Adding a squeeze of lemon to green tea seems like a simple twist, but it might do more for your health than you think. To unpack the science of drinking green tea with lemon every day, Health spoke with two registered dietitians to find out whether this flavorful mixture enhances health benefits and improves digestion and detox.
Both lemon and green tea contain antioxidants, which help neutralize and inhibit the formation of harmful free radicals. These particles can damage cells and lead to chronic diseases over time, such as cardiovascular disease, neurodegenerative diseases, and cancer. Pairing these two powerhouse ingredients together helps boost the absorption of antioxidants while lemon’s acidity and vitamin C content increase catechin stability and uptake.
Lemon juice is a rich source of vitamin C, a powerful antioxidant. Combining lemon juice’s vitamin C with the antioxidants in green tea provides a double dose of support for the body’s immune system and helps ward off illness.
Studies show that lemon can help increase gastric acid secretion and accelerate food emptying, leading to improved digestion.
Lemon’s refreshing citrus notes help balance the bitterness of green tea, making it more palatable. This makes it easier to enjoy green tea regularly and let your body absorb its beneficial antioxidants. Dawn Jackson Blatner, RDN, author of The Superfood Swap, told Health that this combination is also a great way to stay hydrated and meet your daily water goals.
While this nourishing beverage has many health benefits, there are some potential downsides to consider, such as:
- Damage to tooth enamel: Over time, acidic beverages can erode tooth enamel. “If you enjoy green tea with lemon, using a straw can help protect your teeth, or simply rinse your mouth with water afterward,” Samina Kalloo, RDN, CDN, nutrition communications expert and founder of Samina Kalloo Nutrition, told Health.
- Worse acid reflux: Acidic drinks can be hard on sensitive stomachs. When consumed every day, lemon and other citrus fruits may increase the risk of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). In this condition, stomach contents flow backward into the esophagus, causing symptoms such as heartburn, sore throat, and nausea.
- Interactions with some medications: The caffeine and catechins in green tea can interact with certain medications. If you’re taking any, speak to your healthcare provider before adding the beverage to your daily routine.
Both Kalloo and Blatner agree that drinking green tea with lemon daily is safe for most people. Just keep in mind that the drink is not a miracle worker if you’re looking for a fat-burning detox. For lemon juice to support fat loss, it must be part of a calorie-restricted diet.
Green tea is rich in catechins, which are plant compounds with antioxidant properties. The most abundant catechin in green tea, epigallocatechin 3-gallate (EGCG), is a potent antioxidant with anti-inflammatory and anticancer effects.
However, research shows that catechins can be unstable in the digestive system. But when lemon is added to green tea, both the acidity of lemon juice and its vitamin C content help stabilize and increase the absorption of antioxidants found in catechins. “Lemon helps the beneficial compounds in tea be more usable for your body,” Blatner said. “Since a squeeze of lemon may make the beneficial compounds more absorbable, it’s likely lemon boosts green tea’s health benefits.”
Plus, as an added benefit, vitamin C is also a potent antioxidant that supports immune function and the formation of collagen, the body’s main building block of skin, muscles, bones, and other connective tissues.
