Lemonade is a sweetened lemon-flavored beverage. There are varieties of lemonade found throughout the world. Cloudy lemonade is the most common variety. It is traditionally a homemade drink using lemon juice, water, and a sweetener such as cane sugar, simple syrup or honey

Ingredients:

1 cup sugar

3 sprigs fresh mint, plus more for serving

1/2 cup lemon juice plus 1 lemon, sliced into wheels

2 liters seltzer or soda water

Directions

1. Pour the sugar and 1 cup water into a small pot and place over medium heat. Bring to a simmer, stirring until the sugar is dissolved. Remove from the heat and add the mint sprigs. Let the mint steep for 10 minutes, then discard the mint.

2. Add the mint simple syrup to a large pitcher, punch bowl or serving canister. Add the lemon juice, blackberries, raspberries, strawberries and lemon wheels and give a good stir. When ready to serve, fill the pitcher halfway with ice. Top the mixture with seltzer and give a good stir. Serve over ice with sprigs of fresh mint.

Health benefits of refreshing lemonade

Excellent source of vitamin C.

Lemonade is hydrating.

Lemonade is a source of energy.

Lemonade boosts the immune system.

Excess sugar can cause tooth decay.

Lemonade is acidic.

Lemon water is all the rage these days.

Many restaurants serve it routinely, and some people start their day with lemon water instead of coffee or tea. There’s no doubt lemons are great for adding citrus flavor to food and drinks, but are there any benefits to adding lemon juice to your water?

Much of the evidence supporting lemon water’s health benefits is anecdotal.

While lemons contain nutrients, like vitamin C and antioxidants, the nutritional value of a glass of lemon water depends on how much lemon juice it contains.

Promotes hydration

Making sure you’re drinking enough water every day is crucialTrusted Source for overall health — but not everyone likes the taste of plain water. Using lemon juice to add some flavor to your water may help you drink more.

Drinking water helps prevents dehydration, a condition that can cause:

brain fog

mood changes

overheating

constipation

kidney stones

According to the Institute of Medicine, general guidelines say women should get at least 91 ounces of water per day and men should get at least 125 ounces. This includes water from food and drinks.

Good source of Vitamin C

Citrus fruits like lemons contain vitamin C, a primary antioxidant that helps protect cells from damaging free radicals.

On top of that, vitamin C also plays a role in helping your body synthesize collagen, absorb iron, and produce hormones.

Additionally, not consuming enough vitamin C may cause symptoms, like:

• increased susceptibility to infections

• dryness of the mouth and eyes

• dry skin

• fatigue

• insomnia

• loosening of teeth

While lemons don’t top the list of citrus fruits high in vitamin C, they’re still a good source.

Squeezing the juice of a 48-gram lemon into a glass of water will provide you with 21% of the DV of vitamin C.

May support weight loss

Drinking lemon water may help you increase your water intake, which is often recommendedTrusted Source as a weight-loss strategy. However, there’s limited evidence to justify this.

In a 2018 studyTrusted Source, researchers found that participants who were instructed to drink water before eating a test meal ate less food than when they were instructed to eat the test meal without “pre-loading” with water.

When participants drank water before eating a test meal, they did not feel significantly less satiated, despite eating less food.

The study’s authors concluded that pre-meal water consumption may be an effective weight-loss strategy, although the mechanism of action is unknown.