The 8 Best Natural Diuretics to eat or drink (cont 5-8)

5. Hibiscus

Hibiscus is a family of plants known for producing beautiful and brightly coloured flowers.

One part of this plant, known as the calyces, has commonly been used to make a medicinal tea called “roselle” or “sour tea.”

Although there is limited evidence, sour tea is said to have a number of health benefits, including lowering blood pressure in people with hypertension (14).

It’s also promoted as a diuretic and an effective remedy for mild fluid retention.

So far, some lab and animal studies have indicated that it may have a mild diuretic effect (15, 16).

 One study in Thailand gave 18 people 3 grams of hibiscus in sour tea daily for 15 days. However, they found that this had no effect on urine output (14).

Overall, results have been mixed. Despite seeing a diuretic effect in animals, small studies in people taking hibiscus have so far failed to show any diuretic effect (14, 17).

SUMMARY:Hibiscus may have a mild diuretic effect. However, it has not yet been proven effective in a human study.

6. Caraway

Caraway is a feathery plant also known as meridian fennel or Persian cumin.

It’s often used as a spice in cooking, especially in foods like bread, cakes and desserts.

Ancient therapies that use plants as medicine, such as Ayurveda in India, use caraway for a variety of medicinal purposes, including digestive disorders, headaches and morning sickness (18).

In Moroccan medicine, caraway is also used as a diuretic.

One study in rats found that giving caraway extract in liquid form significantly increased urine output over 24 hours (19).

However, this is the only study on the diuretic effects of caraway, so much more research is needed before proving its diuretic effects, especially in humans.

SUMMARY:Caraway has been shown to increase the urine output of rats over 24 hours. However, there are no human studies, so more research is needed.

7. Green and Black Tea

Both black and green tea contain caffeine and can act as diuretics.

In rats, black tea has been shown to have a mild diuretic effect. This has been attributed to its caffeine content (20).

However, as is the case with coffee, you can develop a tolerance to the caffeine in tea. 

This means that the diuretic effect is only likely to occur in people who do not regularly drink tea (3).

SUMMARY:The caffeine content of green and black tea has a mild diuretic effect. However, this effect wears off as people build a tolerance to it. It’s therefore unlikely to act as a diuretic in those who regularly drink these teas.

8. Nigella Sativa

Nigella sativa, also known as “black cumin,” is a spice promoted for its medicinal properties, including its diuretic effect (21).

Animal studies have shown that Nigella sativa extract can increase urine production and lower blood pressure in rats with high blood pressure (22, 23, 24).

This effect may partly be explained by its diuretic effects (25).

However, no human studies have been carried out. Therefore, it’s unclear whether Nigella sativa has a diuretic effect in people or animals who don’t have high blood pressure.

Additionally, the doses used in the studies were much higher than the amounts you would get by adding this herb to your food (25).

SUMMARY:Animal studies have shown that Nigella sativa may be an effective diuretic for animals with high blood pressure. Its effects in people and animals with normal blood pressure are unknown.

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The 8 Best Natural Diuretics To Eat Or Drink

Diuretics are substances that increase the amount of urine you produce and help your body get rid of excess water.

This excess water is called water retention. It can leave you feeling “puffy” and cause swollen legs, ankles, hands and feet.

Various factors can cause water retention, including some serious underlying health conditions like kidney disease and heart failure.

However, lots of people experience mild water retention due to things like hormonal changes, their menstrual cycle or simply being inactive for long periods of time, such as during a long flight.

If you have water retention due to a health condition or experience sudden and severe water retention, you should seek medical advice from your doctor immediately.

However, for cases of mild water retention that aren’t caused by an underlying health condition, there may be some foods and supplements that can help.

Here are the top 8 natural diuretics and a look at the evidence behind each one.

1. Coffee

Coffee is a very popular drink that has been linked to some impressive health benefits.

It’s also a natural diuretic, mainly because of its caffeine content (1).

High doses of caffeine between 250–300 mg (the equivalent of about two to three cups of coffee) are known to have a diuretic effect (2).

This means that drinking a few cups of coffee could cause an increase in urine production.

However, a standard serving of coffee, or about one cup, is unlikely to contain enough caffeine to have this effect.

Additionally, if you’re a regular coffee drinker, you’re likely to develop a tolerance to the diuretic properties of caffeine and experience no effects (2, 3).

SUMMARY:

Drinking one to two cups of coffee may act as a diuretic and help you lose some water weight in the short term. However, you can build a tolerance to coffee’s diuretic properties and not experience any effects.

2. Dandelion Extract

Dandelion extract, also known as Taraxacum officinale or “lion’s tooth,” is a popular herbal supplement often taken for its diuretic effects (4, 5).

It’s been suggested as a potential diuretic due to the high potassium content of the dandelion plant (6).

Eating potassium-rich foods signals your kidneys to pass out more sodium and water (7).

This may be a good thing, as most modern diets are very high in sodium and low in potassium, which can cause fluid retention (8).

In theory, the high potassium content of dandelion means that this supplement could help you shed excess water caused by a high sodium intake.

However, the actual potassium content of dandelion may vary, thus so may its effects (6).

Animal studies investigating the diuretic effects of dandelion have found mixed results (4).

There are only a few studies on its effects in people. However, one small human study found that taking a dandelion supplement increased the amount of urine produced in the five hours after taking the supplement (9).

Overall, little is known about the diuretic effects of dandelion in people, so more studies are needed (4).

SUMMARY:

Dandelion extract is a popular herbal supplement thought to be a diuretic due to its high potassium content. One small human study found that it had diuretic effects, but more research is needed.

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