That Lemon In Your Water Could Be Making You Sick
One of these days it's going to happen. I am going to bring you a story where something you like doing isn't against the law or bad for your health. Unfortunately, today is not that day. Today I am here to make you question that little slice of lemon you're often served with a glass of water or iced tea.
What's wrong with lemons? They're fruit. They're packed with vitamins, they're also loaded with all kinds of germs and microorganisms that we just voluntarily dropped into the beverage we are about to drink. A recent study cited about 70% of lemons obtained from restaurants had microbes on their skin and in their flesh.
While we'd like to think all of our food service personnel are on their "A" game when it comes to hygiene the fact is nobody can be perfect. Think of all the food, the plates, the hand to hand contact these workers are making before they grab your lemon and put it in your drink. That's where the problem arises.
Just so you don't think this an indictment of restaurant workers, that lemon in your home has just as many, if not more, creepy crawlies on it as the food service lemons have. Even if you've washed your lemons before you might still need to wash them again if they've been sitting out for more than a day.
Here's the reality. Most of us won't get sick because of the microorganisms found on a lemon or its peel. However, there is always that chance that a stronger version of a "bad bug" or bacteria could have made its way onto your lemon. You might also be at a greater risk if you have a compromised immune system.
So as a rule of thumb you might want to add just the juice and not the peel to your beverage to improve your odds that life won't be turning your lemons and lemonade into a disgusting digestive disorder.