Natural Teas that Reduce Fluid Retention
Has this ever happened to you? One morning you’re putting on your clothes like normal, and the next thing is you can’t even button up your jeans. Did you suddenly gain weight? This could be due to fluid retention. This is an imbalance in the body that can occasionally cause weight gain and swelling in the legs, ankles, and abdomen. The good news is that we’ve got some great tea recipes for you that can help to reduce fluid retention. Read on!
Some medicinal plants that can help reduce fluid retention
Fluid retention causes feelings of heaviness and discomfort. We feel swollen, and what’s worse, when we look in the mirror it looks like we’ve actually put on weight. These effects are often due to hormonal fluctuations (premenstrual tension, for example), as well as a side effect of having a sedentary lifestyle.
But they can also be due to certain other conditions. For example, heart and liver problems, high blood pressure, stress, and the adverse effects of some medications.
1. Boldo tea
2. Dandelion tea
Dandelion is a great plant for a detox diet, and the flowers of the plant can be used to make tea as well as to add to a salad. It helps the body eliminate excess liquids, promotes good kidney function, and helps cleanse the blood. It’s an amazing plant.
Two teas a day made with dandelion tea will help to reduce fluid retention – one in the morning with breakfast, and one mid-afternoon. First, you just need to add a few leaves or flowers from this plant to boiling water. After that, filter the liquid and drink it slowly. You’ll certainly notice the benefits.
3. Green tea
Green tea is another great detoxifying beverage which promotes the production of urine. It not only helps remove toxic substances that accumulate in the body, but also helps reduce fluid retention and inflammation. It’s incredibly beneficial! You can drink up to three cups per day.
Green tea is easy to find in stores, and, better still, adding a little honey instead of sugar as a sweetener makes it even healthier.
See also:6 Important Benefits of Drinking Green Tea
4. Horsetail tea
In addition to being a good diuretic and detoxifying agent, it restores minerals and acts as a natural astringent and anti-diarrheal. How could you turn your nose up at those benefits? Ideally, you’ll drink a horsetail tea twice a day, adding the equivalent of one teaspoon to a cup of boiling water.
Mixing in a little licorice flavor or mint will give it better flavor. Let the tea steep for five minutes and then drink it slowly. If you use it consistently, you’ll notice great benefits.
5. Birch leaf tea
Want to give it a try? All you need to do is look for the leaves in a natural foods or herbal store, where its benefits are well known. It can even be used to cure urinary tract infections. Drink one to two cups a day of this tea.
First add the equivalent of one tablespoon to a cup of boiling water, and then steep for five minutes. You can drink one cup with breakfast, and the other around mid-afternoon. You’ll feel better, it helps with digestion, and it has a pleasant taste.
General recommendations to reduce fluid retention
To reduce fluid retention, you should always follow a low sodium diet. It’s important to limit or eliminate the use of salt in cooking. Instead, you can spice up your dishes with other herbs, vinegar, lemon, garlic, or onions.
Ideally we should try to follow a diet rich in vegetables like squash, tomatoes, asparagus, and artichokes. Eat bananas – they’re rich in potassium, beans, and complex carbohydrates (rice, pasta, etc.).
Drink at least two liters of water per day – but if drinking plain water bothers you, add a little lemon juice to make it taste better. And above all, don’t forget to get a little exercise every day, at least one hour, be it walking, bike rides, etc. You’ll notice a great improvement in your overall health.
All cited sources were thoroughly reviewed by our team to ensure their quality, reliability, currency, and validity. The bibliography of this article was considered reliable and of academic or scientific accuracy.
- Clark, A. L., & Cleland, J. G. F. (2013). Causes and treatment of oedema in patients with heart failure. Nature Reviews Cardiology. https://doi.org/10.1038/nrcardio.2012.191
- Von Duvillard, S. P., Braun, W. A., Markofski, M., Beneke, R., & Leithäuser, R. (2004). Fluids and hydration in prolonged endurance performance. Nutrition. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nut.2004.04.011
- Vallo, S., & Bartsch, G. (2014). Edema. In Urology at a Glance. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-54859-8_7
- Fischer, B., & Hartwich, C. (2013). Boldo. In Hagers Handbuch der Pharmaceutischen Praxis. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-47350-0_201
- González-Castejón, M., Visioli, F., & Rodriguez-Casado, A. (2012). Diverse biological activities of dandelion. Nutrition Reviews. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1753-4887.2012.00509.x
- Cabrera, C., Artacho, R., & Giménez, R. (2006). Beneficial effects of green tea–a review. Journal of the American College of Nutrition.
- Sandhu, N. S., Kaur, S., & Chopra, D. (2010). Equietum arvense: Pharmacology and phytochemistry – a review. Asian Journal of Pharmaceutical and Clinical Research.
