Many specialists actively use traditional medicine for medicinal purposes. This is especially important for those patients who have contraindications to the prescription of chemical drugs. Herbal products are considered highly effective, and this is confirmed by the results of numerous studies. By using folk diuretics, it is possible to get rid of edema, but it is necessary to take into account what complex effect they have on the body and what effects can be achieved simultaneously.
Features of folk diuretics
When using folk diuretics, it is worth considering their features. In addition, it is advisable to first consult with a specialist about the possibility of such treatment in order to avoid undesirable consequences.
Features of the use of folk diuretics include:
- the development of allergic reactions, since many plants are allergenic, and they have the ability to cause corresponding reactions in humans. In this regard, when using a new folk method for the first time, it is necessary to reduce the recommended dose several times and monitor the body’s reaction for 6 hours. The drug should be discontinued if an allergic or any other pathological reaction begins to develop;
- the need to replenish the lack of potassium and magnesium, since folk diuretics can remove useful salts from the body. To replenish their deficiency, it is advisable to add oatmeal, raisins or grapes, rose hips, apricots or dried apricots, as well as rice and bananas to the diet.
Diuretics for diseases
Diuretics can be prescribed for many diseases and conditions:
- cardiovascular pathology;
- varicose veins of the lower extremities;
- hypertension;
- diseases of the urinary organs;
- liver diseases;
- pregnancy;
- allergies;
- presence of a tendency to swelling;
- errors in diet with a predominance of spicy and salty foods in the diet;
- being overweight.
If diuretics are started to be used against the background of a certain disease, then a person is often doomed to a lifelong struggle with excess fluid that accumulates in the body. If you use folk diuretics for hypertension, it is possible to keep this dangerous disease under control and prevent critical surges in blood pressure from occurring. If swelling occurs during pregnancy, then there is a possibility of serious health problems. And the fight against excess weight is impossible without the use of diuretic therapy, since excess fluid represents the presence of extra pounds on the body.
Action of diuretic herbs
When kidney function is impaired, their ability to filter and remove urine deteriorates, causing large amounts of fluid to accumulate in the body. This leads to the development of hypertension: pressure rises, legs swell, gas bags appear, and discomfort is felt throughout the entire genitourinary system.
Herbs or preparations based on them have a beneficial effect on such problems.
Through their action:
- swelling is relieved;
- toxic substances are eliminated from the kidneys;
- the development of inflammatory processes stops;
- the functioning of the cardiovascular system is normalized;
- blood pressure levels drop to normal;
- kidney function is restored;
- the action of pathogenic bacteria is suppressed.
The effect of diuretic herbs is soft, delicate, but quite active and effective.
Diuretics during pregnancy
During pregnancy, expectant mothers do not want to use chemicals, and the problem of swelling during this period is very pressing, so women often prefer taking folk diuretics. A pregnant woman can eat fruits and vegetables, which are characterized by a diuretic effect, without the risk of harming herself and the baby. During pregnancy, it is recommended to reduce the volume of fluid consumed - it is better to drink in small portions, but more often. Also, consumption of over-salted, spice-rich foods, fried and smoked foods, which contain large amounts of fat, is not allowed.
JUICES . It is allowed to consume freshly prepared monocomponent juices from pumpkin, carrots, and viburnum twice a day, ½ tbsp. glasses. You can perfectly quench your thirst and remove accumulated liquid with birch sap, but you can take it no more than 100 grams at a time, 2 times a day. In addition, during pregnancy you can drink freshly squeezed juices from blackberries, chokeberries or serviceberries 3 times a day, 1 tbsp. To prepare a drink from lingonberries or cranberries, you need to grind these berries with sugar and add water. This juice is drunk 3 times a day.
HERBS AND FUNCTIONS . Medicinal herbs and herbs that can be used during pregnancy include horsetail, birch leaves and buds, lingonberry leaf, orthosiphon leaves, bearberry leaf. But it should be borne in mind that all these folk remedies should be used during pregnancy after consultation with a doctor.
Diuretic herbal remedies such as parsley root, strawberries, juniper fruits, and bearberry are dangerous during pregnancy, because. they help the uterus contract.
Method of using herbs with a diuretic effect
It is better to take herbs with a diuretic effect twice a day, but this must be done before 16.00. To prevent the body from suffering from the loss of potassium excreted in the urine, dried apricots and avocados are included in the diet at the same time. Before taking decoctions and infusions, you should visit a doctor and, if necessary, take blood and urine tests. In case of nephrosis, it is forbidden to take plants containing substances that can irritate the renal parenchyma.
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You need to take diuretic decoctions, infusions or teas before meals for a course of 2-5 weeks. The dosage is different for each plant. Caution should be used when using herbs that contain large amounts of toxic substances: lovage, juniper, oregano, sage, hawthorn, calendula, cinnamon, coltsfoot, St. John's wort. If you exceed the daily dose, poisoning may develop.
Decoctions
The most popular method of using diuretic herbs is a decoction. They are used in complex therapy to complement and enhance the effect of the main treatment. Cooking recipes:
- Linden decoction. It has diuretic properties and is used for urolithiasis, inflammation of the bladder, and gout. Steam a tablespoon of linden blossom with a glass of boiling water, let it brew for half an hour, strain. You can add lemon balm or mint for taste. Take a glass per day.
- Horsetail. Useful for pyelonephritis, ascites, lead poisoning, urolithiasis. Brew a tablespoon of dry leaves with a glass of boiling water and drink throughout the day.
- Diuretic tea. Removes excess water, regulates kidney function. Combine strawberry leaves, St. John's wort, horsetail and motherwort in a ratio of 1:2:2:3. Take a tablespoon of the mixture, pour a glass of boiling water, leave for 15 minutes. Drink throughout the day.
Infusions
Water or alcohol infusions of herbs also have a diuretic effect. Vodka tinctures are prohibited for use by children, pregnant women, and patients with liver and gastrointestinal diseases. Some recipes:
- Combine a tablespoon of St. John's wort and calendula, pour a liter of vodka, leave for 14 days. Take 20 drops three times a day before meals.
- Pour three tablespoons of dried elderberry leaves into a liter of vodka and leave for two weeks. Drink a painkiller during exacerbation of pyelonephritis, 20-30 drops per day before lunch.
Juice
In summer, the use of juice of diuretic herbs and vegetables with fruits is especially popular. Freshly squeezed juices refresh, quench thirst and hunger, and remove excess fluid from the body. Popular recipes:
- Beets, carrots, cucumbers. Combine juices from these vegetables in equal proportions and drink half an hour before meals.
- Drink a third of a glass of parsley and celery during meals no later than 16.00.
- Diuretic cocktail. Mix in equal proportions the juices of viburnum, rowan, half of the lemon juice and 100 g of honey. Take a tablespoon three times a day after meals.
Diuretics for edema
With the correct use of natural diuretics for edema, you can achieve no loss of minerals and electrolytes.
FOREST MOUTH. A universal remedy for edema, especially if the cause of the edema is unclear, is a decoction of the roots of sedum. In addition to the diuretic effect, the plant strengthens the vascular wall well. To prepare the decoction, add 1 tbsp. chopped roots of sageweed 1 tbsp. boiling water and keep in a steam bath for 30 minutes or more, after which the broth is infused for 20 minutes and filtered. The resulting volume is diluted with boiled water until a full glass of decoction is obtained. The composition is taken 3 times a day 30 minutes before meals, 2 tsp.
TUNE AND BIRCH. An infusion of knotweed and birch leaves has a good diuretic effect. To prepare this infusion, you need to pour 1 tsp. of the specified mixture of plants 1 tbsp. water and boil for 15 minutes, then let sit for 30 minutes. The infusion is taken 2 times a day, morning and evening, ½ tbsp. regardless of food consumption.
BURDON . Burdock is also an effective natural diuretic. To prepare the infusion, you need the root of the plant. 1 tsp crushed raw materials are poured with 500 ml of boiling water and left to infuse overnight. This volume is divided into equal parts and taken over the next day.
FRUITS, VEGETABLES AND BERRIES . Possessing a natural diuretic effect is typical for cucumbers, pears, celery, tomatoes, parsley, melon, watermelon, cranberries and lingonberries. These vegetables and fruits can be consumed on their own or can be used in dishes.
TEA . An excellent remedy for combating edema is green tea, which, when brewed in half with fennel, is another natural diuretic.
Diuretics for weight loss
If you need to lose weight, the effect will be noticeable only when the body is freed from excess fluid. Thanks to this, not only will the numbers on the scale decrease, but the body will also become healthier and purified.
GREEN TEA . A strong diuretic used for weight loss is green tea, which should be the main drink consumed during the day. Thanks to its consumption, accumulated fluid is removed from the body and fat burning is accelerated, and the blood is thinned. The drink should be taken before meals without added sugar.
HERBAL COLLECTION . Another diuretic for weight loss is the collection of senna, dandelion, parsley, mint, nettle and dill. Tea made from plants has a good effect, which must be taken in the following volume: 20 grams of senna, parsley, dandelion, nettle and 10 grams of mint and Italian dill. 1 tsp mixture is poured 1 tbsp. boiling water and infuses. Tea is used for weight loss with increasing and then decreasing volume: you should start with 1 tbsp. and gradually the volume should be increased to 3 tbsp. per day, after which it gradually decreases again to 1 tbsp. glasses. This tea is taken after meals for 1 month. This tea contains both diuretic and kidney-activating components, which explains its effectiveness.
Diuretics for hypertension
Patients suffering from hypertension are recommended to take medications regularly, which is an effective means of preventing the development of complications. Often, medications have side effects, and therefore many patients prefer taking herbal remedies, which in most cases do not have a negative effect on their health.
Diuretic folk remedies for hypertension can be used as the only remedy or in combination with other drugs. It should be taken into account that during herbal medicine the therapeutic effect is achieved gradually. This may require taking herbal remedies for a longer period of time.
For hypertension, diuretic decoctions can be prepared from:
- lingonberries (leaves);
- strawberries (leaves);
- hawthorn;
- rosehip;
- bearberry;
- burdock.
Hawthorn is known for its beneficial properties, and it can be prescribed to patients with heart and vascular diseases. Taking hawthorn helps improve coronary blood flow, dilate blood vessels, and normalize the coagulation system.
Diuretic berries and vegetables
There are a number of foods that are diuretics in themselves. An affordable and effective remedy for edema is pumpkin, which, in addition to having a diuretic property, is excellent for removing toxins and bad cholesterol from the body.
- LINGONBERRY AND CRANBERRY . Diuretic berries are lingonberries and cranberries. To prepare an infusion from these berries, you need to boil in 3 tbsp. boil a handful of lingonberries with cranberries for 10 minutes. Then the broth must be allowed to brew for 3-4 hours and strain. This volume is drunk during the day in several doses.
- CUCUMBER AND CELERY . A cocktail made from cucumber and celery is beneficial for health. To do this, grind 1 cucumber and 3 celery pods in a blender, dilute with water and drink half a glass a day in 4 doses.
- STRAWBERRY . Strawberries are excellent for removing excess fluid from tissues, although most people perceive this berry as a source of vitamins and a delicacy. Strawberries become indispensable for swelling of the legs, which is typical for pregnant women, since they contain vitamin C and folic acid. And high blood pressure can return to normal not only due to the removal of excess fluid, but also by strengthening the walls of the capillaries.
- CHERRIES . Cherry is a diuretic berry, thanks to which the kidneys are washed, the body is filled with vitamins, flavonoids, and organic acids. At the same time, it contains almost no sugar, therefore, cherries are low in calories.
- ROSE HIP . Rosehip is an effective folk diuretic that does not remove calcium and other elements from the body.
- RAISINS, APPLE AND PUMPKIN. . If you take raisins in combination with apples and pumpkin, they will be an effective remedy with diuretic properties. Each of these products removes liquid, and together they enhance each other’s properties. To prepare the vitamin mixture, you need to take 1 kg of pumpkin pulp, a handful of raisins and 3 apples. The ingredients are crushed and 3 tablespoons are taken. mixture before meals. The product is indispensable during pregnancy, as it promotes the removal of fluid, retains calcium, and provides the body with many vitamins.
Indications for the use of diuretic herbs
The use of herbs with a diuretic effect has its own special indications. These include the following factors:
- swelling of the body due to renal failure;
- cystitis, urethritis, other infectious diseases occurring in acute or chronic form;
- heart failure, manifested by shortness of breath, swollen areas of the face and eyes;
- chronic glomerulonephritis in remission;
- food poisoning, toxins;
- hypertension.
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Poisoning
Strong diuretic plants help with poisoning. They significantly increase the flow of urine, removing toxins and poisons from the body. The most powerful plants for eliminating intoxication are rose hips, juniper, St. John's wort, nettle, and knotweed. Birch leaves, berries and lingonberry leaves, mint, and linden blossom are considered lighter in effect. Herbal infusions are made from them.
Heart failure and high blood pressure
Folk diuretics for heart failure or hypertension have a beneficial effect on the functioning of the heart and blood vessels. For hypertension, herbal medicine maintains blood pressure at a normal level. Plants that lower blood pressure by removing excess fluid include cranberry fruits, motherwort and yarrow leaves, birch buds, and hawthorn flowers. For heart failure, you can take a collection of leaves, seeds, branches and roots of hemlock, a mixture of viburnum with honey.
Kidney and urinary tract diseases
Diuretic herbs for the kidneys should be chosen especially carefully so as not to increase the load on diseased organs. For pyelonephritis, it is optimal to take infusions of bearberry, horsetail, to prevent kidney stones - rose hips, knotweed, parsley, nettle, birch leaves, branches and juniper buds. Teas, decoctions, and infusions are made from plants.
Diuretic herbs for urolithiasis help dissolve conglomerates. This is done by carrot seeds, rose hips with strawberries, parsley with lingonberry leaves. To eliminate swelling and prevent its recurrence, you can use a mixture of peppermint, nettle, lingonberry, corn silk or bearberry, fennel and parsley. They are brewed as a decoction and taken orally.
For swelling of the legs and under the eyes
Increased swelling of the legs is caused by chronic renal failure. It will not be possible to cure it completely, but at home you can try using diuretic herbs for swelling. They will help with swelling caused by pregnancy, thrombophlebitis, varicose veins, and systemic circulatory disorders. The best plants for relieving swelling of the feet: blue cornflower, fennel, licorice, juniper, chamomile, calendula, cherry blossoms, birch leaves.
The appearance of swelling under the eyes indicates poor nutrition (too much salt, water), lack of sleep. They can be eliminated by using herbal decoctions or taking infusions orally. The most effective plants against facial swelling: bear's ears, horsetail, rose hips, orthosiphon leaves. For lotions, compresses with chamomile, mint, and lemon balm are suitable.
For weight loss
If you are overweight or obese, using herbs with a diuretic effect will remove excess water. Herbal decoctions and teas will prevent electrolyte or potassium deficiency. The best diuretics for weight loss are: horsetail, milk thistle, birch leaves, parsley, black elderberry and chamomile flowers, linden blossom, mint leaves.
You can use coltsfoot, licorice or dandelion root, nettle, blackberry leaves, corn silk, flax seeds. These herbal remedies, in addition to their diuretic effect, have a mild laxative effect, speed up metabolism, and remove toxins and bad cholesterol. Proper use of herbal remedies allows you to lose weight by 3-5 kg in 2-3 weeks.
Diuretic herbs
Diuretic herbs include St. John's wort, bearberry, plantain, and nettle. To prepare a folk diuretic consisting of herbs, you need to take the above herbs in equal quantities, add rose hips, chop and mix. Then 1 tbsp. collection is brewed with 500 ml of boiling water, the composition is left to brew for an hour, then filtered. This volume is taken 3-4 times during one day. In addition, burdock, licorice root, lovage, juniper fruits, greens and parsley root are diuretics.
Diuretic herbs - contraindications
When purchasing a medicinal mixture, it is important to study its composition, since diuretic plants have contraindications. Lingonberries should not be used for inflammation of the urinary tract, horsetail – for nephrosis and nephritis, juniper – for pregnancy and problems with the stomach and intestines. Decoctions are not given to children under 7 years of age, and nursing mothers need to coordinate herbal treatment with a doctor.
Contraindications to treatment with diuretic herbs may include:
- kidney pathologies;
- lack of potassium in the body;
- urolithiasis disease;
- BPH;
- cirrhosis of the liver;
- a large amount of uric acid in the blood.