The Health Diva

Water retention is also known by its more medical term, oedema. This is a condition that results when water leaks into the body tissues from the blood. In normal circumstances, the fluid is drained from the body tissues through the lymphatic system – a network of tubes throughout the body that removes waste and extraneous material, and empties it back into the bloodstream.

However, when fluid is not removed by the lymph system properly, it is retained in the body tissues where it causes swelling (oedema). Water retention is most common in the feet and legs, but it can occur in the hands, arms, abdominal cavity (ascites) and around the lungs (known as pulmonary oedema).

What Causes Water Retention?

Causes of body water retention depend on a wide range of factors including a high salt intake, as a reaction to hot weather, gravity, nutritional deficiencies, burns as well as sunburn and as a side effect of certain drugs. Pregnancy, oral contraceptives such as the pill, the menstrual cycle and menopause are also known causes of body water retention.

This condition may also be symptomatic of other serious diseases such as heart failure, liver disease, arthritis, allergic reactions, thyroid disease such as hypothyroidism, chronic lung diseases, malignant lymphoedema or kidney disease.

If you’re diagnosed with oedema your doctor may prescribe one of the following diuretic drugs that stimulate your kidneys to increase urinary water output: bendrofluazide, frusemide, indapamide or bumetanide. However they can cause a range of unpleasant side effects including low blood pressure, dizziness, tinnitus, impotence, stomach upset and nausea. Fortunately there are several natural diuretics that are just as effective as prescription-only drugs in some cases but without the side effects.

Butcher Broom: Has been used successfully to treat post operative leg oedema. It is thought that the steroidal saponins, components found in Butchers broom herb, are to be responsible for the medicinal actions of butcher’s broom. These constituents are reported to improve the strength and tone of the veins and act as mild diuretics. They may also lead to constriction of the veins, which helps blood return from the extremities. Butcher’s broom extracts also exert a mild anti-inflammatory effect.

Cleavers Also known as Goosegrass, because geese like to eat it, Cleavers is indigenous to Britain and Northwestern Europe and has a long history of use in Wales.  The Welsh know Cleavers as ‘Cynghafen’ and it was considered by the Physicians of Myddfai as one of the most important of indigenous herbs. Viridian Cleavers is grown on the Herefordshire/Welsh borders.

LYMPHATIC TONIC – Cleavers is essentially a lymphatic alterative with useful diuretic and skin healing effects.  Cleavers is a very valuable plant, being perhaps the best tonic to the lymphatic system available. As a lymphatic tonic with alterative and diuretic actions it may be used safely in a wide range of problems where the lymphatic system is involved. These include swollen glands (lymphadenitis) anywhere in the body, especially in tonsillitis and adenoid trouble.

DIURETIC – Cleavers is helpful in the treatment of cystitis and other urinary conditions.  As a soothing relaxant and diuretic, Cleavers is indicated by the German Commission E for treating kidney and gall bladder gravel and urinary tract infection accompanied by fever, water retention and burning or painful urination.

Dandelion (Taraxacum) extracts are renowned for their excellent diuretic action, which have been extensively studied. In fact, some of these studies date back as far as 30 years or more and traditional healers have been prescribing dandelion extract for thousands of years (Planta Med 1974, 26(3):212-217). Dandelion root has also been used to help treat high blood pressure (a risk factor for oedema) – its water-eliminating ability reduces the water content in the blood, which helps lower blood pressure. This is exactly how other prescription-only water tablets work. For example, the commonly prescribed drug bendrofluazide reduces blood pressure by increasing water elimination from the kidneys. However it can cause nausea, vomiting, stomach upset and can worsen diabetes. This in contrast to dandelion, which has been found to actually improve diabetes. The recommended dose is 500mg taken up to 8 times a day. Or you can drink it in tea form – aim to have at least two cups a day.

Nettle leaf (Urtica dioica). The humble stinging nettle is credited with having many medicinal properties, including an ability to help combat water retention and oedema. Whereas the leaf of the plant is effective against oedema, the root is used for prostate problems. The two should not be confused, as the root contains natural plant chemicals that influence male hormones, whereas the leaves contain active ingredients that help oedema — particularly silica which is a diuretic.

In an animal study conducted by researchers from the Faculty of Sciences, University of Mohammed Premier in Morocco, nettle leaf extracts were compared with the prescription drug frusemide (a powerful diuretic). The researchers found that the nettle leaf extract increased diuresis (elimination of water from the kidneys) by 84 per cent whereas frusemide increased it by 85 per cent. The researchers also found that the nettle leaf extract decreased blood pressure by acting directly on the arteries (J Ethnopharmacol 2000, 73(1-2):95-100).

Eliminating food allergens from your diet decreases inflammation.

A low-salt, high-protein diet may help oedema. (However, you should not eat a high-protein diet if you have kidney disease.) You should also reduce your intake of sugar and refined carbohydrates.

Vitamin B6 (50 to 100 mg per day) is a diuretic. The B vitamin B1 thiamine may be supplemented.

Vitamins C (500mg to 1000 mg two times per day), E (400 to 800 IU per day), and coenzyme Q10 (50 to 100 mg two times per day)

Put your feet up! To improve your circulation try to put your feet up at regular intervals throughout the day and rotate your ankles frequently to prevent fluid build-up in your legs. Wearing support stockings can also help.

Cut down on the amount of salt in your diet and eat more potassium-rich foods. The fluid regulating action of the kidneys is based on the dual pumping action of sodium and potassium. Sodium draws water into the body and potassium helps excrete it. So to reduce water retention limit your salt intake and eat more potassium-rich foods, such as leafy green vegetables, citrus fruit and sunflower seeds.

Potassium aspartate (20 mg per day) if you are using diuretics

Magnesium (200 mg two to three times per day) and calcium (1,000 mg per day) help maintain fluid exchange in the body.

Add fresh parsley to your meals… it’s a natural diuretic that helps cleanse your blood and stimulates the movement of toxins through your kidneys. In fact most salad vegetables exert a diuretic action, celery in particular.

Drink plenty of water – up to 2 litres a day. Although many people think that if they’re accumulating fluid in their bodies then a sensible solution is to drink less, this isn’t the case. Drinking water does not make you retain fluid but it does promote proper kidney functioning – this is vital as your kidneys excrete excess water from your body. However, avoid tea and coffee, which have a dehydrating effect and can cause fluid retention.