# Natural Diuretics? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 5, 2006, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/natural-diuretics/351428 "2006-04-05T16:52:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![tiny\_ham](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a183cd/32.png) [@tiny\_ham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tiny_ham)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2006, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/natural-diuretics/351428/1 "2006-04-05T16:52:09Z")
I’m going in for an egg harvesting procedure tomorrow morning and it involves being on a saline IV to stay hydrated, and depending on how long I have to wait for the doctor, I can sometimes go through one to three bags of this saline. The result is that when i’m home after the appointment I feel like a bloated balloon, super uncomfortable and achy. Because I’m on so many fertility medications to start, I don’t want to throw some sort of diuretic into the mix, but are there natural ways to get rid of the extra fluid? Is cranberry juice the answer or is that just for flushing the kidneys? ---
**Author:** ![cher3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/da6949/32.png) [@cher3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cher3)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2006, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/natural-diuretics/351428/2 "2006-04-05T17:09:46Z")
Chamomile tea is a mild diuretic, if you want to avoid caffeine. ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2006, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/natural-diuretics/351428/3 "2006-04-05T17:10:56Z")
Dandelion leaves are a great natural diuretic with lots of potassium. Potassium is lost in urine, so it’s handy to have in the leaves. Young dandelion leaves are available in most high end grocery storesand ethnic markets. They can be eaten raw, steamed, stirfried - basically, anything you can do with spinach. You can also find dandelion tea. Dandelion root is minorly diuretic, but leaf is more effective. If you have access to a good yard of untreated dandelion, pick the leaves and then soak them in a large bowl of water for 15 minutes and carefully skim them off. Any dirt or sand will fall to the bottom of the bowl. > [@www.florahealth.com/flora/home/canada/healthinformation/encyclopedias/dandelionleaf.asp#Contraindications](#): > > Contraindications: > Dandelion leaf is contraindicated in cases of bile duct blockage, gall bladder empyrema, ileus or bowel obstruction of any kind. In cases of gall stones, seek the advice of a qualified physician. Dandelion leaf latex may cause contact dermatitis in susceptible persons, though rarely observed. ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2006, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/natural-diuretics/351428/4 "2006-04-05T17:15:58Z")
**cher3** , while Gerarde claims chamomile is diuretic, I can find no other sources claiming such, and it is not a widely recognized property of chamomile. Can you point me to any research or more modern claims for chamomile being diuretic? I want to keep my knowledge current. ---
**Author:** ![cher3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/da6949/32.png) [@cher3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cher3)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2006, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/natural-diuretics/351428/5 "2006-04-05T17:25:33Z")
Nope, just based on hearsay and experience. You’re the expert. ---
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2006, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/natural-diuretics/351428/6 "2006-04-05T17:31:44Z")
Am I crazy, or isn’t water itself a fairly good diuretic? ---
**Author:** ![PatriotX](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c4cdca/32.png) [@PatriotX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatriotX)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2006, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/natural-diuretics/351428/7 "2006-04-05T17:36:26Z")
I’m not really clear on what sort of a distinction you’re drawing between “some sort of diuretic” and “natural ways to get rid of the extra fluid.” I’d think you were looking for answers like ‘exercise’ (for the sweating) except you mention cranberry juice. Would coffee and tea count as “some sort of diuretic” or would they count as “natural ways to get rid of the extra fluid?” ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2006, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/natural-diuretics/351428/8 "2006-04-05T17:37:21Z")
> [@cher3](#): > > Nope, just based on hearsay and experience. You’re the expert. Got it. Thanks! BTW, **tiny ham** , cranberry doesn’t “flush the kidneys” in any way water doesn’t. It may or may not help prevent certain bacteria from sticking to cell membranes to prevent UTI’s in the first place. Research is still being done on that hypothesis. (Recent studies have been positive.) “Flushing” just means giving the kidneys extra H2O to process, which isn’t what you need right now. Go be as a bunny. Just don’t eat any sprayed dandelions. (IANAD, This is not medical advice, dandelions are consumed world-wide as food, not medicine, blah, blah, blah.) ---
**Author:** ![tiny\_ham](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a183cd/32.png) [@tiny\_ham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tiny_ham)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2006, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/natural-diuretics/351428/9 "2006-04-05T18:32:45Z")
Let me clarify what I’m trying to do. I’m being pumped up with three liters of saline while I wait around waiting for the procedure. If I don’t have to wait as long, sometimes it’s only one liter…but it all depends. The result is extreme, painful bloating for about two days. That’s what I’m trying to get rid of. I assume what I’m trying to do is pee it out. Can’t exercise, I’ll be on bed rest. I guess I could turn the heat up to 85 degrees in the house, but hubby and dog won’t really dig it 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2006, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/natural-diuretics/351428/10 "2006-04-05T18:46:56Z")
Is there anything _unnatural_ about a six-pack of good beer? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![PatriotX](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c4cdca/32.png) [@PatriotX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatriotX)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2006, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/natural-diuretics/351428/11 "2006-04-05T19:01:32Z")
Perhaps you could ask them to reduce the flow of the IV. It doesn’t have to run full bore. ---
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2006, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/natural-diuretics/351428/12 "2006-04-05T19:04:10Z")
> [@WhyNot](#): > > “Flushing” just means giving the kidneys extra H2O to process, which isn’t what you need right now. A simple question, perhaps: why isn’t the OP’s body naturally flushing out the extra water in her body once she leaves the doctor’s office? Caveat (perhaps TMI): I am an “easy pee-er” … when someone else says something like “I can’t pee!”, I can’t relate. ---
**Author:** ![tiny\_ham](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a183cd/32.png) [@tiny\_ham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tiny_ham)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2006, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/natural-diuretics/351428/13 "2006-04-05T19:27:41Z")
> [@bordelond](#): > > A simple question, perhaps: why isn’t the OP’s body naturally flushing out the extra water in her body once she leaves the doctor’s office? > > Caveat (perhaps TMI): I am an “easy pee-er” … when someone else says something like “I can’t pee!”, I can’t relate. I guess maybe because it’s saline, so it’s being “Retained” like water weight? And I’m actually NOT an easy peee-er. It flushes out but it takes about two days. I’d rather not have it take that long so I’m looking to pee longer, faster, better, stronger. ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2006, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/natural-diuretics/351428/14 "2006-04-05T19:53:05Z")
Okay, there’s 3 ways the body can get rid of water. You can pee it, but there is a limit to how much your kidneys can process in a day. You can have diarrhea, which will drain a person pretty fast. Or you can sweat. The one that’s easiest to control, assuming your kidneys are working at full capacity, is sweat. Diarrhea is easy to induce, but not so easy to stop on cue. For sweat, all you need is to lie in a hot bath until the water cools. If you’re still puffy, do it again. ---
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2006, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/natural-diuretics/351428/15 "2006-04-05T20:32:25Z")
> [@tiny ham](#): > > I guess maybe because it’s saline, so it’s being “Retained” like water weight? And I’m actually NOT an easy peee-er. It flushes out but it takes about two days. I’d rather not have it take that long so I’m looking to pee longer, faster, better, stronger. Gotcha. I knew people varied a lot on urination tendencies. If I had a saline drip going like you did, I’d be a peeing fool for a bit, then be back to normal. Inducing diarrhea … hmmm … maybe treating yourself to a nice Mexican or Indian dinner can help? If you happen to be lactose intolerant, you can always drink some milk.