Here's Why You Shouldn't Put Lemon in Water
Lemon water has been touted as everything from a weight loss aid to a metabolism booster, but it turns out asking for a slice of lemon in your glass at a restaurant might not actually be good for you.
Researchers at Clemson University tested the how successful E. coli bacteria survived during the handling and storage of ice and lemons. (Who hasn't seen a bowl of lemons sitting on a bar, right?) They found that wet lemons absorbed 100 percent of the bacteria and dry lemons absorbed 30 percent.
Yes, you read that right: 100 percent of the bacteria.
The study also determined that lemons stored at room temperature for 24 hours had an increase in E. coli population compared to those refrigerated overnight (but even the refrigerated lemons showed traces of bacteria after storage). Nineteen percent of bacteria on the researchers' hands was transferred to the ice, too.
So what is an lemon and ice lover to do? Sorry, but you might want to start learning to love old-fashioned, unadorned H20.
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