In the same way that salty foods can make you feel puffy from water retention, foods with natural diuretic properties can help excrete excess water from the body. These foods help the body to maintain a balance of electrolytes, namely sodium and potassium. Some medical conditions, however, such as edema or congestive heart failure, require diuretic medications. These natural diuretic foods are not meant as a substitution for a doctor's prescription.
Function of Diuretic Foods
Diuretic foods work by stimulating the kidneys to increase waste and water removal from the body via urination. Sometimes, it is a chemical compound in the food, such as asparagine in asparagus, that stimulates the kidneys. Other times, it is the high level of potassium in the food that pulls sodium and water from the cells, sending it on to the kidneys for removal as the body seeks to maintain a normal sodium-to-potassium ratio in the blood.
Examples
A number of foods are known for their diuretic properties, including asparagus, beets, celery, fennel, green tea, oats, watercress and watermelon. Note also that water itself is a natural diuretic; it promotes optimal kidney function. Many foods are considered high in water content themselves.
Potassium-Rich Foods
A healthy body seeks to maintain a balance of the electrolytes sodium and potassium in its bloodstream and cells. When there is an excess of sodium in the body, it retains water in an effort to dilute the sodium concentration to be equal to its potassium concentration. Eating foods high in potassium--such as citrus, melons and bananas--will raise potassium in the blood, so the body will no longer need the extra water to maintain a concentration balance.
Herbal Diuretic Sources
According to the herbal medicine expert Andrew Weil, M.D., hawthorn, corn silk and parsley are all herbal diuretic sources. He points to hawthorn as the strongest of these three plants. The American Botanical Council website notes three clinical studies that successfully used hawthorn berry with leaf and flower extract for early-stage congestive heart failure patients. You should always discuss herbal supplements with your doctor.
Cautionary Diuretic Foods
Exercise caution with caffeine and alcohol. Both will have a diuretic effect on the body as well. Too much caffeine, however, can cause nervous system side effects, such as anxiety or heart palpitations. Excessive alcohol can cause dehydration in the body's effort to remove alcohol waste products from its system.
Member Comments