Should You Be Adding Lemon To Your Coffee?
TikTok is known for its questionable weight loss hacks and wellness trends and the latest one to go viral has experts, once again, scratching their heads. Believe it not, the newest weight loss fad to conquer TikTok is coffee mixed with lemon (via Newsweek). The viral trend involves squeezing a tablespoon of fresh lemon juice into a cup of black coffee to supposedly help facilitate weight loss.
Over the last few months, the lemon coffee challenge has taken the internet by storm. Countless TikTok users have posted videos of themselves participating in the challenge, providing both feedback and updates on their weight loss journeys.
While some users have claimed that the concoction has helped them burn body fat and lose weight, others have called the challenge a sham (via Eat This, Not That). According to TikTok user Hilda Braso, the lemon coffee challenge didn't work for her. After trying out the weight loss hack for a week, Braso concluded that the trend had no effect on her weight. So does the lemon coffee challenge work or not?
Mixing lemon and coffee won't help you lose weight
According to health experts and nutritionists, Braso is right. Lemon coffee is not an effective weight loss tool. Although it might make your coffee taste tangy, it won't actually help you burn fat and lose weight (via Today). In fact, it may even cause more harm than good. While it's perfectly safe to add lemon to your coffee or any other drink, if you so choose, these viral diet and weight loss videos can be damaging for young people, especially for those with eating disorders or disordered eating.
"I can't think of a single benefit of adding lemon to your coffee. I'd actually consider this behavior to be a red flag for disordered eating," Samantha Cassetty, a New York City-based registered dietitian and co-author of "Sugar Shock," told Today. "Eating for weight loss shouldn't be about restricting yourself or forcing yourself to eat or drink something that's not appetizing. That's a sign that you're not building sustainable habits and it also suggests that you're willing to prioritize losing weight over your well-being."
If you are struggling with an eating disorder, or know someone who is, help is available. Visit the National Eating Disorders Association website or contact NEDA's Live Helpline at 1-800-931-2237. You can also receive 24/7 Crisis Support via text (send NEDA to 741-741).