Diuretic fruits and vegetables have several particularities. “They are rich in water, more than 90%, says Aurore Lavergnat, dietician-nutritionist, but not only! They also have a higher content of potassium than sodium. »Indeed, the latter is a water retentive and it is precisely for this reason that it tends, consumed in excess, to increase the blood volume, which results in an increase in cardiac blood flow with, at the key, risks of hypertension, and long-term heart failure.
What are the best diuretic vegetables?
1 - The artichoke: it provides 85% water, 427 mg of potassium per 100 g for only 33 calories.
2 - Asparagus: it contains 93% water and 202 mg of potassium per 100 g. It also provides asparagine, a molecule that stimulates the proper functioning of the kidneys. All for just over 23 calories per 100g.
3 - Eggplant: it provides almost 93% water and 235 mg of potassium per 100 g, and only 21 calories.
4 - Cucumber: it is practically only water since it contains 96%! It also provides 157 mg of potassium per 100 g, as well as silicon and sulfur, two substances that stimulate the kidneys. Another advantage: it is very low in calories: only 13 per 100 g.
5- Zucchini: it contains almost 95% water, 262 mg of potassium per 100 g and 16 calories.
6 - Spinach: with almost 92% water, 504 mg of potassium and 52 mg of magnesium per 100 g for 28 calories, spinach is a good diuretic food.
7 - Green beans: it contains a little more than 90% water and 224 mg of potassium and practically no sodium (3, 8 mg).
8 - Green salad: like cucumber, it is a vegetable that contains almost only water: 96%, and 260 mg of potassium per 100 g for 13 calories. In addition, it is filling!
9 - Tomato: it contains 94% water, 256 mg of potassium per 100 g and 18 calories.
What diuretic fruits to taste?
It's not just vegetables that are diuretic, fruits too! And especially in summer, but they are always a little more caloric than vegetables.
1 - Citrus fruits: lemon, orange, grapefruit provide between 87 and 90% water, between 141 and 157 mg of potassium and less than 2 mg of sodium, while remaining calorically reasonable with between 36 and 47 calories per day. 100g.
2 - Pineapple: it contains 86% water, 142 mg of potassium per 100 g, only traces of sodium and 53 calories. But it also contains bromelain, an enzyme with diuretic properties.
3 - Strawberry: delicious summer fruit, it provides 90% water, 171 mg of potassium per 100 g and less than 2 g of sodium for 34 calories.
4 - Melon: it provides as much water as watermelon: 91% water, slightly fewer calories per 100 g: 33, but more potassium: 335 mg.
5 - Watermelon: it provides 91% water, 129 mg of potassium per 100 g and 35 calories. It only has traces of sodium.
Diuretic fruits and vegetables: what benefits?
Diuretic fruits and vegetables have many health benefits.
"They promote, of course, a good diuresis by increasing the water bowl up to 1 liter per day, specifies the dietician. They therefore make it possible to eliminate toxins, pesticides, drugs, but also uric acid, urea, chloride, etc. They are also useful for combating cellulite, edemas, for maintaining acid balance -base of the organism, to have a good cardiac and arterial function, without forgetting their role in the prevention of urinary tract infections. "
It can be seen that diuretic fruits and vegetables are mainly spring and summer foods. There is no apple, banana, pumpkin ... "This is explained by the fact that it is at the end of winter that we need to drain, to purify his organism after eating richer foods during the cold months, ”says the dietician. Like the renewal of nature in fine weather, the body also needs renewal for its emunctory organs to function optimally.
Diuretic foods: what contraindications?
Although these are fruits and vegetables and therefore everyday foods, "diuretic foods should be consumed in limited quantities, not more than 100 to 150 g per day in some people," warns the dietician.
Who are the people at risk?
"These are those who suffer from kidney failure, uric lithiasis because certain diuretic foods such as asparagus or spinach are rich in purines, and people following a drug treatment based on diuretics to treat hypertension or another heart problem, ”says Aurore Lavergnat.
Diuretic foods: how much to consume?
Diuretic foods being seasonal, they are to be consumed daily in spring and summer.
"In terms of quantity, count between 150 and 200 g of vegetables with diuretic properties at each meal, and 150 g of fruit, which allows another meal to consume a non-diuretic fruit" suggests Aurore Lavergnat.
And so that these foods keep their diuretic quality, "we avoid, of course, salting them too much, otherwise we will have the opposite effect, and we limit the cooking which makes them lose their water", specifies the dietician.
What are diuretic drinks?
Any liquid promotes diuresis in the body, but some are more effective than others!
"This is particularly the case for coffee and tea whose diuretic properties come from caffeine and theophylline," says the dietician. These substances increase the filtering capacity of the kidneys. "
But these are not the only drinks to promote diuresis. There is, of course, water. "To maximize the diuretic action, choose mineral waters rich in magnesium and potassium," says the dietician. By way of example, we can cite Contrex, Courmayeur, Hepar, Rozanna, San Pellegrino…
"But, be careful, warns Aurore Lavergnat, these waters should not be drunk daily because they overload the kidneys. They are to be drunk for one to two months, and should be alternated with weakly mineralized waters, that is to say contain less than 100 mg of dry residue per liter. "This is the case, for example, of Mont-Roucous, Rosée de la Reine, Montcalm ...
Some herbal teas also have good diuretic action. "We must choose herbal teas made from meadowsweet, dandelions, cherry tails or hibiscus," suggests Aurore Lavergnat. But, be careful, you shouldn't drink more than 2 to 3 cups a day as a cure for a maximum of one month.
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