A diuretic food is any food that assist with the excretion of water from our bodies. This can help you flush your body, removing toxins in the process. This has a number of beneficial effects, most importantly, reducing blood pressure.
So if you’re looking to add foods with diuretic properties, here’s a list of 8 great diuretic foods that you can try to add to your diet. In addition to being diuretics, they also have a number of other health benefits:
1. Spinach
Spinach is not only Popeye’s favorite foods but also a vegetable with diuretic properties. The veggie is also a rich source of vitamin A and C, giving you up to 20 calories per serving. Remember that raw spinach will usually provide greater nutritional value than cooked spinach. But you can eat them both ways – as leaves in salads or cooked.
2. Grapes
Grapes are another natural diuretic. They were first introduced to America by Spanish explorers 300 years ago. There are around 8000 varieties of grapes around the world and they belong to 60 species. You’ll get plenty of vitamin C and K if you consume at least a cup of grapes a day.
3. Green Beans
Green beans are consumed and harvested with pods before their seeds have matured. People use green beans not only for their diuretic properties, but also their flavor and freshness which can be remarkable.
4. Kale
Kale has many diuretic properties. But more importantly, this food is seen by many as a nutrition powerhouse with everything you ever need in a leafy green.
In addition to being a diuretic, kale is an incredible source of vitamin K, C and A, as well as an excellent fountain of calcium and potassium. Kale’s leaves vary in color which you can find from black to purple depending upon the variety. Preparing the leaves with olive oil or even cooking them in garlic is always a good idea.
5. Collard Greens
This under-appreciated veggie also has diuretic properties, but most of us don’t know much about them. In addition, collard greens are a great souce of soluble fiber and vitamin C containing plenty of nutrients with some anti-cancer properties.
6. Broccoli
This veggie is a rich source of vitamin C and A as well as folic acid and potassium. Broccoli adds both color and crunch to any stir-frie out there thanks to its florets and stalks. Kids tend to like broccoli best when this veggie is mixed with yogurt, though they might like it steamed or raw (or not like it at all!). This is a great diuretic to add to your diet.
7. Cabbage
Cabbage is another important source of vitamin C. You should consider cabbage as the workhorse of your kitchen, which can be cooked as well as added raw to any salad out there. You can even use cabbage with your favorite stir-frie or shredded into your favorite slaw.
8. Iceberg Lettuce
Iceberg Lettuce is a very popular leafy green which has many diuretic properties. This veggie is composed mostly of water. Many people prefer the crispness of this lettuce over other kinds of darker greens. Though iceberg lettuce is not as nutritious as kale and some other greeens, this veggie is not a bad food for you at all.
Conclusion:
Well there’s our list of some of the best diuretic foods. As always, use them in moderation. Here’s a further list of 30 more foods if you need even more selection.
If you have any questions, please feel free to leave a comment below.
