Frequent urination can be more than annoying -- it can disrupt your life if it becomes severe. MayoCinic.com defines frequent urination as the need to urinate more often than you typically do, and says that it can be accompanied by other problems, such as loss of bladder control or painful urination. But if your issue is urination frequency alone, you might want to examine your diet to see if particular foods or drinks are the cause.
Diuretic Beverages
The beverages you drink can trigger more frequent urination. If you've suddenly developed frequent urination after a change in diet, examine your diet more closely to evaluate what you're drinking. Certain beverages are diuretics -- or substances that promote more frequent urination and water loss from your body. The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign's McKinley Health Center notes that beverages containing caffeine act as diuretics. Common diuretic beverages include coffee, tea, soft drinks and energy drinks. In addition, alcohol also acts as a diuretic, so if you've increased your alcohol consumption lately, that could be a contributing factor.
Diuretic Foods
Urination frequency can also be related to the foods you eat. According to dietitian Katherine Zeratsky of the Mayo Clinic, herbs such as dandelion, juniper and ginger have diuretic properties. If your nutritional changes have involved adding any of these to your diet, they might be influencing your urination frequency. Likewise, fruits and vegetables with high water content can have a diuretic effect, especially watermelon, cucumbers, celery and onions. Liquid foods such as soups and smoothies will also promote increased urination. If you have altered your diet recently to include more fresh produce or other water-rich foods, this might be responsible for your more frequent urination.
Diets and Water Weight
In the beginning stages of certain diets, many people notice a rapid loss of weight due to initial water loss. This can be especially noticeable if the diet is much lower in calories than your previous intake, or if it emphasizes diuretic-type foods -- e.g. the "cabbage soup diet." While this water loss is not generally permanent, it might explain frequent urination after particular dietary changes. Low-carb diets also tend to cause early heavy urination.
Considerations
Frequent urination can be a symptom of a serious medical problem, such as a urinary tract or kidney infection, diabetes, prostate gland enlargement and even bladder cancer. While your urinary changes might be the result of your diet, they could also be related to something else that requires medical treatment. Therefore, if you are experiencing unexplained frequent urination, consult your physician for evaluation.
