Many of my patients have come in to the office and told me proudly that they've given up drinking soda. Now, when they eat out at a restaurant, they enjoy a chilled glass of water or seltzer with a nice, juicy lemon wedge. Imagine their surprise when I tell them they should skip the lemon wedge. So should you. Restaurant lemons are not good for your health. Here's why.

Could There Be Feces in Your Restaurant Lemon?

If you're the type who drops the whole lemon wedge into your water after squeezing out the juice, you could be adding feces to your drink. Even though there is a sign on most bathroom walls reminding chefs and wait staff to wash their hands after using the bathroom, many do not. This is unfortunate because it's a good way to spread bacteria and disease.

Unlike other vegetables, fruits, and food products prepared in the kitchen of your favorite restaurant, lemons don't require washing because nobody eats the skin. It's the same with limes, oranges, or grapefruit. This means any dirt, bacteria, debris, saliva, phlegm, or feces that end up on these fruits will be directly transferred to your glass. The number one culprit: fecal contamination from employees not washing their hands after using the bathroom.

Gross but true.

Lemons at Restaurants - Sneaking Pesticides into Your Water

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