Natural Diuretic Foods - Reduce Bloat Safely

Ever struggled to get your rings on? You may be retaining water! Get this – bloating and puffiness is actually partly (mostly) related to your body holding on to excess fluid. What gives?

Aside from prescription diuretics, the safest way to help relieve water retention and bloating is by incorporating natural diuretics from super foods and herbs into your regular routine. Most natural diuretics work by signaling the kidneys to release more sodium into the urine. When this happens, water is flushed out as well.

Chronic water retention is not a good thing and can be a sign of a more serious problem like dehydration or a weak heart. If you’re experiencing water retention and bloating it may be a good idea to consider natural diuretics. Most natural diuretics are potassium-sparing, meaning they work to increase urination without losing potassium. This is a good thing because if you lose too much potassium you risk hypokalemia (potassium helps control your muscles, heart and digestive system).

Those with high blood pressure and hypertension would benefit from taking a natural diuretic to improve fluid status and reduce blood pressure. Other benefits of using a natural diuretic include bloating and PMS relief, improved heart health, and reduction of edema and lymphedema.

Dandelion Diuretic Superfood

Eating potassium-rich foods signals your kidneys to flush out more water and sodium. And since dandelion is packed with potassium, it’s an excellent natural diuretic. It’s been used for centuries for that reason. Dandelion extract is also known as Taraxacum officinale Folium, aka “the lion’s tooth.” Its efficacy has been well studied in humans and shows promise as a natural diuretic. Besides its use as a diuretic, dandelion is also a significant source of potassium, vitamins and minerals, and is sometimes added to salads.

Four More Powerful Herbal Diuretics

Celery Seed – Like dandelion, celery seed has been used for thousands of years in in ancient times, as medicine to treat colds, flu, water retention, poor digestion, different types of arthritis, and certain diseases of the liver and spleen. Today celery seed is mostly used as a natural diuretic due to its ability to promote urine output. There’s also some evidence that celery root is a natural mosquito repellent.

Parsley – Did you know that steeping fresh parsley into a tea is actually a thing and has several health benefits including helping to prevent kidney stones by increasing urine production and volume. It’s also a great source of vitamin C, antioxidants and may help regulate blood sugar.

Horsetail – Another ancient herb, horsetail has been used historically as a diuretic to make you urinate more frequently. Like many herbal supplements, more research is needed to really determine horsetails’ efficacy. 

Hibiscus – Believe it or not those gorgeous flowers in your garden actually provide medicinal properties including acting as a natural diuretic. Most people use hibiscus for high blood pressure and high cholesterol, but more research is needed.

Natural Diuretic Side Effects and Toxicity

While there’s a place for natural diuretics in many people’s daily routine, it’s also not appropriate or ideal for others. In fact, caution should be used when shopping for herbal supplements that promise to reduce bloating naturally. There are a number of ingredients to look out for that may even cause potential negative toxic side effects including: uva ursi, juniper berry, bucha leaf, and hawthorne. Keep in mind that just because something is considered natural, doesn’t mean it’s safe.

Our Favorite Diuretic Tea Recipe

Funny thing is, drinking more water actually helps flush out more water faster! This is because water helps regulate sodium balance and promotes urine production; ultimately making you pee more. That’s why taking your natural diuretic as a tea instead of pill-form may be a good idea. Here’s a simple recipe to get you started!

Coconut Hibiscus Diuretic Tea

Ingredients:

Instructions:

Heat coconut water over high heat until just boiling. Steep herbs for 5 minutes in the hot coconut water; cover for best results. Allow to cool before serving.

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