What are Diuretics
Diuretics are substances that can increase urine excretion.
Diuretic drugs are used in the treatment of kidney failure, hypertension, glaucoma, liver cirrhosis and heart failure.
Diuretic abuse
Why do healthy people use diuretics?
The use of diuretic drugs is quite common in athletes and in people who want to lose weight very quickly. The reasons why healthy people use these drugs are essentially two:
- rapid weight loss (non-fat weight ...) which gives an apparent but not real weight loss. This effect is particularly sought after in sports such as boxing in which weight is essential to return to a specific category
- increase the elimination of pharmacological residues deriving from the use of doping substances or dilute their content so as to fall within the limits imposed by antidoping
The use of diuretics combined with physical activity is very dangerous, given that considerable amounts of liquids are already lost with sweating.
To defeat water retention, it is not necessary to use diuretics, just follow some tips that we have extensively covered in the articles "water retention" and "diet and cellulite"
Do diuretic foods exist?
Nature gives us many foods with marked diuretic properties. To realize this, it is enough to eat, for example, a slice of watermelon or some boiled asparagus.
The list of natural diuretics is very long, some are contained in commonly used foods, others in particular herbs from different countries of the world:
- pineapple: has an anorectic effect and promotes diuresis
- birch: helps fight against liquid stagnation (leaves)
- artichoke: this plant has the ability to stimulate liver and kidney function
- cucumber: has refreshing, purifying and diuretic properties
- onion: helps the natural production of urine
- horsetail
- infusion of walnut leaves
- fennel: in addition to the discreet vitamin and mineral content, they are rich in active ingredients that make them suitable for gastrointestinal problems and give them emmenagogue, antiseptic and diuretic properties
- apple: this very common fruit also hides marked diuretic properties
- nettle: the extracts of this plant improve kidney function by increasing the production of urine and accelerating the elimination of toxic substances.
- elder flowers
- corn stigmas prepared in the form of an infusion
- dandelion (or dandelion or showerhead): to purify the body by taking advantage of its strong natural diuretic properties we recommend an infusion of roots and leaves at 5% to be taken away from meals; tincture: 20 g in 100 ml of alcohol (for 10 days), 3-4 tablespoons per day between meals
OTHER DIURETICS: caffeine, theina, water low in sodium, grapes, celery, potatoes, borage, golden rod, pilosella.
REMEMBER that diuretics, even if natural, must be taken under medical supervision.
