A magic potion that melts away pounds? Everyone wants one, right? Well, there’s a touted miracle concoction making the rounds at the moment thanks to the armchair wellness experts on TikTok. It’s the “green juice diet,” and it promises to help you drop pounds without exercise or effort. It sounds too good to be true, so we set out to see if there was any truth behind the claims.
Adding lemon juice to a cup of coffee is percolating as a weight-loss remedy. All you need to do is sip the mixture and watch those unwanted pounds disappear! The idea behind the coffee-lemon drink is that it can help you lose weight by curbing your appetite. It may also help reduce belly fat and lower your cholesterol levels.
The concept is generating quite the buzz on the social media platform … and not just from the caffeine in the cup of joe. Videos of the dieting remedy have received tens of millions of views (and counting). So, we decided to dive into the research. We found that adding lemon juice to your cup of coffee is a safe and effective way to boost weight loss. We’ll share the details later in this article. But first, let’s take a look at what makes this trend so popular.
So, is adding lemon to coffee the secret to slimming down? Let’s find out from registered dietitian Beth Czerwony, RD. Czerwony says that yes, adding lemon juice to your coffee can help you lose more weight. “Adding lemon juice to coffee is an easy way to increase your intake of citric acid, which increases fat burning and decreases appetite,” she explains.
What is lemon coffee?
The simple description of this drink — coffee with lemon — serves as the ingredient list, too. The most common mixture seems to be the juice from half a lemon squeezed into a standard cup of black coffee. You can also add a teaspoon of lemon juice to your coffee, or even try a mixture of the two. There are endless ways to drink lemon coffee, so feel free to experiment with different combinations until you find one that works for you!
The taste falls somewhat short of yummy, which may explain why a steaming cup of “lemon coffee” isn’t featured on menu boards at local cafes. Many people who try this drink find it to be less than palatable. The lemon juice can be overpowering and leave a bitter flavor in your mouth, which is why many people prefer to mix the two ingredients together. This way, you get the benefits of both without losing your tongue in the process!
Don’t try adding lemon juice to a latte, either, unless you’re into curdled milk. (Blech!) A lot of people will tell you that lemon juice is good for your health, but this isn’t entirely true. It does have some benefits, such as the ability to lower cholesterol levels and prevent cancer. However, too much of it can also cause nausea, vomiting or diarrhea if you have stomach ulcers or irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).
Sweetened iced coffee, however, does have a culinary connection with lemons in some cultures. For instance, a drink called mazagran originated in Algeria almost two centuries ago and remains popular in Portugal. It’s made of coffee, hot water and sugar, but it also contains lemon juice.
Are the weight-loss claims true?
The answer to this is easy: No. Lemons do not have special fat-burning qualities, explains Czerwony. A squeeze of the fruit’s pucker-inducing juice won’t help you squeeze into a smaller pair of jeans. To lose weight, you need to burn more calories than you take in. Drinking iced coffee with lemon juice won’t help with that. And it’s important to note that adding sugar or other sweeteners will add calories.
“That mechanism of action is just not there,” says Czerwony. “There is nothing in lemon juice that is going to burn fat or a chemical connection to make that happen. Sorry to say, it’s not that easy.” There’s no magic in lemons, but there are plenty of reasons to drink them. Lemons are a good source of vitamin C and flavonoids like limonene, which may have anti-inflammatory properties and lower risk for certain cancers. Lemons can also help you stay hydrated because they’re high in water content.
So how did this lemon-in-coffee weight-loss hack come to be? It’s most likely due to similar lemon-in-water claims.
Drinking a glass of H2O with a lemon slice is often cited as a helpful way to drop pounds. It’s not because of any mystic properties possessed by lemons, though. It’s more a product of the water filling your stomach without any calories.
“The water keeps you fuller, which works to keep down hunger cues that make you want to eat,” explains Czerwony.
Coffee brings a similar appetite-suppressing benefit, while also revving up your metabolism with a kick of caffeine. But healthy diet plans aren’t built around guzzling coffee — with or without lemon, says Czerwony.
Are there benefits to adding lemon to coffee?
Lemons do have some nice nutritional qualities. Like many citrus fruits, lemons serve as a solid source of vitamin C. The citric acid in lemons may also help with digestion and decrease the likelihood of kidney stones. Plus, lemons offer a certain zing on the taste front.
“Lemons are a perfectly fine fruit,” notes Czerwony. “They’re just not magic when it comes to weight loss.”
The risks of adding lemon to coffee
Lemon juice may sometimes cause heartburn, given its high levels of citric acid, especially if you have a history of acid reflux. That acid can also be rough on tooth enamel over time and with high enough volumes.
But the biggest risk to adding lemon to java? “You’re probably going to ruin a good cup of coffee,” says Czerwony.
So, is lemon coffee worth trying?
People are always looking for that “one thing” that’ll make a difference when it comes to the number on the scale, says Czerwony. Chia seeds grabbed attention for a bit. Ditto for apple cider vinegar and grapefruit.
“I understand why these weight-loss fads become popular,” says Czerwony. “They’re based on products that are natural and in our kitchens and have some health benefits. They seem like they could work.
“But if these things were tried and true, everybody would have been doing them for a long time and been successful. The truth is there are no quick fixes when it comes to weight loss.”
As for adding lemon to coffee to get a better figure? “It’s not something I’d recommend,” says Czerwony. “So unless you just like the taste for some reason, I’d stay away from this TikTok trend.” If you want to lose weight, focus on a healthy diet and regular exercise. “These things are proven ways to help people reach their goals,” says Czerwony. “They’re backed by science; they work for everyone regardless of age or gender. And there aren’t any negative side effects associated with them.”
