This gross side-effect of adding lemon pieces to your drink will make you never want garnish your cocktail again

Think twice before adding those lemon wedges to your drink, ladies. Photo Courtesy: Pinterest/Mirlandra's Kitchen

Can you ever think of a rainbow without colours or planet Earth without water or worse still--Rakhi Sawant without drama? No right? Then, you probably can't even imagine a chilling-with-your-buddies scene without a couple of beers or some fresh summer cocktails to sip on. And you most definitely can't imagine your favourite cocktail without some ice and that tangy, lemony twist either.

If you're already nodding in agreement and love garnishing your drinks with some tangy, citrus wedges and loads of ice cubes, there's bad news for you.

According to a study conducted at Clemson University, adding lemon and ice to beverages can spell doom for your health simply because these ingredients are likely to carry bacteria and viruses that can be quite dangerous when consumed.

After all, if you're buying ice from the market, you really don't know how clean the water that was frozen to form the cubes really was. And need we remind you how consuming contaminated water can cause cholera, jaundice, and other water-borne diseases?

Yes, during a home-chilling scene, you can freeze ice cubes at home with clean water for satisfaction. But even if you do that, the ice can catch bacteria from your hands or the tongs you use to drop those ice cubes in the glass.

As far as adding lemon pieces to your drinks is concerned, even they are prone to catching the dangerous E-coli bacteria and fungus and contaminating our drinks.

The study found that dry lemons absorb bacteria from our hands/scoop/knife 30% of the times. In case, washing the lemons thoroughly before adding them to your drink seems like a safe option to you, here's a reality check: Wet lemons absorb the dangerous bacteria and fungi 100% of the times.

So, you really don't have much of a choice there--except for enjoying your drinks minus the ice and the lemon twist, ladies.