Bizarre new TikTok craze claims drinking 'lemon coffee' will help you lose weight

It wasn't long ago that the lemon and hot water craze took over the internet.

Simply adding a squeeze of lemon to your water in the morning has been hailed as a magic potion to help you lose weight, cleanse and "detox" your whole body.

But now there's a new liquid detox craze taking over social media - it's lemon coffee.

TikTok creators are claiming that adding lemon juice to a cup of black coffee in the morning creates a "fat burning elixir", but what do the experts say?

Registered nutritionist Rhiannon Lambert told Metro UK, "No, adding lemon juice to coffee doesn't aid weight loss in any way.

"Many people are getting sucked into the 'superfood' detox industry. The idea that you can flush your system of impurities, leaving you squeaky clean and raring to go is a scam."

Lambert said that in fact, most of the benefits from the drink probably come from the water.

"Lemon juice contains nutrients such as vitamin C and antioxidants, but in a typical drink (e.g. 1-2tsp) there is nowhere near enough to warrant any claims and most unlikely to have any effects on your weight."

Adults need around 40mg of vitamin C a day, but a slice of lemon contains only around 1mg of vitamin C.

"You should be able to get all the vitamin C you need by eating a varied and balanced diet, without any need for supplementation," Lambert said.

"Basically, it comes down to your preferences. If you enjoy lemon in coffee, go for it, but don't expect it to yield miracles."

And holistic health coach and nutrition trainer Heide Hauer agrees.

"First, let's not trick ourselves into believing there is one magic drink for weight loss. This simply doesn't exist," she told Metro UK.

"The most effective and sustainable way to drop pounds is to look at your diet and lifestyle in a holistic way. Instead of putting all your hopes on one drink, focus on reducing sugar in your diet, increasing the amount of vegetables, especially green ones, moving regularly, reducing stress, etc."

She added that there is no "one size fits all" approach when it comes to weight loss.

"What may work for one person, might even result in the opposite effect for someone else.

"Both lemon and coffee have proven benefits but mixing them together does not translate into even stronger effects."

This article was first published by the NZ Herald and is republished here with permission.