Natural Diuretics
People often ask me if I can recommend a natural diuretic for their water retention. There’s a short answer and a long answer to this question.
The short answer is yes, there are herbal diuretics such as dandelion leaf and boldo. Alcohol, tea and coffee are also diuretics. But why would you want to use them?
If you’re assuming that a diuretic is a cure for water retention, you are definitely on the wrong track. A diuretic is a substance which interferes with the natural hormonal control of your kidneys. In other words, a diuretic makes your kidneys behave abnormally. As a result of this abnormal behaviour, you may appear to lose some water because you urinate more. But in fact this water is coming from your blood, not from the places where you are retaining water.
The only time you should ever take diuretics is if your doctor diagnoses a heart, liver or kidney disease where there is too much water in your blood. All other types of water retention involve excess water in your tissues, not in your blood. Diuretics are the wrong treatment for this type of water retention. In fact they can be quite harmful and could make your problem worse by dehydrating your blood. More information.
You need to find out what is causing your water retention. Once you know what is causing it you can put the problem right and your water retention will stay away without diuretics.
Related posts:
- Are Diuretics The Best Medicine To Treat Water Retention?
- How Do Diuretics Cause Water Retention?
- Water Retention Tablets
- Can diuretics cause worse water retention?
- Water retention, heart failure, water pills
Comments
Comment from Linda Lazarides
Time February 25, 2010 at 12:51 pm
Tina, a diuretic, whether natural or not, will not help vasculitis and could make it worse. There is a whole section on vasculitis in the waterfall diet book (paperback edition). You may find that very helpful, and there is a good chance it would help you get off the Prednisone. Try to get the new 2010 edition (from Amazon UK) if you can, and let us know how you get on.
Comment from Tina
Time February 24, 2010 at 6:43 pm
I have been on the drug Perdnisone for 8 months. My original dosage was 60grams and I am now down to 7grms per day so am being weaned off them by my Specialist. I have a problem called Vasculitus (Takayasus) and wondered if taking a Natural Diuretic would help get rid of the puffiness in various parts of my body ie. face ankles legs. Your comments are appreciated.