Lime water versus lemon water – which is healthier? To find out which has better health benefits, let’s look at how one compares against the other.
Physical Description
Both lemons and limes are members of the citrus plant family. Lemons are characterized physically by their yellow, oblong shape and sweetish aroma; limes give off a milder citrus aroma, are green-skinned, and are most often round. Both fruits can be squeezed for their juices.
Lemons are thicker skinned, and you usually need a device like a lemon juicer to maximize the juice you squeeze from the fruit. Limes generally have thinner skins, and their juice can be easily squeezed out by finger-pinching the fruit.
3 Distinct Health Benefits of Lemons and Limes
A Good Source of Vitamin C for Healthy Skin
Limes and lemons are high in Vitamin C, with lemons containing about double the amount of vitamin C at 53 mg per 100 g versus limes with 29 mg per 100 g. Because both citrus fruits are high in vitamin C, both can deliver the health-giving benefits of Vitamin C, like improving the skin and keeping it healthy when taken regularly.
Dr. James Lind, an 18th-century Scottish doctor, proved the efficacy of treating sailors afflicted with scurvy with daily doses of lemon juice. Scurvy is a skin disease brought about by the lack of Vitamin C. Other animals can produce their Vitamin C from their bodily functions. Still, humans cannot make their vitamin C. Vitamin C is a central element in maintaining our skin’s collagen levels. When collagen is lacking, skin tissue breaks down.
Helps Us Keep a Healthy Weight and Improve Metabolism
Lemons and limes are low-calorie fruits, averaging 29-30 calories per 100 grams of juice. Both contain zero caffeine making them great as a morning wake-up drink because of the tarty zingy flavor of their juice.
A significant number of medical studies across the globe prove that drinking the required amount of water increases metabolism and well-being. When water is flavored with lemon or lime, pectin, the natural fruit fiber, is released. This keeps a person feeling full and hydrated for a more extended period. Both lemons and limes contain about 2.8 grams of fiber per 100 grams of edible fruit.
This is why it’s recommended to freshly juice your lemons or limes when you wake up in the morning. The best juicers make this easy to do.
Can Keep the Heart Healthy
Lemons and limes can help keep the heart healthy. Lemons contain 138 mg of potassium and 8 mg of magnesium per 100 g of edible fruit. Limes have 102 mg of potassium and 6 mg of magnesium per 100g of edible fruit. Both potassium and magnesium are significant minerals that influence the overall healthy muscle tone of the heart, with the added important function of relaxing the blood vessel walls that affect blood pressure. Drinking water infused with lemon or lime can add up to the required daily allowance for these two minerals when taken with a daily healthy diet of beans, fish, and green leafy vegetables.
Lemon Water versus Lime Water: Which Fruit Wins the Health Debate?
After much research and debate, drinking lemon or lime water regularly delivers the same health benefits. Both come from the citrus family and provide the same nutritional content.
Although there are nutrients where lemons edge up over limes and vice versa, the only stark difference that you can point out between the two fruits is their size. How much must be used to deliver the desired nutritional benefits and availability in the area?
Lemons are larger than limes. One lemon can produce an average of 3 tablespoons of lemon juice. One lime can have an average of 2 tablespoons of juice squeezed out. You need two and a half lemons and three limes to get about 100 g of juice from each fruit.
It does not matter whether you drink lemon water or lime water. It just boils down to your taste preference and access to the fruits. The important thing is to go ahead and start your day with a glass of lemon or lime water to pump up your energy and so you can jump-start your day.