You step on your bathroom scale, only to find that it's registering an unexpected extra 1 kg. Chances are that your body is retaining water, not stockpiling fat. The extra pounds of water can and will make you look and feel fat. Many average healthy adults experience some water retention and the accompanying weight gain that occurs. The day to day body weight fluctuations are commonly caused by the loss and gain in body fluid.
What is Water Retention?
Water retention is also known by its more medical term, edema. This is a condition that results when water leaks into the body tissues from the blood. In normal circumstances, the fluid is drained from the body tissues through the lymphatic system, a network of tubes throughout the body that removes waste and extraneous material, and empties it back into the bloodstream.
However, when fluid is not removed by the lymph system properly, it is retained in the body tissues where it causes swelling (edema). Water retention is most common in the feet and legs, but it can occur in the hands, arms, abdominal cavity (ascites) and around the lungs (known as pulmonary edema).
What are the symptoms of Edema?
Symptoms of fluid retention can include:
- Swelling of affected body parts.
- The affected body parts may ache (feet, ankles and hands are commonly affected).
- The joints may feel stiff.
- Rapid weight gain over a few days or weeks.
- Unexplained weight fluctuations.
- When pressed, the skin may hold the indent for a few seconds (pitting edema).
- In other cases, the skin may not indent when pressed (non-pitting edema).
What are the causes of Edema?
Causes of edema include:
- Eating too much salt
- Sunburn
- Heart failure
- Kidney disease
- Liver problems from cirrhosis
- Pregnancy
- Problems with lymph nodes, especially after mastectomy
- Some medicines
- Standing or walking a lot when the weather is warm
What should I do?
Depending on the cause, treatment may include:
- Avoiding salty fries, pizza, salted nuts and other convenience foods. Cut down on foods containing hidden salt. These include some processed foods, salad dressings, cereals and canned soups. Become a label reader. Moreover, don't add salt during the cooking process and stop salting your meals at the table.
- Lifestyle changes in response to the underlying medical condition. For example avoidance of alcohol, if liver disease is the cause.
- Changes to medication or dosage, if drugs are the cause.
- Dietary adjustments, if malnutrition is the cause.
- Cut back on dehydrating drinks such as tea, coffee and alcohol.
- Cranberry juice has a mild diuretic action.
- Lie down with your legs higher than your head when possible.
- Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) is thought to help in cases of mild fluid retention. Good sources of vitamin B6 include brown rice and red meat.
- Vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid), calcium and vitamin D help the body to excrete excess fluids. Include fresh fruits and low fat dairy foods in your daily diet.
- Exercise regularly.
Which foods are recommended?
Foods that are diuretic in nature should be eaten with moderation. Here are some of the foods which are recommended:
- Apple juice (stimulates kidneys and liver)
- Bananas (also a good source of potassium)
- Beets
- Cabbage
- Carrots
- Cranberry juice
- Cucumber
- Grapes
- Green tea
- Tomatoes
- Watermelon
- Yogurt
- Garlic
- Onions (raw)
And finally, Drink plenty of water (up to 2 litres a day). Although many people think that if they're accumulating fluid in their bodies then a sensible solution is to drink less, this isn't the case. Drinking water does not make you retain fluid but it does promote proper kidney functioning. This is vital as your kidneys excrete excess water from your body.
