Have you seen Black Lemonade around the internet or in stores? Fitness fanatics and health-conscious people share thousands of posts and photos about this inky drink. Some people make their own, while others buy it by the bottle. Or, in some instances, by the case.

Sounds dark, mysterious and pretty cool, right? We wanted to take a closer look at the beverage getting so much hype. Before you pour yourself or someone else a glass, here are five things you should know about black lemonade.

1. Black Lemonade Gets Its Color From Charcoal

Black Lemonade is not made from black lemons (eww) The drink’s inky color comes from activated charcoal powder mixed in with regular lemonade. According to Web Md

“Common charcoal is made from peat, coal, wood, coconut shell, or petroleum. Activated charcoal is similar to common charcoal, but is made especially for use as a medicine. To make activated charcoal, manufacturers heat common charcoal in the presence of a gas that causes the charcoal to develop lots of internal spaces or pores. These pores help activated charcoal ‘trap’ chemicals.”

2. Black Lemonade Is A Popular Detox Drink

The activated charcoal in black lemonade can reportedly help rid the body of unwanted chemicals. Many people drink black lemonade to help with lowering cholesterol, preventing hangovers and improving bile flow in the body. Mostly though, healthy people consume the drink as a cleanse or detox as part of their juicing regimen.
“I am hoping that any toxins or undigested food particles residing in my digestive tract are absorbed via the charcoal,” health blogger Whitney Benjamin


4. But Does It Work?

Doctors prescribe charcoal to certain patients for certain conditions.

Emergency rooms use it to treat alcohol poisoning. Some doctors give charcoal pills to patients exposed to mold or athletes who get diarrhea when running marathons. In these situations, the charcoal adheres to problematic particles, moving with them out of the gastrointestinal tract.

But, what does this mean for Black Lemonade?

“Not everybody needs a lemonade charcoal Slurpee, but for different situations, charcoal can be extremely helpful,” said Judy Fulop , a naturopathic physician at the Osher Center for Integrative Medicine at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago.

5. Be Careful With Black Lemonade

The charcoal in Black Lemonade may cause problems for people on medications, though. The porous makeup of charcoal can absorb the beneficial chemicals in many medications. Therefore, Fulop recommends waiting at least two hours after taking medication before drinking black lemonade. And that means you should never serve it to someone without asking about their medications.
Also, charcoal can absorb healthy nutrients from fruits and vegetables. So, consider drinking something else with your salad or piece of fresh fruit.

A Few Reasons Why Drinking Lemon Water Is Good For You

It’s been said by many experts over the years that drinking lemon water everyday can help you get more nutrients, bring more life to your skin and aid in digestion. Some recommend drinking it right when you wake up—and the more lemony, the better(about one lemon for every one cup of water).

We’ve compiled 18 reasons why you should drink lemon water everyday:

1. It’s Like A Natural Gatorade

Lemon water provides your body with electrolytes such as Calcium, Magnesium, and Potassium, without all the sugar and carbs that come in sports drinks.

2. It Helps Release Toxins From Your Body

Lemon water functions beautifully as an antioxidant; it also helps the immune system and also helps clean your liver and encourages it to release toxins.

3. It Has Lots Of Vitamins

Lemons have tons of vitamins and nutrients such as Iron, Fiber, B-Complex Vitamins and, of course, good old Vitamin C.

4. It Can Help You Lose Weight

The pectin fiber can help reduce hunger and the alkaline from the lemons can speed up weight loss.

5. It Can Help Pregnant Women And Their Soon-To-Be-Born Babies

Not only does the vitamin C help the baby’s bones, but the potassium helps their brains and nervous systems.

Marie Rossiter