As a personal trainer, I generally recommend that my clients experiment with caffeine as a way to gain more control over their weight.
But during a recent conversation with my dietitian, she asked me if I had ever tried drinking coffee with lemon water or juice.
I have to admit, the idea didn’t sit right with me from a flavor perspective, but I had to do some research to find out if it could really help a weight loss journey.
Here’s what I found.
Quick Summary
- Drinking coffee is a known way to boost your metabolism in a natural way and promote weight loss.
- Lemon juice was first added to coffee in the 1800s in France, and some people have concluded that this mix helps you lose fat more efficiently.
- There are definite benefits to drinking lemon coffee, but the evidence for further increased fat loss is slim.
Does Coffee Burn Stored Fat?
Yes, coffee can help burn stored body fat and speed up your overall weight loss. But this is not a replacement for a healthy diet and exercise habits.
What happens when you consume caffeine is that your body naturally triggers a metabolic process called thermogenesis [1].
This means that your body slightly raises its core body temperature by burning some extra calories.
The effect can last for a few hours, but it’s important to understand that it won’t undo the poor habits of eating a candy bar with your afternoon cup of coffee.
It’s also not the case that you can simply increase your caffeine consumption as a weight-loss hack. At some stage, you’ll notice some jittery side effects [2].
Does It Help To Add Lemon?
No, it doesn’t help to add lemon to coffee, at least not to boost metabolism activity.
There have been quite a few viral diet videos that claim you don’t need to be consuming fewer calories to lose weight.
Simply buy a special lemon drink and mix it into your coffee, and you’ll be losing weight in no time.
But after a few weeks of research, I couldn’t find any studies that support this claim.
In fact, one piece of research specifically highlights that while lemons have a positive influence on the immune system, there’s no evidence to suggest they will improve your weight loss or boost the effects of coffee [3].
But that doesn’t mean that coffee and lemon juice isn’t a good idea.
Let me explain.
Related article: Will Lemon and Water Help You Lose Weight?
Does It Have Other Health Benefits?
Yes, there are many proven health benefits from adding lemons to your food intake.
First of all, it’s one of the most vitamin C-rich fruits available. Yes, it’s bitter, but vitamin C plays a critical part in your immune health [4].
What people don’t realize is that lemons also have a positive effect on your gut health by delivering a good dose of dietary fiber [5].
One of the benefits of added fiber is that it can make you feel full for longer, which may make it easier to achieve a calorie deficit diet for weight loss.
“Lemon contains high amounts of dietary fiber. Fiber, especially soluble fiber, can help reduce constipation and a variety of other gastrointestinal issues and discomfort.”
- Brunilda Nazario, MD, WebMD.com
How To Prepare A Lemon Coffee
I’ve done a bit of testing when it comes to creating coffee and lemon juice. And while I’m not an expert barista, I think I’ve come up with a good solution.
Every morning, I use ground coffee to make a relatively strong morning brew. Personally, I don’t add milk, and I’m not sure how good it would taste with milk and lemon.
You can either squeeze half a lemon directly into your coffee cup or take a more prepared approach.
I like drinking lemon water throughout the day, so I boil 3 cups of water and one lemon every evening. I also leave a lemon slice or two floating in the water to increase the flavor.
You can then mix in a precise amount to your taste, and it saves making a mess with half a lemon every morning.
How Often Can You Drink It?
I would suggest having one or two cups of coffee and lemon juice per day.
You could probably have more if you don’t take other weight loss pills that contain caffeine to burn fat, but I generally wouldn’t push it.
There’s only so much benefit you’ll get from the caffeine to help you lose weight and the lemons to boost your digestive and immune health.
It’s like everything else in life; don’t overdo it, and you should gain the benefits.
FAQs
Will Coffee and Lemon Make You Jittery?
Yes, coffee and lemon can make you jittery if you drink too much of it. Consuming coffee in large amounts can impact the central nervous system, but the lemon won’t add to this effect.
Should You Drink Coffee with Lemon Every Day?
Yes, you could drink coffee with lemon juice every day. It’s a good way to boost your weight loss efforts and get a solid fiber and vitamin C boost for your overall health and immune system.
Does Coffee and Lemon Burn Belly Fat?
Yes, coffee and lemon can burn belly fat. But it’s the caffeine and not the lemon juice that will impact your metabolism for effective weight loss.
Is Coffee With Lemon Enough for Effective Weight Loss?
Adding small things like lemon coffee to your daily routine is a good way to boost your weight loss journey.
But it definitely won’t give you a ripped beach body in a few weeks because these things move the needle pretty gradually.
If you want to lose weight more effectively, I would suggest opting for the next fat burners which are specifically developed for burning fat and aiding weight loss.
These can give you a consistent boost of calorie burning and elevate your energy levels which will eventually get you to your cutting or weight goals noticeably faster.
References:
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/2912010/
- https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/caffeine/art-20045678
- https://health.clevelandclinic.org/coffee-and-lemon-can-it-help-you-lose-weight/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5707683/
- https://www.webmd.com/diet/health-benefits-lemon
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