Want More Antioxidants From Your Lemon Water? Don’t Toss the Peel

Lemon water has long held a place in the morning routines of wellness enthusiasts. A new twist on the trend is to blend the entire lemon—including the peel—into your drink rather than simply squeezing lemon juice into water. Dietitians agree that lemon peel contains more antioxidants and beneficial compounds than the juice alone, but there are some other considerations.

Lemon Peel Is Packed With Antioxidants

If antioxidants are your goal, blending the entire lemon may deliver a bigger nutritional boost than using the juice alone, according to Jordan Hill, MCD, RD, a registered dietitian and owner of Hill Health and Sport.

“The peel contains two to five times more antioxidants compared to the pulp of the lemon,” she said.

Lemon peel also includes the white layer underneath, called the pith, which contains a variety of nutrients and plant compounds, according to May Tom, RD, a functional medicine dietitian. “Lemon peel actually has a lot of vitamin C in pith, and the essential oils on the peel have medicinal purposes,” she said.

These oils and compounds, such as flavonoids and limonene, are known for their antioxidant activity. Antioxidants help neutralize unstable molecules called free radicals, which can damage cells and contribute to inflammation, cancer, and chronic disease over time.

Other Health Benefits of Lemon Peel Water

Adding lemon peel to your water may offer a few additional perks beyond antioxidants, though most of these effects are modest and depend on your overall diet and lifestyle. Other health benefits of lemon peels include:

• Hydration support: Lemon water can make plain water more appealing, which may help you drink more fluids throughout the day. Staying well-hydrated supports digestion, circulation, temperature regulation, and overall body function.
• Potential pH balance support: “Lemon water, in general, is very alkaline to the body, which can help maintain a healthy pH balance,” Tom said. Although lemons taste acidic, some of the minerals they contain can have an alkalizing effect after digestion.
• Liver support: Lemon water is often associated with detox trends online, but your liver already does the heavy lifting when it comes to detoxification. That said, staying hydrated helps support normal liver function, said Tom.

A Few Downsides to Consider

Adding lemon peel to your water can increase the drink’s antioxidant content, but there are a few practical considerations to keep in mind before tossing a whole lemon into the blender.

• Bitterness from too much peel: While lemon peel contains beneficial nutrients, using too much can make your drink unpleasantly bitter. “I normally tell people to just zest the lemon peel all the way down to the pith and get some of the white in there, but not a ton,” said Tom.
• Potential pesticide exposure: Because the peel is the outermost part of the fruit, it may carry pesticide residues. If you plan to consume it, wash the lemon thoroughly under running water and consider choosing organic lemons when possible.
• Tooth enamel erosion: Lemon juice is acidic, which can gradually wear down tooth enamel if consumed frequently. Drinking through a straw or rinsing with plain water afterward may also help reduce acid exposure, said Tom.