Water retention, also called edema, can be caused by an injury or illness or be due to a serious underlying condition. Being overweight or obese also raises the risk of swelling in various areas of the body. While it is important to have the cause of water retention properly diagnosed, you will need to be cautious with your diet to fully manage your condition. For safety, always talk to your doctor before making any dietary changes.
Edema
Many reasons can explain why your body might retain excess fluid, including sitting or standing for too long; conditions such as congestive heart failure and lung, liver, kidney and thyroid diseases; being pregnant; obesity; infections; allergies; eating too much salt; and others. Treatment is aimed at managing any underlying conditions, as well as making lifestyle changes to prevent the body from retaining fluid. This might include elevating the area of the body affected by edema if possible; avoiding sitting or standing for too long; taking medications to help your body get rid of the excess fluid; and making changes to your diet.
Sodium
Salt causes the body to retain fluid, so part of reducing the amount of fluid in the body is to limit your salt intake. Eating less salt can both reduce edema and help lower your blood pressure, reports the American Heart Association. A general goal is to limit salt intake to no more than 1,500 mg per day. However, if kidney disease, a heart condition or other underlying condition is present, your physician might recommend going even lower. Reducing salt intake involves limiting consumption of processed foods and foods that are naturally high in salt such as cheeses, seafood, olives and some legumes. Try to use no salt and instead use herbs and seasonings to flavor foods when cooking and ask for low salt options when dining out.
Natural Diuretics
In some cases, your doctor might recommend taking medications called diuretics, which help your body get rid of excess fluid. However, along with the fluid loss, you might also lose important vitamins and nutrients, and diuretics can have side effects. Given this, the University of Maryland Medical Center suggests adding certain foods into your diet that are natural diuretics. This includes asparagus, parsley, beets, grapes, green beans, leafy greens, pineapple, pumpkin, onion, leeks and garlic. There is no known amount of the above foods that control edema, but they are all part of a healthy diet and can help to replace nutrients that might be lost while taking diuretics. Your doctor can advise you as to whether or not you need medication or if you can control your edema through diet alone.
Low-Calorie Diet
Being overweight can also contribute to fluid retention, so part of getting rid of any excess fluid is losing weight if you are not within a healthy weight range, according to the University of Pennsylvania Health System. You need to be careful that you do not restrict calorie intake too low to avoid nutritional deficiencies, so your physician can recommend a safe caloric intake. A general goal is to eat a diet rich in fruits and vegetables, whole grains and low-fat dairy, and restrict calorie intake enough, to cause a 1 to 2 lb. loss each week.
