It is well known that coffee and lemon each have their own benefits that could help improve a person’s health and prevent serious illnesses. What happens if you combine coffee with lemon, will it double the effects of improving health, or is it just another creative coffee trend?
Given the many benefits of consuming lemon and the antioxidants present in coffee, it would be logical to assume that combining these together would create a ‘super drink’. It’s not just about the benefits, coffee can be bitter and lemon can be sour, so do they actually complement each other and taste good?
We are going to take a look at the additional health benefits of drinking coffee with lemon and whether the benefit claims are valid. It’s important to remember that scientists or research have not stated that coffee and lemon combined can provide extra health benefits.
Check out this article on is decaf coffee bad for you? or you can also read about the best low acid coffee.
Coffee with Lemon Basics
Coffee is known to be a great stimulant because of its caffeine content. It has many varieties, from the bold and strong espresso to the light and creamy lattes. It is a drink that is considered a daily necessity by over 70% of Americans, mostly because of its taste, but also because of its addictive properties.
There are a number of benefits to consuming coffee, some including:
- Recued risk of disease and serious illness (heart disease, kidney disease, stroke)
- Reduced risk of heart failure
- Reduced risk of parkinsons
- Reduced risk of diabetes
- Reduced risk of colon cancer
- Reduced risk of Alzehimers
- Improved energy
- Helps fight depression
- Contains essential daily nutrients
Lemon is considered to be a rich source of vitamin C and is packed with natural antioxidants. Although lemon drinks are not as popular as coffee, people who drink water-infused lemon stand by its refreshing taste and health benefits. As a fresh fruit, it is a given that there are many nutrients and health benefits to consuming lemon.
One of the most popular ways to consume lemon is in tea. This involves mixing freshly cut lemon slices with boiling water for a healthy detox drink. Some of the many benefits of lemons include:
- Reduced cholesterol and risk of heart disease
- Can prevent anemia
- Can prevent cancers
- Can prevent kidney stones
- Reduced risk of stoke
- Lowers blood pressure
- Boosts collagen
- Boosts the immune system
- Helps with weight loss
Just before lemon in coffee became a trend, people from Algeria were already drinking the refreshing coffee drink. The Mazagran is a popular coffee lemonade that is a combination of citrus lemon and the strong flavor of cold espresso coffee. Mazagran has become a popular drink in Portugal.
The initial explanation of how Mazagran came about was to enhance the taste of low-quality coffee beans, therefore coffee with lemon was created. Thankfully, there is a wide supply of great-tasting coffee beans out there today, so we don’t have to worry too much about low-quality beans.
What Are the Benefits of Drinking Coffee with Lemon?
Both coffee and lemon are recognized as great sources of antioxidants (help fight free radicals that cause the body damage). When infused together, this drink is claimed to create an even healthier concoction. The most common health benefits that lemon in coffee offers are higher antioxidants, prevent migraines and headaches, and weight loss.
It is always good to remember that some of the benefits of coffee with lemon are not backed by extensive research and are merely claims based on small evidence. Also, what works for one person may not work for another person.
1. Lemon in Coffee for Weight Loss
While black coffee and lemon water are both consumed by people who want to lose weight, the only way for the individual drinks to work is to consume them without any sugar or creamer.
The caffeine found in coffee helps stimulate metabolism, which can contribute to weight loss. That is why some people drink coffee first thing in the morning to not only help them jumpstart their day, but to help burn off the calories from meals.
On the other hand, lemon water is supposed to boost metabolism and support weight loss, but there is no hard evidence to prove the claim. One reason why people claim that lemon helps in their weight loss journey is most probably because they are consuming more water and making them feel full.
So the claim that lemon in coffee aids weight loss is primarily due to caffeine present in coffee and not the combination.
2. Contributes to Improved Skin Care
It is well recognized that vitamin C helps improve the skin, that is why there are a lot of vitamin C serums sold. The reason behind why vitamin C is most common in skincare is that it helps promote the production of collagen, which offers skin elasticity. This is beneficial to those who have skin damage from the sun.
Coffee is said to improve blood flow around the body. With increased blood flow, your skin can get the essential nutrients and maintain healthiness for longer.
The presence of antioxidants in coffee and lemon separately is said to improve skin care. Although there is some truth to this claim, there is no evidence to support that mixing coffee with lemon provides extra benefits.
You don’t have to drink coffee with lemon in order to reap the benefits of skincare, but drinking the concoction is a refreshing drink that is bursting with antioxidants.
3. Lemon in Coffee Eases Headaches and Migraines
The claim that drinking coffee with lemon eases headaches and migraines has unclear and conflicting results. The effects depend on the person drinking the mixture and why they have headache symptoms in the first place.
One theory suggests that the caffeine in coffee helps boost headache medications, another theory suggests that caffeine aids in tightening the blood vessels and reduces blood flow to the head. On the other hand, there are claims that drinking coffee actually triggers headaches and migraines.
There are particular headaches that restrict the flow of oxygen to the head, which it’s claimed that lemon and coffee can contribute towards alleviating the headaches. The coffee is said to shrink blood vessels (the headaches cause them to become enlarged) and the coffee is claimed to improve the concentration of oxygen present.
So when it comes to easing headaches and migraines, the coffee with lemon drink might be a good solution to some but a bad trigger to others. Again, there is no hard evidence to support these claims.
Try This Amazing Coffee Lemonade Recipe
Our Simple Iced Coffee with Lemon
- Coffee Beans
- Coffee Bean Grinder
- Cold Brew Container
- Ice Cubes
- Simple Syrup
- Lemon Juice
- Lemon Slice (for garnish)
To Make the Cold Brew:
- Equal part Coffee
- Equal part Water
- Brew Time: at least 12 hours
- Calorie Count: 15 calories
- Water Temperature: Room Temperature
- Caffeine Content: 150 mg
To Make the Coffee with Lemon:
- 1 cup of Cold Brew
- ¼ cup of Iced Cubes
- ¼ cup of freshly squeezed Lemon Juice
- 1 tsp. of Simple Syrup
- 1 Lemon Slice
- Brew Time: 5 minutes
- Calorie Count: 30 calories
- Caffeine Content: 150 mg
How to Make the Iced Coffee with Lemon
- It’s highly recommended for you to grind your own coffee beans when making coffee. Set your grinder into medium to coarse size.
- Once you’ve grounded your coffee bean, place it in a cold brew container and add water. The ratio for cold brew is 1:1. You should make a big batch so that you’ll have some left for another coffee blend.
- Steep the coffee overnight or for at least 12 hours.
- Once you already have your cold brew, pour it into a tall glass.
- Add the ice cubes, lemon juice, and simple syrup into the brew.
- Stir the drink properly until it is well blended.
- Top it with lemon and voila! Your very own Iced Coffee with Lemon.
Notes for the Coffee:
- If you can, grind your own coffee since this will provide you with a fresher, more aromatic coffee brew.
- To get a better cold brew, set your grinder in a medium to coarse grind size, this will prevent the cold brew from turning bitter.
- In order to prevent your drink from watering, use coffee ice cubes instead of regular water ice cubes.
- There are only two ingredients to make simple syrup. All you need to do is to mix equal parts of water and brown sugar on medium heat.
Coffee with Lemon Side Effects
There are no claimed or evidence-based side effects of combining coffee with lemon. However, each ingredient comes with its own set of side effects that would affect a person differently depending on the body.
This could include addiction and withdrawal from caffeine. Caffeine contains properties that make coffee addictive, and when you eliminate that from your diet, it can come with headaches and more.
In addition, coffee can cause anxiousness, insomnia, jitters, and increased blood pressure. It also poses many risks and problems for those with gastrointestinal problems, such as heartburn and GERD.
Lemons do not pose much of a risk in terms of side effects, they are natural fruit and should be beneficial to the body. One thing to be aware of is allergies to the fruit or the pesticides that could be present on the fruit.
Key Take-Away
The evidence to support the coffee with lemon trend is very minimal and should be taken with a pinch of salt. Each one has its own health benefits and should be treated as individual benefits with no enhancements as a result of being combined.
However, there is no harm in mixing the two together and enjoying a refreshing cup of coffee with a hint of lemon, it might even help you to enjoy the taste of coffee if you don’t like it.
