How to Reduce Water Retention Naturally

Water retention, medically known as edema, can be caused by a number of issues. Women may retain water when they are pregnant or as a symptom of their menstrual cycles. Other causes of water retention may be more serious, even life-threatening, so consult a physician before treating it on your own.

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  You should have about a teaspoon of salt daily, no more. salt image by Andrey Rakhmatullin from Fotolia.com

  Reduce your sodium intake. The average salt intake should be no more than 2,400 milligrams daily. Don't salt your food and check the labels of processed food to find low-sodium varieties. Avoid foods with MSG, or monosodium glutamate. According to mothernature.com, high sodium levels attract water from blood into the cells, causing the cells to become oversaturated.

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  Eat veggies with a high water content. cucumber image by Holtea Silviu from Fotolia.com

  Eat more fruits and vegetables. Fruits and veggies contain a good amount of water. This can help you urinate more often, which helps flush excess water. The Mayo Clinic suggests looking for produce with a high water content such as watermelon, celery and cucumber.

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  Drinking water helps flush excess water in the body. Young woman drinking water. Woman With Water Glass. image by Monika 3 Steps Ahead from Fotolia.com

  Drink plenty of water. People should consume about eight 8-ounce glasses of water each day to support the process of the body. Drinking water also promotes urination, which can help flush excess water.

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  Lack of calcium, magnesium and potassium can cause fluid retention. Container of milk. Plastic milk bottle image by L. Shat from Fotolia.com

  Consume nutrients. According to mothernature.com, insufficient levels of potassium, calcium or magnesium can cause fluid retention. The recommend daily intake for potassium is 3,500 milligrams, calcium is between 1,000 and 1,500 milligrams and magnesium is about 400 milligrams. If you eat five servings of fruit and vegetables daily, you should be getting enough potassium. Calcium can be obtained through dairy; a quart of skim milk has 1,400 milligrams of calcium. Magnesium can be consumed through nuts, legumes, whole grains, green vegetables and bananas.

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  Alcohol can cause dehydration and thus fluid retention. alcohol image by Andrey Rakhmatullin from Fotolia.com

  Avoid alcohol. Alcohol may initially cause you to go the bathroom more, but it can also dehydrate you, resulting in mineral loss. The loss of minerals can result in fluid retention.