If you believe you are urinating more than usual after eating parsley to freshen your breath, you are likely correct: This herb is an effective diuretic. This Mediterranean native that's related to celery also is a good source of vitamin C, beta-carotene, flavonoids and chlorophyll. Consult a doctor before using parsley therapeutically to induce urination.
Significance
Parsley is commonly used in folk medicine as a diuretic. It's also approved by Germany's Commission E, that country's regulatory body, for treating urinary tract infections as well as bladder and kidney stones.
Mechanism of Action
Parsley might work by inhibiting action of your sodium-potassium pump, according to a March 2002 "Journal of Ethnopharmacology" study. This leads to less reabsorption of sodium in your epithelial cells, causing more water to flow from these cells into your blood via osmosis. The result is a higher urinary volume and flow rate, note study authors S.I. Kreydiyyeh and J. Usta.
Dose
A typical dose of parsley ranges from 3 to 5 g of parsley root or plant. You can make a warm tea from this plant's roots, leaves, stem or seed. You also can consume fresh or dried roots, leaves, stems and seeds. Root extracts, infusion capsules, decoctions and tinctures also are available. Do not use parsley oil internally as it is a potentially toxic hallucinogen.
Considerations
Side effects from parsley can include allergic reactions, nausea and vomiting. Taking it with certain drugs like abciximab, etodolac, heparin, ibuprofen and ketorolac might raise your risk for bleeding or bruising. Using it with other drugs like atenolol, clonidine, losartan, telmisartan and verapamil might cause hypotension, or blood pressure that falls too low. Taking it with other drugs like codeine, hydrocodone, sufentanil and oxycodone combined with aspirin or acetaminophen raises your risk for serotonin syndrome, a possibly fatal condition. Using it with lithium or selegiline also m bighte harmful. Parsley generally is recognized as safe when used as a food, but in high doses can cause problems in pregnancy, according to Drugs.com
References
- "Journal of Ethnopharmacology"; Diuretic Effect and Mechanism of Action of Parsley; S.I. Kreydiyyeh and J. Usta; March 2002
- "The Essential Herb-Drug-Vitamin Interaction Guide"; George T. Grossberg and Barry Fox; 2007
- "Herbs Demystified"; Holly Phaneuf; 2005
- Drugs.com: Parsley; August 2011
- "Phytomedicine"; The Mechanism Underlying the Laxative Properties of Parsley Extract; S.I. Kreydiyyeh, et al.; September 2001
- "Irwin and Rippe's Intensive Care Medicine"; Richard S. Irwin and James M. Rippe; 2008
