The Art of Infused Water with Citrus and Mint: A Complete Guide for the Daily Wellbeing

In the Italian tradition, the water has always had a role of primary importance at the table. The grandmothers, they knew well that to drink with regularity was the first medicine of the body. Today, the science of the nutrition confirms what the popular wisdom already knew: the hydration, when enriched with natural elements, becomes a gesture of care for the entire organism. The infused water with citrus and mint represents, in this sense, one of the most simple and at the same time most effective solutions that a person can adopt in the daily routine.

Why the Infused Water Becomes Fundamental for the Health

Many persons ask themselves: is truly different to drink a simple glass of water or a water enriched with citrus and fresh mint? The answer, from the point of view of the physiology, is yes. When the slices of lemon, orange, or grapefruit rest in cold water for a determined period, they release in the liquid a part of their volatile oils, their mineral salts, and their polyphenolic compounds. The mint, from her side, contributes with the menthol and with other active principles that stimulate the digestion and refresh the palate.

The advantage of this preparation results particularly evident for whom struggles to drink the quantity of water recommended every day, that is approximately one and a half liter or two liters. The aromatic water, in fact, is drunk with more pleasure, and this favors a hydration more constant and more deep.

The Citrus Fruits and Their Properties for the Organism

The citrus fruits — lemon, orange, grapefruit, lime, bergamot — they are among the fruits more rich of vitamin C and of flavonoids. These substances, they perform a function of protection for the blood vessels. The hesperidin, for example, that is present in abundance in the orange and in the lemon, contributes to maintain the elasticity of the capillaries and to reduce the permeability excessive of the venous walls.

To understand well this mechanism, it is necessary to consider that the vascular system is not a rigid tube, but a network alive that must adapt itself to every movement, to every change of pressure, to every variation of temperature. When the walls of the vessels lose of elasticity, the circulation becomes more fatigous and the heart must work with more effort. For this reason, the integration of citrus in the daily alimentation — also through the infused water — it is a choice of prevention that gives fruits in the long term.

It is useful to know that the white part between the peel and the pulp of the citrus, called albedo, is particularly rich of beneficial fibers and of bioflavonoids. For this reason, when one prepares the infused water, it is good practice to use slices with the peel, naturally after having washed it with attention, possibly choosing fruits of biological origin.

The Mint: More Than a Simple Aromatic Herb

The mint, in its various species — peppermint, spearmint, wild mint — it contains menthol, menthone, and rosmarinic acid. These compounds, beyond to give the characteristic fragrance, they exert a spasmolytic action on the smooth musculature of the digestive apparatus. Who suffers of gonfiore after the meals can find in the water with mint a valid natural aid.

Furthermore, the mint stimulates the production of bile from the liver, favoring the digestion of the fats. This explains why, in many cultures of the Mediterranean, the tea with mint or the water aromatized with mint are served at the end of the lunch or of the dinner.

The Synergy Between Citrus and Mint for the Cardiovascular System

When citrus and mint are united in the same infusion, they create a synergy interesting from the point of view of the wellbeing. The vitamin C of the citrus favors the absorption of certain minerals and supports the synthesis of the collagen, protein fundamental for the structure of the arterial walls. The mint, meanwhile, supports the microcirculation and gives a sensation of lightness.

In a context of support to the vascular health, many persons choose to associate to the correct hydration also specific integrators formulated for the vessels. Between these, one can find solutions as Cardiobalance, that is thought to offer a support to who desires to take care of the own cardiovascular system with constancy, in the interior of a style of life balanced. The important thing, naturally, is to remember that no integrator can substitute the healthy habits at the table and the movement physical regular.

Five Recipes of Infused Water to Try Immediately

Here follow five combinations that each person can prepare at the own home, with ingredients simple and easy to find.

The method of preparation is the same for all the recipes. One must wash the fruits under running water, using possibly a brush for the peel if the fruits are not of biological origin. The citrus is sliced in thin rounds, and the mint is lightly pressed between the fingers to release the essential oils, without breaking the leaves.

The ingredients are placed in a carafe of glass, one adds cold water — never warm, because the heat destroys the vitamin C and the volatile compounds — and one leaves to rest in the refrigerator or at ambient temperature, according to the recipe.

The Correct Method of Preparation: The Details That Make the Difference

It may seem a trivial operation, but to prepare a good infused water requires some attentions that not all know.

• The water must be natural and of good quality. The waters too rich of sodium can alter the taste, while the waters too much light risk to extract less principles from the fruits.
• The glass is the only suitable material. The plastic, with the time, can release substances not desired, and it absorbs the odors. The metal can react with the acids of the citrus.
• The times of infusion are important. Less than one hour, the water will have little flavor. More than six hours, the peel can release substances bitter, in particular if the fruits have not been treated.
• The citrus must be added with the peel. As already said, the albedo contains the most interesting compounds for the vessels.
• The mint must be fresh. The dried mint, for the infused water, does not give the same aromatic profile and does not release the menthol in the same way.

When to Consume the Infused Water During the Day

The moment in which one drinks the infused water is not indifferent. In the morning, at fasting, a glass of water with lemon and mint can stimulate the digestive system and prepare the organism to the first meal. During the day, between a meal and the other, it helps to maintain the hydration constant without resorting to the sugared beverages. In the evening, after the dinner, a carafe with lime and spearmint accompanies pleasantly the moment of relax.

For whom desires to deepen the theme of the vascular wellbeing and to understand if an integration can be useful in the own case, it is possible to find information more detailed visiting Cardiobalance.biz, where are explained the characteristics of the product and the modality of use. In every case, the first interlocutor for decisions that regard the own health remains the own doctor of confidence.

Errors to Avoid in the Preparation

There are some errors common that compromise the quality of the infused water. It is good to know them for avoid them.

• To use fruits not fresh or of low quality. The infused water amplifies every defect of the raw material. A citrus not fresh will give a water with unpleasant taste.
• To add sugar or sweeteners. The scope of the infused water is precisely that of replacing the sugared beverages. If one desires a taste more sweet, one can add some strawberry or some piece of peach, but never the refined sugar.
• To prepare too much quantity in advance. After 24 hours, the infused water loses its properties and begins to ferment. It is better to prepare it fresh every day.
• To throw away the fruits after the first use. The citrus and the mint can be reused for a second infusion, naturally less intense, or can be added to a tea or to a centrifuged of fruit.
• To conserve the water to ambient temperature for many hours. In the warm months, the infused water must stay in the refrigerator to avoid the proliferation of bacteria.

How to Create the Own Personal Combinations

Once learned the base rules, each person can sbizzarrirsi with the combinations. The citrus are versatile and marry well with many herbs and fruits. The basil, for example, pairs in way excellent with the orange. The rosemary gives a note aromatic interesting with the grapefruit. The ginger, added in thin slices, gives to the water with lemon a character tonic and slightly spicy.

The important thing is to maintain the balance: not too many ingredients together, to not confuse the palate and to not dilute the properties of each single element. Two or three ingredients, chosen with criterion, are sufficient for a water rich of taste and of benefits.

Practical Conclusions

The infused water with citrus and mint is, in synthesis, a gesture simple that hides a depth not indifferent. It asks for few minutes of preparation, uses ingredients accessible, and offers to the body a hydration enriched of substances precious for the vessels and for the digestion. To insert it in the daily routine requires only a carafe of glass, some fresh fruit, and the desire to take care of oneself with naturalness.

The true secret, as in many things of the Italian tradition, is the constancy. A single glass does not change the life, but a daily habit, maintained with pleasure and with awareness, produces in the time results that the body knows how to recognize and to appreciate.