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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