Lemon Water Versus Lime Water: Which Is Better For You?

If you want to stay healthy, then you need to stay hydrated. Water is one of the most essential nutrients for a happy and healthy body. Dehydration can not only make you feel dizzy or lightheaded, it can even lead to serious consequences like a seizure. When you drink enough water, there is a long list of health benefits that come with staying hydrated. 

For starters, it can keep your skin healthy and looking good. Water also protects soft tissues in your body, and helps the joints maintain cushioning and lubrication. Water also does a lot of work in terms of removing waste from your body through sweat, stool, and even urine. Finally, water plays a critical role in the body's temperature regulation and prevention of overheating. You might wonder how much water you should be drinking in a day.

Men are recommended to drink 13 cups of water a day and women are recommended to drink 9 cups of water. That's a lot of water. If you get bored of the taste of water, you might add a slice of lemon or lime to kick it up a notch. Here's everything you need to know about which is better for you: lemon water or lime water.

You may recognize lemons and limes as part of the big three of citrus fruits: lemons, limes, and oranges. Ripe lemons are yellow, and though traditionally associated with sourness, are actually sweeter than limes. On the other hand, ripe limes are green, and have a more acidic (or bitter) flavor.

According to MedicineNet, lemons and limes are a good choice to add to your water because they both contain nutrients like carbs, fiber, protein, sugar, and vitamin C. Lemons and limes also contain calcium, iron, magnesium, niacin, riboflavin, selenium, thiamine, zinc, and Vitamins B6 and B12. When compared head to head, lemons have more vitamin C and antioxidants than limes — but they also have more sugar. On the other hand, lime juice has phosphorus, potassium, and vitamin A. Plus, limes have generally higher levels of minerals and vitamins, which is why lime water may be better for you than lemon water.

Lime water also has a long list of health benefits. These include preventing scurvy, boosting gum health, improving the immune system, lowering blood sugar, helping with weight loss, and even reducing inflammation. So next time you have a tough time choosing between the two, remember to put the lime in the water cup and stir it all up.