Limeade: a sugary drink next to a lime powder tested on kidney stones

The best evidence involving lime comes from kidney stone clinics, and it concerns a manufactured lime powder regimen, a different product from the limeade you mix at home. In a double-blind trial across 6 hospitals in Thailand, 173 people who had calcium oxalate stones removed took this regimen or a placebo. After 2 years stones had come back in 14 percent against 45 percent (hazard ratio 0.24, 95% CI 0.13 to 0.44), and 151 of the 173 finished. Two smaller trials in stone formers found the same kind of powder raised urinary citrate and pH. In one of them, over 3 months in 31 patients, it matched potassium citrate, the drug, which carried equal potassium and citrate. We found no trial of home limeade on stones, so none of this shows that a glass of limeade can replace a prescribed stone treatment. The one trial of a sweetened citrus drink used lemonade: when 12 healthy adults drank 2.1 quarts (2 liters) a day of regular lemonade for 5 days, it added 805 calories and 225 g of sugar a day, and only the diet version raised urinary citrate.

The numbers, per 3.5 oz (100 g)

How much is actually in it

• Limeade made from frozen concentrate holds about 13.8 g of carbohydrate but only 3.1 mg of vitamin C per 3.5 oz (100 g). — USDA SR Legacy, Limeade, frozen concentrate, prepared with water, FDC 174862 Evidence E source
  Per 100 g: carbohydrate 13.79 g; vitamin C 3.1 mg; copper 0.016 mg

What your body absorbs

• In 36 iron-deficient Mexican women, 17 fl oz (500 mL) of limeade with 25 mg vitamin C at two meals a day for 8 months did not improve hemoglobin or ferritin on a high-phytate diet. — Iron-deficient women in two rural Mexican communities, 18 per arm, 8 months (n = 36) Evidence B source
  No final difference in hemoglobin, ferritin or transferrin receptors vs placebo drink

What it does to your health

• In 173 calcium oxalate stone patients after stone removal, a lime-based citrate regimen cut 2-year recurrence to 14% from 45% on placebo (HR 0.24). — 173 patients with calcium oxalate urolithiasis after stone removal, 6 hospitals in Thailand, 24 months (n = 173) Evidence B source
  Recurrence 14% vs 45%; HR 0.24 (95% CI 0.13 to 0.44)
• In 31 kidney stone patients over 3 months, a lime powder drink with 63 mEq citrate raised urinary pH, potassium and citrate, as did potassium citrate with the same potassium and citrate content. — Nephrolithiasis patients, lime powder (n 13), potassium citrate (n 11), placebo (n 7), 3 months (n = 31) Evidence B source
  Urinary pH, potassium and citrate rose in both active arms; tubular damage markers fell only with lime powder
• In 74 stone patients, a lime powder regimen for 6 months raised urinary pH and citrate and lowered urinary calcium and oxalate versus placebo, with rare stomach upset. — 74 urolithiasis patients, 6 months (n = 74) Evidence B source
  Urinary pH, citrate, potassium up; calcium, oxalate, supersaturation down; no recurrence during trial
• Across 11 cohorts of 34,748 adults, each extra daily serving of sugar-sweetened drinks, lemonades included, went with slightly higher fasting glucose and insulin. — 34,748 adults of European descent, 11 CHARGE cohorts (n = 34,748) Evidence C source
  Per serving: fasting glucose +0.25 mg/dL (0.014 mmol/l) (SE 0.004); fasting insulin +0.030 log pmol/l (SE 0.005)

Safety, limits and interactions

• In 12 healthy adults, 2.1 quarts (2 L) a day of regular lemonade added 805 calories and 225 g of sugar, and only the diet version raised urinary citrate. — 12 healthy participants, 2 L/day for 5 days per phase, standardized diet (n = 12) Evidence B source
  Regular vs diet: +805 calories and +225 g sugar per day; citrate rose with diet lemonade only; urine pH unchanged
• Quarter-strength lime juice (8.5 fl oz / 250 mL) did not change average felodipine levels, but more than doubled drug exposure in 2 people, while grapefruit juice nearly doubled it on average. — Healthy volunteers, single felodipine dose with 8.5 fl oz (250 mL) juice, wine or water (n = not stated in abstract) Evidence B source
  Grapefruit juice felodipine AUC 55 vs 29 nmol h/L; lime juice no mean change, AUC more than doubled in 2 subjects
• A woman who drank lime juice daily to lose weight developed dental erosion with tooth wear and sensitivity. — One 49-year-old woman (n = 1) Evidence D source
  Erosive lesions on molars, incisors and premolars

What people believe that the data does not support

• Neither regulator has ruled on limeade by name: 21 CFR part 101 does not mention it and the EU health claims register holds no claim under this name. — US 21 CFR part 101 and the EU register of 2330 claims, searched for limeade (n = 0 claims in each register) Evidence E source
  No authorized or rejected claim for limeade

The bottom line

The USDA record for limeade made from frozen concentrate lists 13.79 g of carbohydrate and 3.1 mg of vitamin C per 3.5 oz (100 g). That is a single legacy record, and a home recipe will differ. Adding vitamin C to limeade did not improve iron status in the one trial that tried it. In two rural Mexican communities, 36 iron-deficient women on a diet high in phytate drank 17 fl oz (500 mL) of limeade with 25 mg of vitamin C at two meals a day for 8 months. Their hemoglobin and ferritin ended no different from women given a placebo drink. Across 11 cohorts of 34,748 adults of European descent, each extra daily serving of sugar-sweetened drinks was associated with fasting glucose higher by 0.25 mg/dL (0.014 mmol/l) and slightly higher fasting insulin. That is observational, and lemonades were pooled with soft drinks and fruit punches. Cautions come from lime juice. In a crossover study with the blood pressure drug felodipine, 8.5 fl oz (250 mL) of quarter-strength lime juice left average drug levels unchanged but more than doubled drug exposure in 2 volunteers, and the abstract does not say how many took part. Grapefruit juice in the same study nearly doubled the average (55 against 29 nmol h/L). How much lime juice a glass of limeade holds varies with the recipe. A 49-year-old woman who drank lime juice to lose weight developed erosion on her molars, incisors and premolars, a single case with no dose given. We found no study of limeade in pregnancy or in children.

Compared with other foods

Sources

1. lmd-daily-r8-09 · dataset
   Limeade, frozen concentrate, prepared with water (FDC 174862, sr_legacy, Beverages): carbohydrate 13.79 g, vitamin C 3.1 mg, copper 0.016 mg per 100 g
   USDA FoodData Central, SR Legacy · checked 2026-09-29
2. lmd-daily-r8-04 · RCT
   The AA group was given 500 mL limeade containing 25 mg AA twice a day, 6 d/wk, for 8 mo. ... There were no final differences between groups in hemoglobin, plasma ferritin, or transferrin receptor concentrations or in the ratio of transferrin receptors to plasma ferritin after control for initial concentrations.
   Am J Clin Nutr, 2003 · checked 2026-09-29
3. lmd-daily-r8-01 · RCT
   The recurrence rate at 2 years was significantly lower in the LPR group (14%) compared to placebo (45%) (p < 0.001). Kaplan-Meier analysis demonstrated a hazard ratio (HR) of 0.24 (95% CI: 0.13-0.44; log-rank p < 0.0001) favoring LPR.
   PLoS One, 2025 · checked 2026-09-29
4. lmd-daily-r8-02 · RCT
   Lime powder and potassium citrate contained equal amounts of potassium (21 mEq) and citrate (63 mEq). After treatment, there was an increase in urinary pH, potassium and citrate in Group 1 and 2.
   Urol Res, 2008 · checked 2026-09-29
5. lmd-daily-r8-03 · RCT
   Seventy-four urolithiasis patients were randomly allocated to receive either LPR or placebo for 6 months in a double-blinded manner. ... Administration of LPR significantly increased urinary pH, citrate and potassium excretion. Urinary levels of calcium and oxalate, and plasma protein carbonyl content were reduced, while urinary total antioxidant status was elevated by LPR treatment. ... Gastrointestinal adverse effects were rarely observed.
   Nephrology (Carlton), 2019 · checked 2026-09-29
6. lmd-daily-r8-08 · meta-analysis of cohorts
   SSB intake (soft drinks, fruit punches, lemonades or other fruit drinks) was derived from food-frequency questionnaires and food diaries. ... In our combined meta-analyses of discovery and replication cohorts, after adjustment for age, sex, energy intake, BMI and other dietary covariates, each additional serving of SSB intake was associated with higher fasting glucose (β ± SE 0.014 ± 0.004 [mmol/l], p = 1.5 × 10-3) and higher fasting insulin (0.030 ± 0.005 [log e pmol/l], p = 2.0 × 10-10).
   Diabetologia, 2018 · checked 2026-09-29
7. lmd-daily-r8-05 · crossover RCT
   Urinary citrate significantly increased from baseline with diet lemonade only. Urine pH was unchanged with both beverages. ... Compared with diet lemonade, regular lemonade provided subjects with 805 additional calories and 225 g of sugar per day.
   J Endourol, 2019 · checked 2026-09-29
8. lmd-daily-r8-06 · crossover trial
   Grapefruit juice increased the mean felodipine area under the plasma concentration-time curve (AUC) (mean +/- SE, 55 +/- 9 nmol. h/L versus 29 +/- 6 nmol. h/L; P <.05) and the plasma peak drug concentration (16 +/- 3 nmol/L versus 8 +/- 2 nmol/L, P <.05) and decreased the dehydrofelodipine/felodipine AUC ratio compared with those of water. One quarter-strength lime juice did not alter mean values. ... One quarter-strength lime juice more than doubled felodipine AUC and plasma peak drug concentration in 2 subjects.
   Clin Pharmacol Ther, 2003 · checked 2026-09-29
9. lmd-daily-r8-07 · case report
   A 49 year old woman was referred to our clinic with tooth wear and sensitivity. ... Dietary history eventually yielded inappropriate use of lime juice in order to slim down her weight.
   East Afr J Public Health, 2009 · checked 2026-09-29
10. lmd-daily-r8-10 · registry search
    claims_search.py limeade: nothing in 21 CFR 101; euclaims_search.py limeade: nothing among 2330 claims, snapshot 2026-09-21
    EU Register on nutrition and health claims, snapshot 2026-09-21; 21 CFR part 101 · checked 2026-09-29