When life gives you lemons, why just make some lemonade when you can add it to your cup of tea? The zest of lemon can make every tea better, but the juice of it can also give you a delicious cup of the most rejuvenating drink, lemon tea. The best part is that it is cheap and economical and unlike oranges, lemons are available all year round and literally everywhere.
Moreover, lemon tea is a really refreshing summer drink and can boost you up instantly after a long and tiring day.
What Exactly is Lemon Tea?
Lemon tea is an easy and simple variation of the regular black tea, which is equally refreshing and tasty and above all, you can make it at home as well as order a bottle of it from the local cafeterias. The lemon tea recipe is simple and depending on your taste buds, you can prepare your cup of lemon tea with fresh lemons only, as well as by mixing lemon with a few other ingredients.
The most amusing factor about lemon tea is that you can sip on this beverage piping hot just out of the kettle as well as with lots of ice to beat the summer blues. Lemon tea is not just about rejuvenation and taste, it is filled with multiple benefits. Isn’t that great? For example, you can add a couple of spoons of the Vitamin C citrus juice to your highly caffeinated black tea for breakfast to let in the vitamins.
Contrary to popular belief, lemon and black tea did not originate in the West, even though it has beautifully assimilated into the Western culture. In fact, the ancient Chinese used to add a whole lemon or tangerine peel to their tea for health benefits (according to Chinese herbalists.) Back at home, in India, lemon tea is equally popular. You will find them at high-end cafeterias being sold for a couple of hundreds as well as by street vendors for Rs. 15 a cup.
Benefits of Lemon Tea
Lemon tea is not just a pretty Instagrammable fancy drink, it is packed with great goodness and has several health benefits.
Read on to know why you should drink lemon tea more often.
1. Anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory properties
Vitamin C or ascorbic acid helps in boosting our immunity system. Furthermore, Vitamin C is known to be one of the most important micronutrients. The citric acid in lemons helps in lowering the risk of infections and protect the immune system against environmental oxidative stress.
Lemon TeaLemons also reduce inflammations and the flavonoids in it protect the body from free radicals and reduces the risk of many cases of flu and diseases.
2. Anti-bacterial properties
The lemon tea benefits are innumerable. In fact, researchers claim that lemon tea has stronger antibacterial properties than normal black tea or green tea. According to studies, amongst commercially available black tea, green tea, and lemon tea, lemon tea showed the highest anti-bacterial effectiveness against test organisms. At different concentrations, lemon tea exhibited a maximum zone of inhibition.
3. Anti-ageing properties
Lemon is hands-down the most easily available and delicious fruit that has anti-aging properties in it. Vitamin C, especially lemons are essential ingredients in many different skincare products and help in reducing tan, brightening the skin, and most importantly prevents the skin from aging.
According to recent studies, ingestion of lemons through different food products have shown to prevent premature aging of the skin, as well. Moreover, it increases collagen content and reduces wrinkle formation.
4. Regulation of high blood sugar
Lemon peels as well as lemon juice are beneficial to people with diabetes or a higher risk of diabetes. According to some researchers, lemon peel helps in lowering high blood sugar levels. So, adding the zest of a lemon to your black or green tea might help in reducing the risk of diabetes. Furthermore, the citric acid in lemon juice helps in preventing complications related to Type 2 diabetes.
5. Prevention of cancer
According to popular studies, black tea combined with lemon zest or peel may help in preventing the immunity system from cancer better than simple pure black tea.
6. Regulation of blood pressure
Daily consumption of lemon tea combined with regular exercises like walking is said to have a positive effect on blood pressure. Furthermore, lemon in tea also helps in preventing cardiovascular diseases.
7. Effect on the digestive system
Drinking lemon with warm water has proven to have a positive effect on the digestive system. To cut back on caffeine, drink green tea with lemon juice first thing in the morning to cleanse the digestive tract.
8. Soothing sore throat and cough & cold
Drinking green tea with honey, ginger and a dash of lemon can relieve you from sore throats and cough & cold instantly. Moreover, it also improves the quality of sleep when you are down with a headache or a bad cold.
9. Prevention of kidney stones
Lemon juice is known to be a natural diuretic and the citric acid in lemon tea supposedly helps in reducing the risk of developing kidney stones.
10. Effect on mental health
According to a few studies, citrus acid prevents the chances of developing mental illnesses. Drinking lemon tea helps in calming the nerves and relieving anxiety and diseases like Alzheimer’s.
How to make lemon tea?
Tea is not just a beverage but has many beneficial effects on the body. To combine the benefits of both lemon and tea, follow these simple recipes.
1. Pure lemon tea
To make pure lemon tea, you will require fresh lemons, green or black tea, and water. Boil the rind of one lemon in a cup of water and when the water starts boiling, add a teabag of your choice. Once the bag releases all the liquor from the tea, add the juice of half a lemon (or more, depending on your personal preferences.)
Lemon TeaEnjoy your cup of pure lemon tea on a summer morning or a wintry evening. You may also add ginger and cinnamon to your tea, for more flavor and better health benefits.
2. Street-side lemon tea
If you are from India, you might have tasted the lemon tea from the street-side stalls across the parks or the vendors walking around. To taste it at your home all you will require is a cup of pure black sweetened tea, Himalayan rock salt, and juice of half a lemon.
In a cup, add a generous pinch of the rock salt followed by the lemon juice and finally the piping hot black tea and, that’s it. It serves as a refreshing beverage after a swim.
3. Lemon tea for your Instagram feed aka iced lemon tea
Making tea photogenic is one of the easiest things ever. All you will require is a tall cocktail glass, 5-6 large ice-cubes, Himalayan rock salt, table salt, a cup of green tea, 2 tbsp honey, juice of half a lemon, 3-4 lemon slices, and a sprig of mint. Rub some lemon juice on the edges of the glass and turn it upside down on a plate of table salt.
Once the mouth of the glass attracts enough salt, add some crushed mint leaves, a generous pinch of salt, and honey, and mix it well using a spoon or a metallic straw. Add the lemon juice, 2-3 lemon slices, and the ice-cubes to the glass. Pour the prepared green tea over it and garnish it with a leaf of mint and a slice of lemon on the edge.
We hope you remember us, the next tip you sip on lemon tea.
Also read; 7 Lemon Benefits In Your Life