Can You Really Have Too Much Lemon?

Lemon is a popular favorite among health promoters because it is jam packed with vitamin C, antioxidants and antibacterial agents, and this is still true, however consuming lemon in moderation is the purpose of this article!

Too much of a good thing, can be bad for you!

Here’s a list of some lemon side effects that you didn’t know existed!

1. Tooth Decay

Lemons have a high acidity level and this acid can weaken and erode your existing tooth enamel. Your tooth enamel helps protect your teeth from bacteria and other infections, so when your enamel begins to erode your teeth become extremely vulnerable.

Keep in mind, when your enamel goes away, it won’t come back! It will be gone forever, so treat your teeth well and try to brush right after eating acidic foods! Lemon acid can also lead to the formation of canker sores… ouch!

2. Ulcers and GERD

Nausea, vomiting and heartburn can be brought on when you eat too much lemon. The acid content in lemon can actually break down the esophageal and stomach lining, which leads to GERD inducement and ulcer irritation.

3. Heartburn

If you suffer from heartburn regularly then you might want to cut down on your lemon intake! The acidity in lemon can irritate your esophagus and stomach, which could lead to heartburn. If you don’t have heartburn, eating too much lemon can actually induce your first heartburn experience, so eat lemon in moderation!

4. Kidney and Gallbladder Issues

Lemons, apart from their acidity levels, also contain something called oxalates, which can become crystallized in the body if over-consumed. These crystallized oxalates can cause kidney stones and gallbladder stones because they inhibit the absorption of calcium in your body.

5. Dehydration

Lemons are natural diuretic, which means they induce urination. Diuretics are excellent for your health if you are constantly repleneishing your body’s water supply, however if you are not, then lemons can be harmful to your health.

If you are urinating more than you are drinking, you are at risk of becoming severely dehydrated.

Often times, lemons are coated in a wax in order to protect them from pursuing damaged in shipping and inspection. This wax is known to be filled with toxic chemicals like petroleum jelly, ethyl alcohol and ethanol.

When you put lemon into your water or tea, make sure that you squeeze the lemon juice into your drink and do not drop the entire slice into your drink! Lemons are a common garnish on the rim of glasses and people have become accustomed to putting the entire lemon wedge in their drink. When you do this you are contaminating your water with potentially harmful toxins and pesticides!

If you insist on putting the entire wedge in your drink so that it can soak for long periods of time, then I highly recommend buying local grown or organic lemons – they won’t have all the harmful pesticides and waxes on the peel.