Why do people put lemon wedges in water?

Currently there is something of a widespread fad that adding lemon to your water has some kind of magic health benefits. There are dozens of hokey articles that can be found online expositing the benefits of drinking warm lemon water in the morning. read more

As I understand it, originally lemon wedges were added to water to help improve the flavor, especially if the water had an inherently unpleasant taste. read more

Germaphobe lemon lovers might opt to squeeze the juice directly into the water instead of letting the wedge float about for the duration of a meal -- doing so will reduce exposure, though not eliminate it, as Tierno points out that even the flesh of the lemon can be contaminated. read more

Lemon or lime wedges can perk up your drink or add a touch of flavor to your water in a restaurant. However, those drink garnishes can easily be contaminated with bacteria. Depending on whether they wear gloves or wash their hands carefully, restaurant employees can spread bacteria when they prepare the slices. read more