3

I have never really liked water that much. I always drank water because of it's importance to the human body. However, I mostly see myself drinking two glasses of water a day sometimes one to none.

At my Job we have sparkling water with some bottles of concentrated lemon. So I usually drink a glass of water with a few drops of concentrated lemon. I love the taste and it motivates me to drink even about 6 glasses a day (two glasses earch @ 9am; 12am 3am).

So my question is, are there any dangers of drinking lemon mixed water and can this be a substitute for pure water ?

1 Answer 1

2

As you can see lemon juice is something that can adversely affect your enamel (1). Acid affects your teeth because it leeches calcium from them (2). When this happens your enamel breaks down making your teeth are more vulnerable to bacteria and plaque which then leads to decay. Pure lemon juice is not something you should be downing constantly throughout the day if you want to protect your teeth. That being said it probably isn't enough acidity to affect your stomach enough to cause acid reflex.

However you are drinking very dilute amounts of lemon juice which probably makes the effects negligible. I can't find any research to support this (there isn't much on this topic) but unless you are also drinking something very acidic on top of the lemon water I'm sure you will be fine.

Just to keep an eye out you should look for signs of tooth decay, here is a good place to check for signs/symptoms. However ignore the advice that "all carbonated drinks" harm your enamel. This is simply not true since not all carbonated drinks contain high amounts of acidic compounds. However, this is true of all soft drinks (aka a "soda").

To ease your mind, lemon juice with mineral water is a traditional drink in Italy and across most of Europe. I personally have grown up drinking it, along with all of my relatives, and have never experienced any enamel weakening. In fact my dentist regularly comments that I have incredibly strong teeth.

Still this simple breakdown of highly acidic beverages may help you avoid damaging your enamel too much, if you are worried of such things(here).

2
  • All carbonated drinks (with CO2) are mildly acidic since dissolved CO2 creates H+ and HCO3- ions. Commented Apr 1, 2016 at 4:35
  • I never said they had "no acidity" I said they do not have "high amounts of acidic compounds" and thus are not all harmful for your tooth enamel. So it's not true that all carbonated drinks should be avoided to protect enamel. I really should of said "acidic ions" but I think people will understand.
    – FrankyG
    Commented Apr 1, 2016 at 13:18

Your Answer

By clicking “Post Your Answer”, you agree to our terms of service and acknowledge you have read our privacy policy.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged or ask your own question.