10 Effective Home Remedies For Treating Water Retention

Ever felt that your feet, ankles, fingers and joints become stiff and swollen for no apparent reason? Does your weight fluctuate in any unexpected manner? Do you notice that if pressed, your skin retains the indent for a bit? Be cautioned: This water retention (or Oedema) might be an indicator of an underlying problem. To name a few:

• Kidney disease
• Heart failure
• Chronic lung disease
• Liver disease

Don’t get scared! Your water retention might just be an annoying problem that can be banished using these simple water retention remedies.

Home Remedies for Water Retention

1. Go Low On Salt:

An excess of salt in the body makes it retain more water than normal. The first and best remedy to combat fluid retention is to cut down on your salt intake. Apart from adding lesser salt to homemade food, also cut back by avoiding salty snacks and tinned or canned foods. Possibly, this will solve your fluid retention within a week.

2. Hydrate: 

More water to remove water from the body? Sounds conflicting, I know, but a hydrated body is a healthy way to solve this problem. When fluid is retained in the body, it also stocks up on toxins. Ensure that you drink at least 8-10 glasses of water every day to flush out those toxins and stored up water.

3. Go Bananas For Bananas:

Fruits high in potassium, such as bananas, raisins and watermelon help the body in flushing out the built up fluids at the cellular level. Have 2-3 servings daily, spread over the entire day. You will feel relief within a couple of days.

4. Low Fat Proteins:

If you have the choice, opt for low fat proteins like fish, turkey, soya, etc. as they do not encourage fluid retention. High protein like eggs, mutton and chicken contain high sodium and fat, both of which promote water retention.

5. Vitamins To The Rescue:

Vitamins like B6, B5, D and calcium are very helpful in draining excess water from the body. Make sure your diet is rich in these elements. They are an easy, healthy way to remove fluid build-up from the body without causing any side-effects.

6. Say NO To Caffeine:

Dehydrating items like coffee and alcohol wreak havoc on the body’s sense of how much fluid is to be maintained. Once dehydrated, the brain signals the body to store up fluids. This leads to fluid retention faster than any other reason. So, you need to cut back or completely remove caffeinated drinks and alcohol from your life to be free of water retention!

7. Natural Diuretics: 

Nature provides us with many foods that act as natural fluid releasers. Dandelion leaf, Corn Silk, coconut water and cranberry juice are good natural remedies for water retention. They are highly effective in making the body excrete all excess water.

8. Change Your Lifestyle:

If your oedema is being caused by things like standing for long, drinking or smoking or even an underlying condition – bring a change. Try to rest your feet by propping them higher than your head while lying down; cut back on your nicotine and caffeine intake and seek treatment for any medical condition that is causing this uncomfortable situation.

9. Yummy Yogurt:

After a large meal you know you shouldn’t have eaten; your body retaliates by retaining water. To reverse the effects of a large-meal, try having a bowl of fresh yogurt. The healthy bacteria in yogurt encourages digestion and… well digestion speeds up excretion!

10. Garlic:

Yup! Garlic, here too! Garlic is a strong detoxifying agent and flushes out the toxins from the body by encouraging urination. Fluid drained! Plus, it also reduces fat cells in the body. Fat cells are the ones that actually retain water, so with them gone; your fluid retention will also go down.