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watch: we're not fans of the extra-bitter #lemoncoffee trend

tiktokers are claiming that adding a dash of lemon juice to your coffee can help with weight loss. dietitians, meanwhile, "can't think of a single benefit" of adding the sour fruit to your cup of joe.

by emma jones
published mar 08, 2022
last updated jun 01, 2023
read time 3 minute read
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read time 3 minute read
join the conversation
in yet another iteration of what-can-we-put-in-our-coffee-for-some-benefit, tiktokers are adding lemon juice to their coffee, claiming the bitter concoction will help boost weight loss. in one video with 1.6 million views, user @luthfa.choudhury mixes a glass of prepared nescafe gold instant coffee with a teaspoon of lemon juice. the text on the video claims, “how to lose belly fat in just 5 days with coffee no strict diet no workout (sic).” in another video with 2.4 million views, user @junior_jay_davies adds half of a lemon to one teaspoon of instant coffee and mixes with hot water. the video says that users will see results in just seven days, although the caption in the video also recommends that you “keep your diet healthy.”
while caffeine has already been loosely linked to some health benefits, there’s no science behind the claim that adding lemon will supercharge these effects.
“that mechanism of action is just not there,” beth czerwony, a registered dietitian in cleveland, told cleveland clinic. “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.”

for the love of coffee

coffee on its own has a host of reported health benefits, as long as its consumed in moderation.

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first of all, coffee may influence greater weight loss. a review study found evidence to suggest that drinking coffee four hours or less before a meal may cause the coffee drinker to consume fewer calories (appetite suppression). a small scale study (seven participants) on the effects of drinking coffee and exercise also found that drinking coffee may increase fat oxidation after repeated sessions of low-intensity exercise.
coffee also seems to benefit the liver. recently, a study from mcmaster university linked drinking two to three cups of coffee a day to low levels of low-density lipoprotein (ldl), also known as ‘bad’ cholesterol. caffeine is thought to have an effect on the levels of pcsk9 in the bloodstream, which allows the liver to remove excess ldl.
that’s not the only way coffee appears to help the liver. previous research also connected drinking coffee to a 20 per cent reduction in the risk of developing fatty liver disease, a 21 per cent reduction in developing chronic liver disease and a 49 per cent decrease in dying from chronic liver disease.
however, less may be more when it comes to a piping hot cup of joe. data from the university of southern australia indicates that six cups of coffee a day is the maximum limit for safe consumption — depending on body composition and medical history, even six cups may be too much. drinking excessive amounts of coffee a day was correlated with developing obesity, joint disease and osteoarthritis.
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canadian society for exercise physiology
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lemon juice not needed

for years, proponents have claimed that adding lemon to water can “fix” the ph of your stomach, leading to a host of digestive and immunity benefits. however, the human body has evolved to be able to maintain the necessary ph needed to digest food and otherwise stay healthy; a little bit of lemon juice won’t have a significant effect on this process.
both coffee and lemons are rich in antioxidants, so consuming either may help your body reverse the effects of free radicals, which can play a role in heart disease and cancer. however, these benefits still exist if you drink coffee or eat other antioxidant-rich food regularly, so if this particular recipe doesn’t bring you joy, maybe it’s time to toss it out with some of the other trends we’ve covered in this series.
there’s no real short cut to wellness or weight loss goals. as always, pairing a varied diet rich in fruits and veggies with physical activity is the gold standard for a healthy future.
“i can’t think of a single benefit of adding lemon to your coffee,” samantha cassetty, a registered dietitian in new york told today. “…eating for weight loss shouldn’t be about restricting yourself or forcing yourself to eat or drink something that’s not appetizing. that’s a sign that you’re not building sustainable habits and it also suggests that you’re willing to prioritize losing weight over your well-being.”
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emma jones is a multimedia editor with healthing. you can reach her at emjones@postmedia.com or on twitter @jonesyjourn
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