Lemon water is water infused with fresh lemon juice. It’s a popular beverage claimed to have many health benefits, including weight loss, improved digestion and increased energy. Lemon water is also said to make you urinate more frequently. This article examines whether lemon water truly increases urination and why.
Does lemon water contain diuretic properties?
Some claim lemon water has diuretic effects, meaning it makes you urinate more frequently. This is thought to be due to its high citric acid content. Citric acid is a natural, weak organic acid found in high amounts in citrus fruits like lemons. It’s what gives them their tart, sour taste. When you drink beverages high in citric acid, it can interact with bicarbonate, a base, in your gastrointestinal tract. This interaction releases carbon dioxide, which must be excreted through urination (1). However, research on whether citrus fruits and juices like lemon water have diuretic effects shows mixed results. Some studies have found that lemon juice and lemon slices increased urination frequency and volume, compared to plain water (2, 3). One study gave participants various beverages and found that drinking 500 ml of lemon juice concentrate diluted in 2 liters (68 oz) of water significantly increased urination over 4 hours (3). On the other hand, other studies found no effects. One gave participants 710 ml (24 oz) of lemonade, providing about 44 grams of citric acid, and found no effects on urination volume or pH (4). Overall, no research has directly examined whether simply adding some lemon juice to water, as is common with lemon water, has diuretic effects. More rigorous studies are needed.
Other potential diuretic components
In addition to its citric acid content, lemon water contains other components that may have diuretic effects, including:
Potassium
Lemons are a good source of potassium, providing about 138 mg per 100 grams (5). Potassium plays an important role in regulating fluid balance in the body. It interacts with sodium, another electrolyte, to help regulate how much water the kidneys excrete or hold onto (6). High intakes of potassium from foods like lemons may help reduce water retention by increasing urine production and excretion. However, lemon water is unlikely to provide enough to have a meaningful diuretic effect.
Vitamin C
Lemons are also very high in vitamin C, or ascorbic acid, providing about 53 mg per 100 grams (5). Some research indicates large doses of vitamin C from supplements may have mild diuretic effects (7, 8). One study had participants take 500 mg of vitamin C. Those who took it dissolved in water experienced increased urination within just a few hours (7). Again, the amount in a typical glass of lemon water is likely too small to matter. More evidence is needed to confirm vitamin C from foods has diuretic effects.
Caffeine
Some like to add lemon juice to caffeinated beverages like tea or coffee. Caffeine is a stimulant known to have a mild diuretic effect (9). It causes small, temporary increases in urination by blocking receptors that reabsorb fluid into your bloodstream after it’s filtered out by your kidneys (10). So the combination of lemon juice and caffeine via tea or coffee may cause you to urinate more due to the additive effects of caffeine. However, on its own, lemon water is unlikely to have meaningful diuretic effects.
Other potential causes of increased urination
If you find yourself needing to urinate more frequently when you drink lemon water, there are other likely explanations besides diuretic effects.
Increased hydration
Drinking more fluids of any type naturally makes you urinate more frequently. So if adding lemon makes you drink more water overall, this understandably leads you to pee more often. Adequate hydration is also important for dilution of the urine, reducing the risk of kidney stones and urinary tract infections (11, 12).
Placebo effect
Believing lemon water will make you urinate more may possibly have a placebo effect. The placebo effect refers to improvements in symptoms due to your belief in a treatment — not from the treatment itself (13). So if you expect lemon water to make you pee more, you might subconsciously do so.
Irritation from acidity
Some claim lemon water irritates the bladder, forcing you to urinate more often. However, no research supports the idea that lemon water is bladder irritating. In fact, human studies find it’s very well tolerated (4). The bladder and urinary tract are accustomed to the low acid environment of urine, so they should not be sensitive to the small amounts of citric acid from lemon juice in water (14).
Does increased urination mean you’re losing more weight?
Another common claim is that drinking lemon water boosts weight loss through increased urination and fluid loss. However, research does not support the idea that increased urination translates to meaningful weight loss. Although you may lose water weight from extra urination at first, your body will quickly restore fluid balance. It does this through various mechanisms, including reducing urine volume and increasing thirst (15). For significant weight loss results, you need to create a sustained calorie deficit through proper diet and exercise. What you eat and drink has a far greater impact than how much you pee. That being said, adequate hydration from sources like lemon water is important for overall health and can reduce overeating, which may support weight management. But on its own, lemon water has no magical effects on weight.
Conclusion
Some claim that drinking lemon water makes you urinate more thanks to lemons’ diuretic effects. While some weak evidence shows large amounts of lemon juice may increase urination temporarily, lemon water is unlikely to have meaningful diuretic effects. However, other explanations are more likely, including increased hydration, the placebo effect, and caffeine if added to tea or coffee. Although lemon water may make you pee a little more frequently due to these factors, it does not cause significant fluid loss. For weight loss, focus on overall diet quality, calorie intake, and exercise rather than how much you urinate. Lemon water has many potential benefits, but increased urination and weight loss are likely not among them for most people.