What are the 5 best natural diuretics?

Diuretics: definition and benefits

What are diuretics?

A diuretic is a substance that increases urine production by encouraging the excretion of water and certain minerals (particularly sodium) by the kidneys.

Diuretics generally work by:

• blocking sodium reabsorption, which increases the amount of sodium in the urine. As water follows sodium by osmosis, this leads to increased excretion of water; and/or
• influencing hormones (such as adolesterone) that regulate the balance of fluids and minerals (1).

Natural diuretics and diuretic drugs: what are their effects?

Diuretics are often used:

• to facilitate drainage: By increasing water excretion, they speed up the elimination of waste products and toxins released by the liver during the natural detoxification phase.
• to combat water retention: Sometimes the body is unable to evacuate water effectively, which can lead to a feeling of heaviness, blood pressure problems or oedema (swelling). Standing for long periods, hot weather, venous insufficiency, varicose veins and a diet rich in salt all contribute to water retention. Diuretics help you to eliminate excess water stored in the body.
• to maintain urinary health: Certain disorders, such as urinary lithiasis (the formation of kidney stones) or urinary infections, can be alleviated by increasing urine production.
• as a treatment or accompaniment for certain conditions: high blood pressure, heart failure, kidney failure, cirrhosis, hyperkalaemia (too high a level of potassium in the blood), etc.

Diuretic plants have been appreciated for centuries for their natural benefits (2). In more problematic cases, diuretic drugs are generally used, under the supervision of health professionals.

5 highly effective natural diuretics

Natural diuretics selected by a scientific advisory board

Now let's discover the best diuretic plants. A scientific study has identified no fewer than 85 different plants with proven diuretic effects (3).

Commission E, a scientific council that provides expert advice on the approval of natural substances used in traditional medicine, has approved 12 of them. Here is a shortlist of the 5 best, with practical advice on how to benefit from their effects on a daily basis.

Green tea (or guarana), a classic diuretic

More than 3.5 billion people drink tea (Camellia sinensis) every day, 20% of whom drink green tea.

Most of them are aware of its diuretic effect, linked to the caffeine and other methylxanthines (theobromine and theophylline) it contains. These stimulate the body's elimination function and help to drain the body (4).

In the kidneys, caffeine may hinder sodium reabsorption, increasing its excretion in urine and drawing more water along with it.

How can I benefit from the diuretic effects of green tea?

• Choose loose-leaf tea, which is generally of much better quality than tea bags.
• Store it in an airtight container, away from light and dry.
• Brew green and white tea in hot water at no more than 80°C to avoid degrading the many polyphenols, unlike black (fermented) tea, which can be brewed in boiling water.
• Avoid drinking it in the evening, both because of the activity of the caffeine and because of the tea's diuretic effects, which may wake you up at night to urinate.

Warning: Green tea may reduce the absorption of iron and may increase the risk of liver damage if taken in combination with plants that may have harmful effects on the liver (such as borage). One cup of green tea provides just 30 mg of caffeine, compared with 60 mg for black tea: this is not a lot, but be sure to avoid excess (do not exceed 500 mg a day).

Possible alternatives: other varieties of tea (white tea, oolong tea, black tea, etc.), coffee, yerba maté or guarana, because they all contain caffeine (guarana is found in particular in the synergistic water-retention food supplement Water Retention Formula).

Dandelion, the benchmark diuretic plant

Used for more than 2,000 years in traditional Chinese and Ayurvedic medicine, dandelion (with its very evocative French name pissenlit) or Taraxacum helps to facilitate renal elimination of fluids and maintain urinary functions (5).

One study (6) showed that the diuretic activity of its leaves could be compared to that of certain diuretic drugs (the "loop diuretic" family), which have a powerful and rapid action. In contrast, dandelion leaves act more gently.

The mechanism is still unclear, but their high potassium content compensates for the renal loss of potassium caused by most diuretics (7).

How can you benefit from the diuretic effects of dandelion?

• Harvest it yourself from damp meadows and/or before it flowers.
• Plan 4 to 6-week courses of treatment, using herbal teas.
• Infuse the equivalent of a large tablespoon of leaves per cup for 10 minutes, covered.
• Use a juice extractor to make your own dandelion juice: half leaves, half roots. Take two tablespoons in the morning and evening for a month in spring.
• In spring, serve young dandelion leaves in salads or blanched like spinach.

In food supplement form: some food supplements contain dandelion extracts (such as U-Tract Forte for urinary comfort, Kidney Detox Formula for kidney health and detox, or Water Retention Formula for water retention).

Warning: dandelion is contraindicated in cases of allergy and hypersensitivity, peptic ulcers and reflux (due to its bitterness) and renal colic.

Possible alternatives: horsetail, pilosella (which looks a lot like dandelion).

Stinging nettle, a plant with recognised effects on micturition

Stinging nettle (Urtica dioica) has long been known to relieve micturition difficulties by helping the kidneys to eliminate water (8).

The roots are used to help reduce urinary symptoms associated with benign prostatic hyperplasia (difficulty in urinating, frequent urges, feeling of incomplete emptying of the bladder, etc.) and the aerial parts for their diuretic properties.

How to benefit from the diuretic effects of nettle?

• Wearing thick gloves, harvest your own nettles: ideally the last 4 leaves on the stem, which are the youngest and most tender.
• Infuse the equivalent of a large tablespoon of nettle leaves per litre of water, covered, for 10 minutes. Drink up to 4 cups a day.
• Cook the young leaves in soup or add prepared leaves to a salad (the stinging hairs disappear when crushed, mixed, cooked or immersed in a liquid). You can also make nettle juice, pesto or butter with it.

In food supplement form: there are some particularly practical and safe nettle root food supplements, ideal for men suffering from an enlarged prostate (Nettle Root Extract is one example).

Warning: nettle is contraindicated in cases of renal insufficiency and heart failure, and it is not recommended for pregnant and breastfeeding women.

Possible alternatives: White Dead Nettle is also often used to promote renal elimination of water. Consume between 10 and 20 g of fresh plants per 250 ml of water, 3 cups a day.

Juniper berries, the autumnal counterpart to dandelion

Native to the Mediterranean basin, juniper (Juniperus) is traditionally used to help the kidneys eliminate fluids and support the body's detoxification process (9).

Its diuretic properties come from its berries, which are harvested ripe in autumn (when they are at their best) on the edges of forests and in mountainous regions.

The autumn juniper cure is in some ways the equivalent of the spring dandelion cure.

How can I benefit from the diuretic effects of juniper berries?

• If you can, harvest the berries yourself, wearing thick gloves. Take care to pick only the ripe berries (deep blue-black in colour). Then leave them to dry, either in the open air for several days or weeks (in a single layer on a wire rack or sieve in a warm, dry, well-ventilated place away from direct sunlight) or in the oven (at the lowest possible temperature for several hours). Then store in airtight containers for up to a year.
• Infuse two dried berries in a cup of boiling water for 10 minutes, then strain. You can drink up to 3 cups a day.
• If you prefer, you can grind the berries, mix them with hot water and filter the liquid.
• You can also take it as a tincture (available in pharmacies and without prescription): 10 to 20 drops in a glass of water, up to 3 times a day.
• Do not exceed 3 weeks of natural treatment (juniper is a long-term renal irritant) and do not exceed 7 g of berries per day.

Warning: juniper is contraindicated in cases of nephropathy, renal colitis and cardiac and/or renal insufficiency, and may run the risk of renal toxicity. It should also be avoided during pregnancy. Finally, juniper berries interact with a number of medicines: consult a health professional before considering a natural juniper berry treatment.

Meadowsweet for increased urination

Last in our selection of natural diuretics, meadowsweet (Filipendula ulmaria) has a notable similarity to white willow: both plants contain salicylates, precursors of salicylic acid (the active ingredient in aspirin).

Like the others, meadowsweet helps to increase renal elimination of water, mainly thanks to its high potassium content, which helps to regulate water balance. It is traditionally recommended for gout attacks, as it is thought to facilitate the elimination of uric acid by the kidneys (10).

How can you benefit from the diuretic effects of meadowsweet?

• Pick the flowers yourself (taking care not to confuse them with black elder or hawthorn). Leave them to air-dry in a sieve in a dry, well-ventilated place out of the sun.
• Infuse 1 to 2 tablespoons of dried flowers (3 to 6 g) in 250 ml of boiling water for 10 minutes, then strain. Drink up to 3 cups a day.

Caution: Meadowsweet is contraindicated for people with an allergy to aspirin, asthma, renal insufficiency and gastritis, as well as pregnant women.

Possible alternatives: borage leaves (20 g per litre of infusion), which contain potassium nitrates. Use sparingly, as they also contain a small amount of pyrrolizidine alkaloids, which can be harmful to the liver in large doses or over the long term.

Synergistic formulas to combat water retention

Are you primarily looking for natural diuretics to combat water retention?

There are synergistic food supplements that combine several of the diuretic plants mentioned: dandelion extract, meadowsweet, caffeine-rich guarana, etc. (this is the case with the Water Retention Formula mentioned above, which also contains a patented prickly pear extract, tested for its diuretic effects).

A reminder about taking diuretic plants

Before starting any natural herbal treatment, make sure there are no contraindications. You should also follow the dosage instructions for the food supplements.

It is important, for example, to avoid any electrolyte imbalance or dehydration caused by an excessive increase in the frequency of urination. If in doubt, consult a health professional.

Pregnant women and children are advised to get the approval of such a professional before taking medicinal plants, even in infusion form.