Diuretic herbal teas help fight water retention and swelling while purifying the kidneys and liver. Here are the best ones and how to prepare them at home. Diuretic herbal teas represent a valid help to stimulate diuresis and thus dispose of excess fluids due to a pervasive disorder: water retention. This pathology, often associated with particular moments in a woman’s life, such as menstruation, pregnancy, or menopause, presents, among its primary symptoms, edema or swelling in the hands, feet, lower and upper limbs, face, and eyelids.
Although drinking more water, reducing the consumption of salt and complex sugars, or eating foods rich in potassium are habits that can help reduce the symptoms of water retention, very often, to combat this ailment effectively, it is necessary to resort to diuretics which, by favoring the expulsion of sodium, also allow the drainage of excess fluids. In this case, in addition to pharmacological remedies, there are also natural diuretics, drinks or herbal teas, flowers, and plants, which have the advantage of having no side effects and therefore can be safely taken by everyone, as long as you do not exceed the recommended doses.
The effectiveness of diuretic herbal teas is mainly linked to caffeine’s presence, which, by stimulating urination, promotes diuresis; however, there are also natural caffeine-free diuretics, which owe their draining action to the diuretic properties of some plants. In addition to reducing swelling, many of these drinks also promote good functioning of the kidneys and liver, lowering blood pressure and reducing body weight.
Diuretic Herbal Teas Effective Against Water Retention
Whether water retention is due to a transient condition, such as the menstrual cycle, or linked to a permanent disorder, such as poor circulation or a malfunction of the kidneys or thyroid, the intake of diuretic herbal teas undoubtedly represents an adequate remedy. Among the most used natural diuretics there is undoubtedly green tea. Stimulating diuresis and promoting fat metabolism also facilitates the drainage of liquids, and nettle herbal tea is also often used to combat urinary problems.
In addition to these, numerous other drinks or herbal teas used consistently are good natural diuretics. Below are some diuretic teas that are effective in countering water retention; remember, in any case, that before starting to take diuretics, it is necessary to seek the advice of a doctor, especially if you are taking drugs or suffer from some pathology.
Artichoke Herbal Tea
Artichoke tea is undoubtedly one of the most effective diuretic teas: the presence of cynarin, a substance with strong purifying and diuretic properties, helps our body to detoxify. The artichoke infusion, prepared by soaking about fifteen leaves, or the chopped stem of an artichoke, in two cups of boiling water for about 10 minutes, then filtering everything with a sieve, in addition to purifying the liver, stimulating diuresis and promoting digestion, is also helpful in deflating the belly and reducing water retention.
The artichoke is also rich in potassium, a mineral that facilitates the regulation of sodium levels and the consequent expulsion of liquids from our bodies. The recommended dose of artichoke herbal tea against water retention is 3 cups a day; the infusion can be drunk hot or cold and kept in the fridge for no more than 3 days. Artichoke herbal tea is also helpful in slimming diets because it promotes weight loss.
Nettle Herbal Tea
The nettle herbal tea, rich in vitamins and antioxidants, including chlorophyll and beta-carotene, is a real panacea for our body, especially its diuretic, anti-inflammatory, and antibacterial properties. Regularly drinking nettle decoction prepared with about 50 grams of dried leaves infused for 15 minutes in a liter of boiling water, in addition to promoting the proper functioning of the kidneys, also protects us from some prevalent ailments such as kidney stones and infections to the urinary tract. The recommended dose, in this case, is about 2 cups of nettle herbal tea per day; if you use fresh ones instead of dried leaves, be very careful not to touch them with your bare hands.
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Green Tea
Among the diuretic herbal teas, we must undoubtedly include green tea, obtained from the infusion of the tea plant leaves collected and dried in the sun without undergoing any other type of processing. It is rich in antioxidants, such as flavonoids and tannins and boasts a fair presence of caffeine. This tea reduces water retention as it promotes urination and accelerates metabolism.
From green tea, matcha tea is also obtained, a traditional Japanese drink, also used in the Buddhist rite, obtained from the pulverization of the same leaves of Camellia Sinensis, or tea plant. This process makes it possible to get a tasty drink that maintains all its organoleptic properties, including diuretic, stimulating, and detoxifying properties. To prepare matcha tea, simply obtain green tea powder in any herbalist’s shop, which will be infused in a ceramic cup with water at a temperature below boiling point.
Ginger Tea
Ginger root, very rich in antioxidants, is considered a superfood capable of counteracting numerous ailments and diseases. The herbal tea with grated ginger root infused for 20 minutes in boiling water is also beneficial in the case of water retention. In fact, in addition to strengthening the immune defenses, significantly if enriched with lemon juice, promoting digestion and calming nausea, it also helps reduce body weight and keep diabetes under control. Also excellent for detoxifying the liver, ginger tea acts on the adrenal glands, accelerating metabolism and burning excess fat and fluids. Therefore, it is also ideal for those swollen hands and feet due to water retention.
Horsetail Herbal Tea
Speaking of natural diuretics, we cannot mention horsetail tea, a medicinal plant that grows spontaneously in meadows and gardens, which breeders used to tie to the horses’ tails to chase away flies. Being very rich in silicic acid, which has protective functions against joints, blood vessels, and tissues, horsetail can treat ailments such as gout and varicose veins and is also very useful for counteracting water retention and urinary tract infections. The preparation of the horsetail infusion is effortless: take about 2 teaspoons of dried horsetail leaves for each cup and infuse them in boiling water for about ten minutes. The recommended dose for sound diuretic effects is 2 cups a day.
Diuretic Herbal Teas: Tips And Contraindications
We have therefore seen as many as 8 diuretic herbal teas encountered in the case of swelling of the hands and feet following water retention. Depending on your tastes, you can prepare the infusions you love the most, giving a hand to other organs such as the liver, kidneys, and pancreas. It is necessary to evaluate the state of water retention and consult a professional in the most challenging situations without abusing these natural diuretics. As for the contraindications of the diuretic herbal teas that we have just seen, it is necessary to evaluate if you suffer from any allergy to one or more of the ingredients that compose them.
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