Foods That Fight Water Retention

Avoiding foods that lead to water retention and bloating will make you look and feel a lot better. To actively combat water retention, you'll want to make up for the foods that caused your problem by consuming things that help you flush your system. The first — and arguably most important — of those is water. 

Anyone who suffers from water retention should increase their water intake. Your body holds onto water more readily if you have a chronic shortage of it. We know you've heard this mantra a thousand times before but will bore you with it yet again because hardly anyone actually lives in accordance with it.

Women tend to have more of a problem with water retention than men, a fact that is due to hormones that regulate the menstrual cycle. Try foods rich in magnesium, potassium and calcium to help with chronic water retention. You could use a supplement like evening primrose oil, but you can get adequate amounts of these minerals through food alone if you know where to look. 

Anyone who suffers from water retention can try citrus fruits as a source of potassium. Leafy greens like spinach will also help you become less bloated, and make sure to add more tomato, celery, carrots, onions and peppers to your diet. Watercress is another food you can easily add to salads to fight water retention and bloating. 

Don't think you'll have to live off fruits and veggies alone to look and feel better, though. You can also try adding salmon and other foods that are rich in Omega-3 fatty acids, and nuts for vitamin B6 to your regular diet. Dandelion and ginger are also natural diuretics that are a natural part of some people's diets — you can add these to almost any meal. 

Read More: Water Retention (Edema): Causes, Symptoms and Treatments

Water retention can be caused by hot weather, using the contraceptive pill, other medications, or hormonal fluctuations caused by the menstrual cycle. Being bloated and holding onto water weight can also be the result of chronic venous insufficiency, kidney problems, heart failure, thyroid disease, and other serious medical conditions. Abdominal bloating can be caused by lactose intolerance or inflammatory conditions like Crohn's Disease.