Affiliate Disclaimer
Some links in this article are affiliate links. We may earn a small commission if you make a purchase through these links, at no extra cost to you. We only recommend products we find useful to our readers
If you read science in the middle school, you would know that 60% of our body is made up of water. Spooky? Intriguing? Exciting? A mixture of all? Well, as much as this percentage of water plays a very significant role in a number of our activities concerning our well being, the excess water retention ends up inflicting negative implications in the body.
The excess of anything is never good which rules out the same for the water content in our body as well. The heightened levels of water not just makes you feel bloated and full all the time, it also tends to end up causing edema in parts of the body, thereby hindering with the blood circulation of the body.
In this article, we are going to be talking about the common and effective ways to reduce the excess water retention in the body for a healthier life and well being. That being said, these enlisted tips and tricks are for people who are overall healthy and have occasional complaints against water retention. If you are finding your symptoms to be something extreme, it is best to consult a doctor.
Check out these Remedies on Getting Rid Of Water Retention In Body
11 Tips to Reduce Water Retention
In this section, we will delve our attention to some of the easy and effective ways to get rid of the excess accumulated water in the body and aid ways to reduce the water retention for a healthier well being of an individuals.
1. Regular Exercises are a Must
Exercising is an amazing way to get rid of the excess water from the body by losing it via sweating. If you have been searching for ways on how to reduce water retention within a short period of time, exercising is an amazing way to go about it.
Studies (R) (R) have shown that a person on an average loses around 0.5-2 liters of fluid from their body on exercising for an hour or so.
Not just that, exercising also shifts excess water in the body back to the muscles and get rid of the appearance of the bloating around the body. Make sure to also be careful in replenishing the amount of fluid you are losing through the exercises; not doing so can result in dehydration.
If daily exercising is not something you want or can do, try hitting the sauna.
2. Get a Good Night’s Sleep
The amount of sleep that you get is just as important as the amount of food you ate or the kind of exercises that you did. Study (R) has shown that proper sleep triggers the sympathetic renal nerves in the kidney which plays the key role in the managing the levels of sodium and water in the body.
Not just that, sleep also helps regulate the levels of hydration in the body, thereby preventing the possibilities of water retention. Try and ensure that you are at least getting 7-8 hours of sleep every single day.
Read More:
3. Consume Some Electrolytes
Electrolytes, in simple terms, are the minerals which carry charge over it. They play a very crucial part in maintaining the water balance in the body. Any kind of alteration in the electrolyte levels in the body, be it more or even less, causes changes in the fluid balance of the body.
Maintaining a balance between the levels of electrolyte (R) as well as the water balance (R) is very important. If you are finding yourself retaining more water in the body, chances are that there is an altered level of electrolyte which is hindering with the process of proper excretion of the water.
4. Keep the Stress Levels in Check
While you must be thinking how do stress levels even confer to the levels of water in the body, right? Well, a study has pinpointed that the heightened levels of stress triggers the excess secretion of cortisol (R) in the body which ends up affecting the process of water retention in the body.
The same is because the levels of cortisol also affect the Anti diuretic hormone (ADH) which maintains the water balance in the body.
The proper maintenance of the stress levels ensures that your levels of cortisol and ADH in the body is also maintained, which is what helps in preventing water retention.
5. Salt Intake – Less or More?
Salt is one of those compounds which we can either end up consuming more than we should or the opposite of it. It plays a very crucial to maintain the levels of salt in the body (R) because the more or even lack of it affects the water balance in the body.
Consumption of more salt than necessary not just causes hypertension, it also ends up increasing the water retention (R) in the body, to ensure that even if the salt consumption is more, you balance it out with relative quantity of water to balance it out.
6. Magnesium Supplement Helps
Magnesium, along with sodium and potassium, play a very crucial role in maintaining the water balance in the body. While there are very limited studies regarding this, there are essential studies (R) (R) which have showcased the beneficial effects of magnesium in reducing the water weight in women during times of menstruation.
Make sure that you optimize the levels of consumption of magnesium because the altered levels can actually adversely affect one’s well being.
7. Dandelion Supplements Might Do the Trick
Dandelion is known for its amazing diuretic (R) properties. This is the primary reason why this is used as an alternative (R) to treating the excess water retention in the body.
The consumption of dandelion tea acts as a trigger to the kidney to flush out the excess levels of salt as well as the additional sodium in the body to aid in losing the unwanted water levels in the body that is the potential reason behind the edema because of the water retention.
Since there are limited studies and researches on this, it is always best to consult the doctor before you jump head first into trying this remedy out.
8. Cut Down the Carbohydrate Consumption
Are you here thinking why would carbohydrates even affect the levels of water in the body, right? Well, the carbs that we consume are often stored in our body as glycogen and it is known that glycogen pulls water to it when stored.
Statistics suggest that for every gram of glycogen that’s stored, it also retains 3-4 grams of water with it. This is the primary reason why the cutting down of carbohydrates from the diet ends up affecting one’s body weight so abruptly, primarily because it helps cut down the excess retained water in the body.
Not just that, the excess levels of carbs in the body also increases the levels of insulin (R) in the body which also inadvertently affects the sodium retention (R) in the body, hence the water retention in the body as well.
9. More Caffeine!!!
Coffee and tea and majority of the other sources of caffeine are loaded with compounds that project anti-diuretic properties in the body. This is what helps in hyping up the frequency of urination, thus, helping get rid of the excess water from the body.
Not just this, even a study (R) has confirmed this for a fact that caffeine amps up the rate of urination, thus reducing water retention (R) in the body. Make sure to drink coffee or tea in moderation to enjoy the beneficial effects of it and not something that would actually end up causing adverse impacts on the body.
10. Tweak Your Lifestyle a Bit
Habits and lifestyle contribute a lot to our body’s well being, especially when it comes to water retention. If you have been living off of processed foods and foods with high salt content, it is time to get rid of that habit and switch to something healthier.
Not just that, even the extended period of sitting often tends to hamper the blood circulation of the body which is what adversely ends up enhancing the water retention of the body. Try and walk instead.
Even some medications tend to increase the water retention (R) in the body, so if the same happens, try and consult your doctor if the condition of edema persists for extended periods of time.
11. Drink More Water
Don’t get deterred with this because how does one actually combat water with more water, right? Well, not really. If you are here thinking about how to reduce water retention, one of the easiest and the most effective ways is to increase the water consumption.
Majority of the time, excess electrolyte levels tend to cause water retention (R), so combating the same with more water helps bring the fluid balance back to normal, thereby prohibiting the retention of the water in the body.
If you are worried how to assess hydration, either check for the colour of the urine, if it is too yellow or concentrated, it is time to opt for some water.
Water retention is not something that one should take very lightly, primarily because of the fact that they can impact the body’s overall functions and well being. Persistent high levels of water in the body often tend to cause edema which can obstruct the circulation and hamper the overall normal functioning of the body. Thus, if you have been suffering from the same, it is time to opt for these above mentioned tips for effective results.
