Make the most of your mineral water — with a squeeze of lemon
When life hands you lemons, forget the sugary lemonade. Lemon juice and mineral water, as it turns out, just might be the healthful answer we all need.
At Mountain Valley Spring Water, we’ve long recognized the impact our purely sourced, naturally mineralized spring water can have on health and hydration. But just a spritz of lemon can take that refreshment to a whole new level.
Think of mineral water and lemon juice as the all-star team of keeping hydrated, especially if that naturally mineralized water comes from Mountain Valley. On one side, you have crisply award-winning spring water naturally infused with the minerals our bodies need. On the other, you have a sunny, vitamin-rich citrus fruit that adds a vibrant tang to all it touches.
Mineral water and lemon juice? It’s the perfect match.
Mineral water and lemon juice: The magic of trace minerals
The best naturally mineralized waters, such as Mountain Valley Spring Water, come from the best sources. For more than 150 years, we at Mountain Valley have worked to preserve and protect our ancient source and the lush land surrounding it in the Ouachita Mountains of the southern U.S.
Unlike artificially produced mineral waters, which get their minerals from added salts in a factory, Mountain Valley Spring Water is mineralized the old fashioned way.
Our minerals come from Mother Nature and are infused over the course of millennia. The water that gurgles into our protected spring fell from the skies some 4,000 years ago. That water filtered deep into the earth, pooling in underground aquifers. As those aquifers filled, pressure pushed some of that water back to the surface. It passed through layers of quartz, limestone and Ordivician marble. These striations impart our water with unmatched flavor as well as trace amounts of magnesium, calcium and potassium. They also give our water a naturally alkaline and healthful pH of 7.3.
As of our most recent water-quality report, Mountain Valley Spring Water has 67 milligrams/liter of calcium, 7.3 mg/L of magnesium and 1.4 mg/L of potassium.
What do these minerals do?
Magnesium: Lowers blood pressure; boosts physical performance; has anti-inflammatory benefits; plays a critical role in brain function; supports healthy blood sugar as well as heart health.
Calcium: Critical for bone strength; regulates blood pressure; helps cardiovascular, muscular and nervous systems function properly.
Potassium: Plays an essential role in regulating blood sugar, blood pressure, cholesterol, cardiovascular health, bone health and a healthy nervous system.
Mineral water and lemon juice: Lemons have a sweet side
These sour fruits offer a plethora of sweet health benefits.
Lemons are packed with fiber (~1.6 grams per fruit), and they’re surprisingly high in protein; the average lemon is made up of 16% protein. That’s twice the amount of protein in oranges and three times the protein in grapefruits.
Lemons are also filled with plant compounds, or bioflavonoids, such as hesperidin and diosmin, which have been found to lower cholesterol.
Beyond nutrients, lemons are also rich with crucial vitamins, including vitamins C, B6 and A.
Here’s a closer look:
Vitamin C: One lemon offers approximately 31 milligrams of vitamin C. That’s 51% of the recommended daily intake. Consuming fruits and vegetables rich in vitamin C has been shown to reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke.
Vitamin B6: Converts food into usable energy in the body; reduces depression and risk of dementia. B6 cannot be produced by the body, it must be consumed.
Vitamin A: Helps eyesight, supports bone growth and development as well as healthy hair and teeth.
The citric acid in lemon juice has been shown to aid in the prevention of kidney stones. This combination of citric acid and vitamin C helps protect against anemia by improving the body’s ability to absorb iron.
Mineral water and lemon juice: How to pick (and store) a good lemon
You’ve got the best mineral spring water, but how to find the best lemons?
Here are some tips:
- Look for fruits that are unblemished and bright yellow with no tinges of green (green indicates the fruit is immature and unripe)
- Choose lemons that feel heavy for their size; this means they will likely be juicier
- When gently squeezed, a ripe lemon will give just slightly
- Avoid lemons that are too soft or have signs of mold
When storing lemons, the fridge is your friend. A refrigerated lemon can last a month or longer, while a room-temperature lemon will only last for a week or two.
When preparing lemons, the Healthy Family Project offers these tips:
- Always wash lemons before slicing.
- Before juicing, roll a room-temperature lemon under your palm to break down the cells inside the fruit that hold liquid. If a lemon is especially hard, microwave it for 20 seconds. You should get 2 to 3 tablespoons of juice per fruit.
Lemon juice in mineral water: Why it works
A dash of fresh lemon in your mineral water creates a wonderfully refreshing drink that’s low in calories (a whole lemon only has about 17) and loaded with minerals, vitamins and nutrients.
While the average soda packs more than 150 calories and eight teaspoons of sugar, a squeeze of lemon in Mountain Valley Spring Water adds up to just a handful of calories and, thanks to the mere 1.5 grams of sugar in a lemon, a negligible amount of sugar. This can be helpful for people trying to lose weight or cut calories while staying hydrated.
Lemon-infused mineral water is also a great way to bring balance to your day. It is quick, simple and incredibly easy to make. Simply pop open a bottle of Mountain Valley Spring Water, pour it into a glass (or don’t), add a squeeze of lemon and drink.
When life hands you lemons, perhaps the best response is: Cheers!
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