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5 Side Effects Of Lemon Juice Overdose

5 Side Effects Of Lemon Juice Overdose

A lot of people have depended on lemon juice as an easy and effective weight loss and detox remedy, but what they are not aware of is the side effects that can be caused by overdosing the juice. An overdose will be taking over 3 cups a day.

Lemon juice can also worsen GERD symptoms like heartburn and delay stomach ulcer healing. While its high vit. C content can upset your stomach, as a natural diuretic, lemon juice can also make you lose water through urine. It can remove tan, but applying it on the skin before stepping outdoors results in sunburns.

Β Lemon is an acidic fruit with a pH of 2, thanks to ascorbic acid (vitamin C) and citric acid, which makes up about 8% of the dry fruit weight.1Β Most of the side effects ofΒ lemon are due to its high acidity, and some are due to vitamin C overdose.Β That said, the risk of vitamin C overdose from lemons is quite rare since you need 2,000 mg vitamin C to overdose – that is equal to 21 cupsΒ (each 8 oz) of lemon juice.Β But remember that it is not the only source of vitamin C in your diet and you might be taking supplements too.
Below are some of the side effects of overdosing lemon juice;

1.Β  It Can Worsen Canker Sores

Canker sores (little open sores inside the mouth) are often caused by an allergic reaction. You may get themΒ if you are allergic to acidic foods like lemon juice.

Stay off lemon juice or dilute it well to avoid irritating canker sores.

There is little evidence to support the claim that lemon juice can cause canker sores in people who are not allergic. However, common sense and most doctors would advise you to stay off acidic foods like fruit juices and fizzy drinks when you have these lesions.

2. Can Cause Nausea, Vomiting, And An Upset Stomach

Lemon juice is chock-a-block with vitamin C. While vitamin C is an essential nutrient, too much of it is a health hazard.

Nausea, vomiting, and an upset stomach after drinking lemon juice may indicate that you need to cut down on your vitamin C intake.

When you have too much lemon juice, your body cannot absorb all the vitamin C in it. To flush out the extra vitamin C and restore balance, water rushes into the bowel. Nausea, abdominal cramps, and diarrhea are typical symptoms of the problem.

3. Can Increase Iron Content

Vitamin C increases non-heme iron (plant irons) absorption in your body. That’s bad news if you suffer from a rare inherited condition called hemochromatosis in which your body stores excess iron. Excess iron can damage your organs.

Cut down on your lemon juice intake if you know that your body stores more iron than usual.

The University of Virginia Health System claims that the amount of dietary vitamin C you normally consume isΒ too low to cause problems, but it cautions against having orange juice with meals.A cup of orange juice has about 31% moreΒ vitamin C than 1 cup of lemon juice does.14Β So it’s not necessary to skip lemon juice, but it might be a good idea to reduce your intake.

4. Can Decay ToothΒ Enamel

Ever noticed how sensitive your teeth feel after you’ve sucked on a wedge of lemon? That’s because of the lemon acids acting on your tooth enamel.Tooth enamel has a pH around 5.5, so it can be eroded by substances more acidic than it. Studies have shown that any acid below a pH of 4 can cause tooth erosion. Citric acid, malic acid (in apples and pears), and tartaric acid (in tamarind) are the worst culprits.

5. May Be A Trigger For Migraine Patients

If lemon juice is your migraine trigger, don’t go beyondΒ 1/2 a cup of diluted juice.

For some people, citrus fruits like lemon may be a migraine trigger. In a study, 11% of 490 migraine patients said that eating citrus fruits brought on an attack.Β This is because citrus fruits haveΒ tyramine, a protein product, which has been seen to be aΒ migraineΒ trigger. You don’t have to avoid lemons altogether. Just lower your daily intake to half a cup.

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