Lemon contains high content of citrate, an organic acid that can alkalimize urine, thereby preventing the crystallization of urate, the cause of gout and kidney stones.
Research from the Journal of Clinical Rheumatology shows that drinking 200-300 ml of warm lemon juice every morning increases urine pH by 0.3-0.5 units and reduces the risk of urate crystallization by up to 33%.
The National Kidney Foundation (NKF) also confirmed that citrate in lemons helps increase uric acid excretion through the kidneys by increasing urine volume and reducing urate saturatation.
In winter, the body is easily dehydrated due to cold air and does not feel thirsty, making uric acid thicker.
Warm lemon helps hydrate, increase kidney flow and dilute uric acid, an important factor in preventing gout outbreaks.
According to research by Harvard Medical School, enzymes in the liver, especially xanthine oxidase, are strongly affected by temperature and hydration. Warm water can:
Increases blood flow to the liver
Activate purine metabolism enzymes
Helps uric acid to be processed faster.
A study in Nutrition & Metabolism shows that supplementing 70-100 mg of vitamin C from lemon per day helps reduce uric acid levels in the blood by 8-10% after 6 weeks.
Cold weather causes peripheral blood vessels to constrict, reducing flow to the kidneys and slowing down the urate filtering process.
Warm lemon water helps increase circulation, reduce vasoconstriction; Increase the rate of renal filtering.
According to a report by the European Society of Nephrology (2023), just drinking 250 ml of warm water in the morning can increase the rate of blood filtration and waste excretion through the kidneys by 1012%.
When combined with citrate from lemon, the effectiveness of reducing uric acid is even higher.
Experts from the Mayo Clinic recommend drinking warm lemon water in the morning 20-30 minutes after waking up).
Helps activate metabolism and increase kidney flow after a long night, when the body is most likely to accumulate uric acid.
Or after a meal with a lot of protein (30-45 minutes).
Do not drink on an empty stomach if you have stomach problems.
Do not eat more than 1 lemon/day to avoid reflux.
