A diuretic is anything ingested that causes urination. This can be due to a number of factors: Pharmacological diuretics usually prevent the resorption of water and sodium, indirectly resulting in urination; herbal diuretics usually stimulate the kidney or bladder, directly causing the expulsion of water; and anything that contains water also spurs urination. Diuretics can be an effective treatment for water retention, colloquially known as bloating.
Produce
Water is the most common diuretic. Accordingly, foods that contain a large proportion of water are natural diuretics. Examples of such foods are fruits and vegetables, particularly those that have a high water content accompanied with a low caloric content. However, some fruits and vegetables also stimulate the walls of the kidneys or bladder, which compounds their diuretic quality. Examples of such fruits and vegetables include celery, eggplant, juniper berries, endive, lemon, onion, watermelon and cucumber.
Caffeine
Caffeine is a natural diuretic that operates in the same way as pharmacological diuretics---by preventing the resorption of water and sodium. Due to this property, foods that contain caffeine are among the most effective natural diuretics, although it is possible to develop a tolerance that causes this effect to wane, according to Jean Carper in the book "Food---Your Miracle Medicine." Foods that contain caffeine include coffee, teas, guarana and chocolate.
Herbs
Herbs act as diuretics primarily by stimulating the walls of the kidneys and bladder, akin to some fruits and vegetables. As a result, they are typically less effective than other diuretics and can exacerbate symptoms associated with renal infections. However, some herbs contain theophylline, which is an even more effective diuretic than caffeine, says Carper. Examples of herbs that act as diuretics effectively include anise, coriander, cumin, parsley, peppermint and garlic.
References
- "Food---Your Miracle Medicine"; Jean Carper; 1994
- MayoClinic.com: Weight Loss
- "Alternative Medicine: The Definitive Guide"; Larry Trivieri, Burton Goldberg and John W. Anderson; 2002
