Lemon coffee for weight loss, a trendy recipe on TikTok: myth or reality?

Even today, in mid-May 2023, videos of TikTok users continue to appear, most with the hashtag #LemonCoffee, promising that lemon coffee It helps you lose weight. And we wonder… Myth or truth?

Let’s go in parts. Yes, both coffee and lemon separately have their healthy side.

For example, according to The Objective, “nine surveys” have shown that those who consume three cups of coffee a day burn up to 100 more calories every 24 hours. Other studies have concluded that lemons are a good source of vitamin C and that, therefore, drinking their juice helps strengthen the immune system and thus prevent infections.

Now: How benevolent is the combination of both in what it has to do with weight loss? Is what they say about TikTok true or is there nothing proven about it?

Myth or truth?

As trending as it may be on TikTok, the idea that coffee with lemon helps you lose weight is more myth than reality (if at all myth).

“There’s no evidence that coffee helps increase your resting metabolic rate for weight loss. There’s also no evidence that lemon juice helps you lose weight,” the nutritionist told Clarín at the time. Monica Katz.

“Neither in the articles of medicine nor in those of nutrition there is no evidence or studies that have been made in reference to coffee with lemon,” added the colleague. Laura Romano.

“There is no scientific evidence to say that drinking coffee with lemon can help burn fat or lose weight. There is no work, no scientific backing to back up this claim,” the nutrition specialist explained to Chequeado Gustavus Frechtelhead of the Nutrition Division of the Hospital de Clínicas of the University of Buenos Aires (UBA).

Courtney Carya registered dietitian at Baylor College of Medicine agrees with all of them in a dialogue with Business Insider: “Mixing coffee and lemon juice has shown no additional benefits, nor any weight-loss properties. Basically, it’s an exaggerated online myth,” which It gives people false hope.”

Is it safe to drink coffee with lemon?

First of all, it can be said that eating both foods together can damage tooth enamel (due to the acids present in lemon), give acidity or, in the worst case, generate the beginning of a gastric ulcer due to the low pH of the ‘infusion.

But we must not neglect to consider the effect of both foods separately.

As told to Business Insider by the doctor George MorenoYale Medicine internist, “High levels of caffeine can increase headaches, anxiety, tremors and insomnia.”

Cary added that “both coffee and lemon juice are high in acid, so people with reflux or heartburn should avoid taking this combination.”

These two specialists say drinking coffee with lemon is safe as long as you consume the recommended daily maximum of caffeine, which is 400 milligrams (4 cups of coffee). Of course: it all depends on the sensitivity that each person has when it comes to drinking caffeine.

And don’t forget that it’s always advisable to drink both lemon juice and coffee, or a blend of both, with the recommendation of a health professional.

Recommended breakfasts

As the Mayo Clinic points out, there are several breakfast alternatives that help you lose weight. Avoiding one or two high-calorie foods is a good place to start cutting calories.

Instead of a flavored latte, you can simply drink black coffee, which has fewer calories. The same goes for lemon soda, which replaces sparkling water.

Another option may be to reduce portions. For example, it’s not the same to drink 8 ounces of orange juice as 4 ounces if you want to lose weight.