Are Natural Diuretics Good For Weight Loss?

Losing water weight with diuretics is tempting. But diuretics are NOT for weight loss. Diuretics increase urination and prevent water retention that might occur due to certain medical conditions or medicines that you are taking. This, in turn, helps get rid of the water weight.

We certainly do not recommend using (or abusing) diuretics for weight loss. However, if you want to flush out toxins and kick-start your weight loss, we have a list of foods for you. Consult your doctor before you start taking these.

What Are Diuretics?

Diuretics help flush out extra sodium from your body (1). It is for this reason that diuretics are commonly used to treat hypertension or high blood pressure, electrolyte disorders, and hypervolemia (2). There are various types of diuretics:

• Loop Diuretics
• Thiazides
• Calcium-Sparing Diuretics
• Potassium-Sparing Diuretics
• Carbonic Anhydrase Inhibitors
• Low Ceiling Diuretics
• Osmotic Diuretics

Depending on the type, diuretics help increase the excretion of potassium, calcium, magnesium, chloride, or bicarbonate (1).

Why Shouldn’t You Overuse Diuretics For Weight Loss?

You should never overuse or misuse diuretics. Continuous use might lead to metabolic abnormalities, extracellular fluid volume depletion, orthostatic hypotension, diuretic-induced hypokalemia, prerenal azotemia, glucose and lipid anomalies, and renal cell carcinoma (3), (4), (5).

Follow your doctor’s instructions and use them as and when necessary. Under no circumstances should you consume diuretics for weight loss. It damages your physical and mental health that might require more than medical care to recover from.

How Can Natural Diuretics Help?

Natural diuretics help get rid of the water weight and flush out the toxins without causing electrolyte imbalance.

Water weight is the water retained in the body due to the presence of high amounts of salt in your body. Getting rid of water weight is crucial if you want to kick-start weight loss.

Typically, water weight takes three days to get rid of if you combine it with diet and exercise (Check out our 1500 calorie diet plan if you are not sure about diet and exercise).

In this list, we have included fruits, herbs, and spices that you can take once a day to flush out toxins and jump-start weight loss without harming your organs or well-being. Here’s what you can consume to get rid of the water weight.

10 Best Natural Diuretic Foods To Flush Out Toxins

1. Cucumber

Cucumbers are low in calories and high in water content and minerals that help flush out toxins without causing electrolyte imbalance in the body (6). Cucumbers are also loaded with dietary fiber that helps increase satiety and improve gastric emptying.

How Much To Consume

Consume 1 cup of cucumber as a mid-morning or evening snack every alternate day.

Note: Do not consume if you are allergic to it. Do not consume raw, with the skin, and seeds if you have IBS/IBD.

2. Green Tea

Green tea is a natural healer. It is obtained from the plant Camellia sinensis. Green tea’s bioactive compound, epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), is responsible for its antioxidant activity (7). Consume green tea regularly to detoxify, boost your metabolism, re-energize the cells, and improve attention.

How Much To Consume

Consume 3-4 cups of green tea per day. Do not exceed this limit.

Note: Avoid consuming green tea if you are caffeine sensitive.

3. Cranberry

Cranberry juice is a very potent natural diuretic. It is mostly prescribed if you have UTI (Urinary Tract Infection). Cranberries are storehouses of nutrients. They are composed of 88% water, organic acids, vitamin C, flavonoids, catechins, and other bioactive compounds (8). Studies found that cranberries could help reverse insulin resistance and reduce fat accumulation (9), (10).

How Much To Consume

Consume 3 glasses (8 fluid ounces per glass) of cranberry juice for three consecutive days to get rid of the initial water weight. After the third day, consume 1 glass of cranberry juice per day.

4. Watermelon

Watermelon is a rich source of lycopene, a potent antioxidant (potent than beta carotene). It helps scavenge harmful free oxygen radicals, reduces body fat, and helps maintain normal cell function and division (11). It is also high in dietary fiber and water content that increases satiety levels, supports gastric emptying, and improves skin health. Consuming it regularly can help lower the toxin levels in your body and improve your overall well-being significantly.

How Much To Consume

Consume a cup of watermelon every alternate day.

Note: Juice it and strain it if you have digestive issues.

5. Celery

Celery is touted as a negative calorie food. That’s because metabolizing celery needs more calories than the actual calories it contains. It is also a good source of antioxidants and has anti-inflammatory properties (12). That’s why celery is a popular food when it comes to weight loss. The high-fiber content prevents you from feeling hungry quickly, thereby preventing you from consuming too many calories.

How Much To Consume

Consume ½ cup celery dressed in balsamic vinegar as an evening snack every alternate day.

6. Coconut Water

Coconut water is an excellent diuretic. It is also loaded with natural electrolytes and, therefore, will not cause any electrolyte imbalance. Coconut water also helps reduce serum lipid levels and inflammation in the body (13), (14), (15).

How Much To Consume

Drink 8-12 fluid ounces of coconut water twice a day.

7. Lemonade

Ever tried the master cleanse? It’s nothing but lemonade with a pinch of cayenne and maple syrup. It is a refreshing summer drink that works wonders in flushing out toxins from the body, maintaining electrolyte balance, boosting your immunity, and aiding weight loss.

How Much To Consume

Consume 8 fluid ounces of lemonade (master cleanse recipe) twice a day.

8. Coriander Seed Concoction

Coriander seeds have LDL or bad cholesterol lowering property (16). They also have anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, anticonvulsant, and antioxidant properties (17). To use them as a diuretic and flush out toxins from your body, use the following recipe:

Recipe

1. Add half a teaspoon of pounded coriander seeds to a cup of water.
2. Let the water boil for 5-10 minutes (keep the lid closed).
3. Remove from the flame, cool to room temperature, filter, and drink.

How Many Times To Consume

Consume this concoction once a day for 3 days.

9. Black Coffee

Coffee is a rich source of caffeine. Caffeine, an alkaloid, has a diuretic effect, flushing out water and salt from the body (18). But make sure to drink at least 3 liters of water per day if you drink coffee regularly as caffeine might cause excessive fluid loss from the body.

How Many Times To Consume

2 cups of black coffee per day.

Note: Avoid it if you are caffeine sensitive.

10. Cumin Seeds

Cumin seeds are natural diuretics and also have analgesic, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, kidney-protective, gastroprotective, liver-protective, and spasmolytic properties (19), (20). To use them as a diuretic, make this concoction:

Recipe

1. Add one teaspoon of cumin seeds to one cup of water.
2. Add in a pinch of Ceylon cinnamon powder.
3. Let the water boil for 10 minutes.
4. Cool to room temperature, strain, and drink.

How Many Times To Consume

Consume 8 fluid ounces of this concoction two times a day for three days.

Caution!

Do not consume any of the above foods without consulting your doctor. They might interact with the medicines you are currently on or worsen a medical condition.

There you go – 10 natural diuretics that flush out toxins and help in getting rid of excess water weight. These are great for improving metabolism, lowering inflammation, and reducing blood lipid levels. In a week, you will start to feel energetic again and become more proactive. Eat good and exercise regularly, and your weight gain problem would be taken care of. Have questions? Please drop them in the box below, and we will get back to you. Cheers!

References

1. “Diuretic complications.” The American journal of the medical sciences, US National Library of Medicine.
2. “Diuretics: a review and update.” Journal of cardiovascular pharmacology and therapeutics, US National Library of Medicine.
3. “Metabolic and adverse effects of diuretics.” Seminars in nephrology, US National Library of Medicine.
4. “Metabolic complications associated with use of diuretics.” Seminars in nephrology, US National Library of Medicine.
5. “Diuretics and renal cell carcinoma—What is the risk/benefit ratio?” Kidney International, Elsevier.
6. “Phytochemical and therapeutic potential of cucumber.” Fitoterapia, US National Library of Medicine.
7. “Beneficial effects of green tea: A literature review” Chinese medicine, US National Library of Medicine.
8. “Cranberries and lower urinary tract infection prevention” Clinics, US National Library of Medicine.
9. “A polyphenol-rich cranberry extract reverses insulin resistance and hepatic steatosis independently of body weight loss” Molecular metabolism, US National Library of Medicine.
10. “Cranberry Product Decreases Fat Accumulation in Caenorhabditis elegans” Journal of medicinal food, US National Library of Medicine.
11. “Watermelon lycopene and allied health claims” Experimental and clinical sciences journal, US National Library of Medicine.
12. “A Review of the Antioxidant Activity of Celery (Apium graveolens L)” Journal of evidence-based complementary & alternative medicine, US National Library of Medicine.
13. “Coconut water as a rehydration fluid.” The New Zealand medical journal, US National Library of Medicine.
14. “Dietary coconut water vinegar for improvement of obesity-associated inflammation in high-fat-diet-treated mice” Food & nutrition research, US National Library of Medicine.
15. “Beneficial effects of coconut water feeding on lipid metabolism in cholesterol-fed rats.” Journal of medicinal food, US National Library of Medicine.
16. “The cholesterol lowering property of coriander seeds (Coriandrum sativum): mechanism of action.” Journal of environmental biology, US National Library of Medicine.
17. “Effects of Different Levels of Coriander (Coriandrum sativum) Seed Powder and Extract on Serum Biochemical Parameters, Microbiota, and Immunity in Broiler Chicks” TheScientificWorldJournal, US National Library of Medicine.
18. “Mechanisms of caffeine-induced diuresis” Médecine sciences : M/S, US National Library of Medicine.
19. “A review on therapeutic potential of Nigella sativa: A miracle herb” Asian Pacific journal of tropical biomedicine, US National Library of Medicine.
20. “NEPHROPROTECTIVE AND DIURETIC EFFECT OF NIGELLA SATIVA L SEEDS OIL ON LITHIASIC WISTAR RATS” African journal of traditional, complementary, and alternative medicines : AJTCAM / African Networks on Ethnomedicines, US National Library of Medicine.

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Author

Charushila BiswasHealth & Wellness Writer

 

Charushila is an ISSA certified Fitness Nutritionist and a Physical Exercise Therapist. Over a span of 6 years, she has authored more than 400 articles on diet, lifestyle, exercises, healthy food, and fitness equipment. She strives to inform, educate, and motivate her readers via authentic, straightforward, and fact-checked information.

Read full bio of Charushila Biswas