the addition of lemon water to my diet. Though some of the side effects of drinking lemon water every day were subtle at first, others became more obvious as the days progressed. Here are some of the more noticeable changes I noticed in my body this month.

Having a thick, healthy mane of hair, naturally resilient nails, and smooth, bright, clear skin, like many people, are physical qualities that, while achievable, require more effort to maintain with age. Though research has shown that vitamin C can support healthy collagen production, which affects the quality of skin, nails, and hair, I was surprised that a little lemon juice could have such a big impact in only 30 days!

I pay close attention to the rate at which my hair grows in relation to the amount of breakage and split ends I have. Despite not changing my usual washing and styling routine, I measured nearly a half inch of new hair growth at my roots by the end of the month. Historically, my nails are also more brittle and prone to painful breaks. However, they appeared to be far more durable during this time, and as someone who prefers to keep my nails short, I found myself needing to file or trim them every three or four days.

What I was most pleased with was the effect that drinking this much lemon water each day seemed to have on my skin. Tonally, it appeared more even and smooth. In fact, I didn’t have a single breakout during this time.

I’ve always been a healthy eater, but portion control has always been the source of my weight loss struggles. My eyes can grow larger than my stomach, and I despise wasting food, so I tend to overeat. The more lemon water I drank, however, the less I felt enslaved to a voracious appetite. Portion control came naturally, and I didn’t experience flavor FOMO (aka, “fear of missing out”) on any of the delectable food combinations presented to me. This resulted in me feeling less bloated or needing to engage in healthy damage control to help me feel less full after overeating. (However, I did notice myself running to the bathroom more frequently to urinate.)

Even though I didn’t lose a lot of weight by the end of the month — just under two pounds — I still consider this a win because I was able to keep it off without even trying. Furthermore, despite having high blood pressure on a regular basis, my blood pressure readings never exceeded 122/83 mmHg for the entire month.

Another unexpected revelation was that I fell down a steep set of stairs near the end of my 30-day challenge. I slipped backward after losing my footing, and my shoulder blades hit every step on the way down, crumpling onto the final landing like a rag doll. As soon as I stood up, I felt tenderness and swelling from where my back made contact with about eight steps, according to my friends who witnessed this. However, there were no visible signs of bruising, which was a huge relief for me — but not unusual for me. Usually, the wind will shift and I’ll bruise like a peach. Best of all, the tenderness and sharp pain I initially felt had vanished within 48 hours of taking this tumble.

Now, when this incident first occurred, I wasn’t sure how much the lemon water I’d been drinking had influenced my quick rebound. Even though drinking more lemon water was only a new addition to my daily routine, it seemed like a bit of a stretch. However, after conducting additional research and speaking with Dr. Beth McCampbell, MD, a physician at Penn Medicine Lancaster General Health, about the incident, I realized the two may be more connected than I previously thought.

“It’s possible that your tissue was less fragile because you were so well hydrated,” explains Dr. McCampbell. “Consider it like bubblewrap: the more — in this case, fluid — in the bubblewrap, the greater the protection. As a result, your blood vessels are protected, and your bruising is less visible.”

“It’s like having dark circles under your eyes,” she continues. “Facials aim to plump up and hydrate that skin so that you don’t see what are essentially your blood vessels through thin, less-elastic skin.”

So, while my ego was bruised as I hobbled away from the mortified stairs, my body was not — at least not for long, thanks to lemon water’s ultra-hydrating abilities.

Because I am a slow riser, I was initially skeptical that lemon water could provide a sufficient energy boost for me in the morning. However, starting my day with a little lemon water gave me a little extra pep in my step to get me going. Was the energy boost provided by lemon water comparable to that of a cup of coffee or even green or black tea? Certainly not. But I did notice that drinking more lemon water in the morning caused me to drink less of my usual caffeinated beverages, which I believe contributed to my lower blood pressure readings. I also noticed that the more lemon water I drank, the fewer and further apart my usual afternoon slumps after lunch became.

Although this is an obvious result, it is worth noting that adding a twist of lemon did encourage a more consistent intake of fluids during this experience. Many healthcare providers will tell you that the best drink for healthy hydration is a good old-fashioned glass of water. After all, our bodies are made up of roughly 60% water, so it stands to reason that the most effective beverage for quenching thirst would be one that also directly replenishes the fluids required for your body to function. This is possibly why I’ve maintained a somewhat apathetic and clinical attitude toward maintaining consistency with my daily water consumption. Drinking enough water each day, like brushing my teeth or washing my hands, is something I’ve always been conditioned to do to ensure I’m physically and mentally on top of my game every day.

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