Diuretic Tea

Both tea and coffee can act as diuretics since they contain caffeine. Caffeine in the tea causes the person to urinate more frequently. A diuretic tea thus pulls excess fluid out of the body's tissues and helps reduce water retention. Natural diuretic teas can be prepared using various types of herbs and different types of tea leaves.

What is a Diuretic Tea?
Any tea made with traditional tea leaves exhibits mild diuretic properties. Almost all types of tea leaves contain caffeine which acts as a mild diuretic. Oolong tea, black tea, white tea or green tea, all carry diuretic properties. The diuretic properties of each tea may vary according to the amount of caffeine in the tea leaves. The more caffeine in the tea, the higher its diuretic properties. These days, herbal teas are more popular as they exhibit properties that help maintain health.

Homemade Tea
Dandelion tea made from dried leaves of dandelion plant is an example of herbal diuretic tea. Just pour hot water over dried dandelion leaves and leave them to steep for a few minutes. This will help extract the required compounds that are responsible for the diuretic action. Strain and the tea is ready to drink. Making the tea at home is thus very simple. A pre-made tincture of dandelion leaves is also available in market, if you don't want to use the leaves. In the same way, a diuretic tea using 'juniper berries' can also be prepared. You may also use a combination of dandelion leaves, juniper berries and ginger. All have diuretic properties and so can make the tea more effective.

Health Benefits
Green tea, which exhibits diuretic properties, has been in use since centuries in China. Such teas help increase the flow of urine and removal of fluids from the body. These teas can aid in removal of excess fluid in case of backache, prostatitis, sciatica, kidney stones, bladder ache, lymphatic swelling, scalding urine, gonorrhea, skin eruptions, premenstrual syndrome, water retention and obesity, etc. The teas help enhance the functioning of the kidneys, spleen, pancreas and stomach. They play the role of detoxifying agents as they help eliminate toxins from the system.

Side Effects
Overuse of some herbal teas may result in side effects, for example, overuse of juniper tea. Some teas can interfere with certain medications and thus, may result in health complications. Moreover, removal of excess fluid can increase the removal of important vitamins and minerals from the body, such as calcium, potassium, and other important electrolytes. Therefore, high consumption of teas that have diuretic properties may need simultaneous consumption of nutritional supplements, in order to compensate for the loss of important nutrients.

Actually, so-called diuretic teas do not have a diuretic effect unless you consume about 5-6 cups of tea in one sitting, because only then, more than 250-300 mg of caffeine is consumed. Studies show that only at a high dose of 300 mg of caffeine is a diuretic action seen. The diuretic property of tea might assist in weight loss along with other favorable properties. Only the diuretic property cannot help in weight loss.

Moreover, if you are thinking of consuming a traditional or herbal diuretic tea to lower the symptoms of water retention, you should consult a health care provider first. Water retention or edema can be a sign of a more serious problem in some cases. In spite of the health benefits and simple method of preparation, diuretic teas should not be consumed for medicinal purposes, without consulting a health care provider.