Natural Remedies for Edema (water retention problem) in Both Males and Females
Retaining excess water in the body is a problem that women in particular are prone to, especially premenstrual.
Both men and women can be susceptible, however.
Particular “holding” areas are the fingers, under the eyes, and (thanks to gravity) the ankles and feet.
Water retention may be one of the many symptoms of a faulty or congested liver.
It can also be connected to the hormone system, the heart, and the kidneys.
When the liver becomes overburdened with toxins, it cannot keep up with its work and so passes on the job to the kidneys, which in turn may overload and stagnate.
The same applies to an overburdened circulatory or lymphatic system.
Constipation, diabetes, and thyroid problems can also cause edema, so individual diagnosis and treatment will be necessary.
Here are some possible ways to avoid edema
- Avoid refined salt, unless you are told specifically not to do so by a practitioner.
- Avoid foods that exacerbate the problem, like dairy and wheat products.
- Include plenty of leeks, parsley, celery seeds and sticks, and cucumber.
- For fruits, choose apples, pears, melons, peaches, pineapples, and bilberries.
- Eat plenty of dark green vegetables, chlorella, and other algae, which are rich in B vitamins, particularly B6.
- Herbs that remove excess water are easy to find, the safest being dandelion root.
- Use in teas or tinctures. In addition, when in season, the leaf can go into fresh salads.
- A colon cleanse will help balance the water level in the body and relieve the edema.
- A liver cleanse will be useful along with a kidney cleanse; this combination will make the kidneys work much more efficiently.
- Massage the affected areas with one teaspoon of juniper oil in one cup of base oil, or add 4 drops of juniper oil to your bathwater.
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