What retains fluid in the body. Products that retain water in the body

: “milk floods,” which means that during the “drying” process, the consumption of dairy products prevents this very drying, that is, the desired reduction in the percentage of fat in the body.

As a detailed answer, we adapted a detailed, sometimes scientific, sometimes emotional post by Dmitry Pikul (LJ user znatok-ne).

“Milk” on “drying” and other myths

Athletes, by no means knowledge, which they mistakenly take for “inspiration/experience/intuition” and according to the conventions and dogmas passed on from mouth to mouth, invented by someone, all of them, without exception, make heroic decisions to demonize and completely refuse dairy products during “drying” .

And the word “drying” itself is not interpreted correctly by everyone, and for the most part, people simply lose weight rather than “dry.” After all, according to athletes who are not intellectually disfigured, if you are not stressed by the poverty of your diet, consisting of a monoset of low-fat foods, and do not follow a bunch of mythological rituals, then you will certainly not lose weight...

And there are a lot of myths there: this is the fear of insulin, and the fear of carbohydrates (especially “fast/simple” or with a high glycemic index), some kind of far-fetched timing for the distribution of nutrients throughout the day (in the morning we eat only carbohydrates, in the evening we switch only to proteins, etc.), intermittent fasting as an effective tool specifically for improving fat burning (they say, increasing the time of night hunger, it’s scary how it will improve fat burning compared to if you don’t do this), fasted cardio, eliminating table salt from the diet, and, of course, the exclusion of dairy products (after all, “milk makes you sick”).

And for some reason, few people think about why one should so blindly adhere to all these rituals of the knights of the “Order of the Pancake and the Vulture”?! Here everything is simple for them: if you don’t suffer, then you simply don’t understand anything about diet or “cutting”. If you don’t get out of bed in the morning with spots before your eyes and a dizzy head, then you are at least a weakling, and perhaps even more - a loser.

The introduction was too emotional; I didn’t want to offend or offend anyone. In addition, we are not talking about this at all: I want to touch on the already set sore topic of a very large-scale myth that has firmly settled in the minds of athletes and has long spread to “fitness” and ordinary “dieters”, and this myth is about dairy products and their demonization on a diet.

Scientific research against the myth that milk promotes fat gain

Dairy products have a really high insulinemic index, higher than many carbohydrate products. However, research does not confirm its effect on fat gain. IN The whole point is that for any athlete or simply dieter, as part of a diet, it is precisely from the point of view. fat burning process it does not matter at all with what insulin index (or glycemic index) the products are consumed . As long as there is a calorie deficit (an honest and real deficit), the person will lose weight. That's all, no other magic.

If the carbohydrate-insulin hypothesis were correct, then one could argue that a diet high in dairy products should promote weight gain. However, a number of scientific studies have failed to find any connection between the consumption of dairy products and weight gain (a full list of studies and references used is at the bottom of the text).

For example, no relationship was found between dairy product consumption and BMI in Japanese women.

Men in the USA also there was no relationship between increased dairy consumption and weight gain.

In perimenopausal women, the consumption of dairy products and weight are generally inversely related (the more dairy in the diet, the less weight gain).

In one study Reduced-fat dairy products did not promote weight gain, unlike full-fat dairy products. Could it be that the weight gain in this study was simply caused by excess calories and not insulin?

In another study, Increasing dairy consumption did not affect body composition (composition of fat and lean mass).

In another study, Increasing dairy consumption did not slow weight loss.

In a year-long study, Increased consumption of dairy products did not lead to an increase in fat mass.

With a further 6-month follow-up of the participants in this study, it turned out that significant dairy intake was clearly associated with lower levels of fat mass.

In a 9-month study, increasing dairy consumption had no effect on weight maintenance, but greater fat oxidation was noted in the group consuming more dairy products.

Milk helps fat burning

Well, to complete the picture, I’ll quote Lyle MacDonald, who also debunks “dairy myths” in the article “ Contest Dieting Part 1:

“... There are a number of facts indicating that dairy products, on the contrary, increase fat loss during a diet. At first it was believed that it was all about calcium, which itself seems to influence the fat metabolism of cells and increase fat oxidation (burning) during the day and influence less absorption of fats in the intestines (and their, accordingly, excretion from body naturally).

In one study, increased calcium intake was accompanied by the release of an additional 60 kcal/day from fat. those. Over a 12-16 week diet, this can contribute to the loss of something in the region of 1 kg of fat. However, this effect is observed precisely with an increase in calcium-containing dairy products, but not tablet forms of calcium.

However, it is no longer believed that this effect is due to calcium alone; apparently, other components of dairy products may also contribute. Interactions with high levels of essential amino acids (BCAA/leucine) or other bioactive substances found in dairy products (especially whey) may play a role.

Does milk retain fluid in the body? About the causes of edema

To begin with, let’s talk about the causes of edema and water retention in the body in general. P Before sinning in terms of “monstrous” water retention for the same “milk”, it is more correct to identify whether you have any other objective reasons contributing to the occurrence of edema, and there may in fact be plenty of reasons.

Lack of dietary protein– for example, depletion of blood plasma in proteins reduces osmotic pressure, in this case the release of fluid from the bloodstream at the arterial end of the capillaries increases and the reabsorption at the venous decreases; and protein itself is a building material not only for muscles, but also for all tissues in our body, including capillaries and blood vessels and fats (for example, cholesterol is the basis for the synthesis of hormones of the renin-angiotensin system).

Carbohydrate edema– nephrotic syndrome, damage to the walls of blood vessels, the relationship between potassium and insulin (insulin promotes the entry of potassium into muscle cells and hepatocytes, in turn, high levels of potassium in the plasma stimulates the secretion of insulin; these symptoms are mainly observed with high-carbohydrate diets or with a significant intake of carbohydrates against the background of low/no-carbohydrate diets). Moreover, I would like to draw special attention to the fact that carbohydrate edema is not the same as binding 1 gram of glycogen with 3-4 grams of water.

Insulin edema– there are several theories, this could be fluid retention due to an increase in ADH in response to increased osmotic diuresis and hypovolemia during prolonged decompensation of a sugar diet, and/or a decrease in glucagon levels during the administration of high doses of insulin in diabetics (glucagon has a pronounced natriuretic property), and/or the direct effect of insulin on the kidneys is the reabsorption of sodium in the renal tubules, which entails circulating plasma volume and inhibition of the renin-angiotensin system.

Hormonal edema– occur in cases of hypersecretion of aldosterone or other sodium-retaining hormones: cortisol (the levels of which increase, for example, on a low-calorie diet, as well as under conditions of excessive physical activity and stress), estrogens, testosterone, prolactin, thyroid hormones.

Problems with the functioning of the kidneys and cardiovascular system -failure of the renal mechanisms, due to which the kidneys do not excrete excess salt and water. Moreover, as a rule, kidney problems are directly related to problems with heart failure, in which the heart is not able to normally pump blood coming from the veins to the arteries.

There can be many reasons, and it is often premature to blame milk for all the bad things. However, the contribution of “jelly” may indeed be present.

Milk “floods” during salt starvation

Yes, apparently, there is a mechanism due to which dairy products, or rather milk protein, can contribute to a certain retention of water in the body. True, this does not happen in all cases and not for everyone. And if you do not, for example, have any physiological diseases, then, as a rule, the negative effect of milk protein can occur due to a disturbance in the homeostasis of sodium and potassium in the body for natural reasons (for example, table salt has been removed from the diet).

In conditions of lack of salt (sodium and potassium), the body tries to retain those crumbs that come from food. And salt is present in one way or another in many products, for example, fish, bread, and the body also stores it from milk. Dairy products are an excellent source of vitamins and minerals; a serving of cottage cheese can contain up to 500 mg of sodium. Due to salt starvation, the body stores and retains sodium, which leads to water retention, weight gain, edema, an increase in the content of total metabolic sodium, total water, circulating blood volume, extracellular fluid is observed, central venous pressure increases, diuresis and sodium excretion decrease with urine.

Therefore, this development of the scenario with water retention from “milk” is primarily susceptible to athletes who follow one of the nutritional fitness myths that say that on a diet you need to “reduce to zero” (minimize) salt intake. Like, salt retains water. The oxymoron is that it is the lack of salt, in itself, that affects water retention in the body(at this point we recommend that you familiarize yourself with the series of educational and informational videos of the CMT project by Boris Tsatsoulin “Edema: causes and relief “; a lot is explained quite clearly there).

• http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19710195
• http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16129716
• http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15817848
• http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17189552
• http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18950508
• A. Alonso, C. Zozaya, Z. Vázquez, J. Alfredo Martíne, M. A. Martínez-González. The effect of low-fat versus whole-fat dairy product intake on blood pressure and weight in young normotensive adults.
• Zemel MB. Role of calcium and dairy products in energy partioning and weight management. Am J Clin Nutr (2004) 79 (suppl): 907s-912s.
• Jacobsen R. Effect of short-term high dietary calcium intake on 24-h energy expenditure, fat oxidation, and fecal fat excretion. Int J Obes (Lond). 2005 Mar;29(3):292-301.
• Lorenzen JK et. al. Effect of dairy calcium or supplementary calcium intake on postprandial fat metabolism, appetite, and subsequent energy intake. Am J Clin Nutr. 2007 Mar;85(3):678-87.”

It happens that your face, especially in the morning, seems blurry, your shoes become tight, and it’s difficult to put a ring on your finger. This is a problem for many today. Swelling occurs if water is not removed from the body in the required quantities. To cope with the problem, you first need to figure out what retains water in the body.

The presence of edema can be determined visually. If any doubts arise, the fingerprint that will remain after pressing on the shin bone will help you to be completely sure.

Edema may be hidden. It is possible to understand why they appear only with the help of medical diagnosis.

Excess water in the body can occur for the following reasons:

1. The intake of fluid exceeds its removal from the body.
2. Improper diet, which leads to an imbalance of electrolytes - sodium, potassium and chlorine ions.
3. A sedentary lifestyle and the bad habit of crossing your legs.
4. Heat and tired legs.
5. Taking certain types of medications.
6. Standing or sitting work.
7. Pregnancy and the changes that accompany it.
8. Tight or uncomfortable shoes.
9. Some contraceptives and premenstrual syndrome.
10. Metabolic disease.
11. Diseases of the kidneys, heart, digestive organs.

Is creatine harmful?

Many athletes take creatine supplements to increase strength, endurance, and quickly gain muscle mass. A small part of this nitrogen-containing acid is synthesized by the body in the liver from arginine, glycine and amino acids. Creatine is also found in meat and fish, but during the cooking process, when exposed to heat, it is mainly destroyed.

Creatine is a fairly safe dietary supplement. It causes virtually no side effects and does not cause any particular harm to the human body. If you strictly follow the recommended dosages, then you don’t have to worry about your health being in any danger. But you still need to pay attention that creatine retains water in the body, and this can lead to edema.

What foods cause edema?

Swelling is one of the first signs of impaired water-salt metabolism. In order to avoid its occurrence, you need to exclude or minimize in your diet foods that retain water in the body. This must be done at least for a while so that the body can put its excretory processes in order and remove excess water.

For a beautiful and slim body, in addition to proper nutrition and a healthy lifestyle, it is very important to monitor the amount of salt consumed. Its high content leads to the accumulation of water in the body. This negatively affects not only your appearance, but also your blood pressure.

A person's consumption of large amounts of salt leads to the body beginning to retain water to maintain the necessary osmotic balance.

This fluid retention can cause long-term high blood pressure and even hypertension. And as a result, heart disease may even develop.

By limiting yourself to foods that cause water retention, you can keep your blood pressure within normal limits and reduce your risk of heart disease.

Foods that cause water retention in the body include:

• salt and products containing it;
• pickles, marinades, canned food;
• sugar, cakes, cookies, honey, chocolate, carbonated sweet drinks;
• sauces containing preservatives and modifiers (ketchup, mayonnaise);
• fatty dairy products (cream, milk) containing preservatives;
• margarine, hard cheese;
• chicken eggs;
• alcohol of any strength;
• yeast baked goods, pasta;
• fried foods;
• smoked products - sausage, meat, fish;
• crackers, chips;
• sweet tea and coffee;
• fast food.

Water in the body

There is always an opportunity to help yourself without the services of doctors. Excess water is removed from the body quite simply if you follow professional recommendations and adhere to the regime.

The most important rule that must be followed strictly is to drink 1.5-2 liters of clean water every day. The consumption of sweet, and especially carbonated drinks is completely excluded.

You need to learn to eat right. Salt retains water in the body, but it is very difficult to completely eliminate it from the diet. Reducing the amount of its consumption is a feasible task.

One rule needs to be taken into account: food should be salted in moderation and only during cooking.

It is necessary to remove the salt shaker from the dinner table, prohibiting yourself from adding even a pinch to your plate.

When wondering what to do to prevent water from retaining in the body, you must not forget about physical activity. Of course, going to the gym is the most effective option. But you can avoid using elevators, preferring the stairs, walk more and do exercises in the morning. All this helps speed up metabolic processes and remove excess water.

Body water balance in summer

In summer, when it’s hot outside, you need to pay special attention to the body’s water balance. During this period, a healthy person needs knowledge of how to retain water in the body. In the morning at breakfast you can eat a pickled cucumber or a small piece of herring.

This salt, consumed in small quantities, will help retain water in the bloodstream. And despite the fact that salty food was consumed, thirst will be felt less. During this period, you should not drink excessive amounts of water, but it is also undesirable to limit yourself in liquid. To feel good, you need to stick to your usual water load.

Water in the body: Video

If you suffer from edema - a condition of swelling due to water retention in cells and tissues - you may want to avoid foods that retain water in the body. While many factors can lead to water retention, research has shown that high sodium intake is a significant contributor to this process. When health-conscious people try to eliminate salt from their diet, they are unknowingly consuming foods with hidden sodium content. In this article you will find 5 foods that cause swelling.

How does sodium affect water retention?

The human body is very sensitive and is always trying to maintain homeostasis at the cellular level. The cells are filled and surrounded by water. Around and within cells, the specific amount of water is controlled by chemical processes that include sodium and potassium levels, hormones, and proper kidney function. Typically, if you consume excess sodium, the mechanism that forces water out of your cells is blocked, causing them to swell. This is basic information related to sodium-related water retention.

What foods to avoid

Removing salt from the table is a good practice, but here is a list of foods that can contribute significant amounts of sodium to your diet! They often contain salt as a preservative, preventing food spoilage by inhibiting the growth of bacteria. Sodium enhances flavor, prevents excessive dryness in snacks, and makes sweets more palatable. It can mask the questionable metals and chemicals that accompany many pre-packaged and processed foods.

List of foods that delay the removal of water from the body

1. Ham, bacon, roast beef, chicken, cheese, butter... The list goes on and on. All of these processed foods are loaded with sodium. Bacon contains on average 2,700 mg of sodium per 100 g.
2. Canned food . Foods such as soup, legumes and olives are almost always high in sodium. If you include them in your diet, be sure to track the amount of sodium per serving.
3. Prepackaged Meals . While microwave meals can be convenient, they usually come with a lot of salt to keep these meals from spoiling. Frozen dinners, instant meals and toaster snacks are culprits in retaining water in the body.
4. Z Snacks and drinks high in sodium. A world without crisps and packaged biscuits might seem bleak. But these tasty snacks, as well as crackers, pretzels and more, can add a lot of sodium to your body.
5. Alcoholic drinks. If you drink light alcoholic drinks, a good amount of what you ingested (including sugar) accumulates in your body. Alcohol causes fluid retention in the abdomen and legs. A glass of wine a day is not a problem, but cocktails, beer or drinks with high alcohol content should be kept to a minimum.

While it may seem like your local grocery store only stocks foods that cause swelling, there is hope! Pay special attention to the sodium content of foods as they appear on food labels. The Department of Health recommends no more than 2,300 mg of sodium per day.

Additionally, you can benefit from consuming foods rich in potassium, including vegetables and fruits. Exercise is a great way to combat swelling. When you exercise, your blood vessels dilate and in turn, fluid is transferred from the tissues to the kidneys. The water is eventually eliminated from the body. Just 40 minutes 3 days a week can make a difference. Be healthy!

Salt and weight loss, why does salt retain water in the body?

How does salt affect weight loss? First of all, salt has no effect on your fat since it has no calories. So why then when losing weight everyone is advised to stop eating salt. Salt retains water in the body. That is why, after drinking beer with salted fish, the next day you gain 2 kg. And just the opposite, if you stop eating salt, you can easily lose a couple of kilos, but it’s simply stupid to be happy about it. The fat will not decrease one gram, the excess water will simply go away. If this helps you squeeze into a dress, then it’s enough to simply limit yourself to salt. What should those who really want to lose weight do? That is, with the loss of fat and not water?

Is it possible to lose weight by giving up salt?

The most important thing you need to know is that if you have lost weight only by giving up salt, then as soon as salt enters your diet all the kilograms, or rather, the water will return back. It turns out that you will only deceive yourself.

Why does salt hold water? The electrical impulse moves and controls our body, and it in turn depends on electrolytes - potassium and sodium. It is very important that electrolytes are normal, no more and no less, so you cannot completely give up salt. The more electrolytes, the more we want to drink. As you know, water affects blood circulation. It balances the salt level. If we eat a lot of salt, for example the herring we love so much, then the water will move from the vessels into the skin and cause a swollen appearance in the morning. Conversely, as soon as we give up salt, excess water will be quickly eliminated from the body.

What is sodium chloride?

Sodium chloride is the same salt we use at home for cooking and is used by food and canning manufacturers. What is important to know? The fact that natural products already contain sodium. Therefore, with salt you increase your sodium intake significantly. While if you eat unsalted foods, you will already receive a certain portion of this element.

The most important thing you need to know.

In the pursuit of weight loss, we must not forget that it is impossible to completely give up salt. Let us remember that salt is found in natural products, cheeses and sausages. Plus, you can add a little salt to your food when preparing it. It is often advised to salt food after you have cooked it. But you also can’t pervert the tastes of close relatives. I don’t like it when chicken or rice is bland on the inside and the salt squeaks on top. It’s better to add a little salt at the beginning of cooking. If you cook everything completely without salt, one fine day you will simply get tired of all this proper nutrition and healthy lifestyle. www.site

14/01/2016 18:34

Edema is a problem for people of all ages, and it worries not only women, but also men.

Often, swelling is the result of a disease or poor diet. And even if you are completely healthy, this problem can appear at the most unexpected moment. Nutritionists tell us how to combat edema with nutrition.

The causes of edema can be very different, but they often indicate health problems. Edema appears on the body due to a large accumulation of lymph in tissue crevices.

Edema can occur for the following reasons:

• Allergy- swelling caused by an allergic reaction can lead to serious consequences, including Quincke's edema. At the first symptoms of allergic edema, you should consult a doctor.
• Uncomfortable shoes- due to such little things as high stiletto heels or the wrong shoe size, your feet can swell quite a lot.
• Another common cause of leg swelling– varicose veins and metabolic disorders caused by lymph stagnation. These diseases appear especially often in overweight people.
• Hormonal imbalance and thyroid disease can lead to swelling of the legs and tongue.
• Heart failure- one of the most common causes of edema.
• Kidney diseases- With kidney failure, as a rule, the back of the leg swells. The swelling itself can be painful and uncomfortable.
• Excess salt in the body- excessive consumption of salty foods leads to water retention in the body, which causes excess fluid to appear in the tissues.
• Premenstrual syndrome and pregnancy- women are familiar with this problem.
• Passive lifestyle.
• Drinking plenty of water in the evening- many of us woke up in the morning with a swollen face, and this is precisely the result of drinking too much before bed.

Nutritionists list the following as foods that reduce swelling:

• Watermelon, cucumbers, melon– these products have a pronounced cleansing and diuretic effect.
• Celery, sorrel– thanks to the diuretic effect, they not only relieve swelling, but also lower blood pressure.
• Beans– especially effective for edema caused by heart or kidney diseases.
• Baked potato - rich in potassium, which helps remove excess water from the body.
• Green apples – useful for swelling, both raw and baked.
• Oats – not only helps get rid of swelling, but also cleanses the body of harmful substances.
• Low-fat milk, kefir.
• Honey – in the absence of an allergy to this product, honey reduces swelling in the legs.
• Beet.
• Cottage cheese.
• Green onions.
• Pumpkin.
• Carrot.

What you can and how to drink correctly if there is fluid retention in the body - with severe edema

In case of severe swelling, you should minimize the use of:

1. Carbonated drinks
2. Kvass
3. Sweet concentrated juices
4. Coffee.

All of them increase thirst and provoke increased swelling.

The following drinks are most useful for edema:

• Green tea
• Black or green tea with milk
• Melissa
• Lingonberry tea
• Rose hip decoction
• Hawthorn decoction
• Water with lemon juice
• Special pharmacy herbal preparations

It is important to remember that even these drinks should not be consumed before bed.

What not to eat if you have edema - list of dangerous foods

If possible, completely exclude from your diet:

1. Salty, fried and spicy foods
2. Canned fish
3. Sausages and various smoked meats
4. Mayonnaise and other sauces
5. Alcohol
6. No less harmful are fatty sweets, as well as products containing a large number of artificial additives (all kinds of store-bought snacks).

Monitor the amount of salt you eat during the day. Its excess is extremely dangerous for heart failure - salt aggravates cardiac edema. Kidney swelling also increases if the kidneys are unable to remove excess salt from the body. Remember: there is a lot of salt in prepared foods - bread, cheese, sausages, canned food.

Features of the diet for edema during serious illnesses

Diet for allergic edema and urticaria

To prevent an increase in edema, you should include vegetables, sea fish, eggs and various cereals in your menu. It is better to refrain from consuming cocoa, coffee, berries and chocolate.

Diet for heart disease

In case of heart failure, it is necessary to create a menu of easily digestible dishes, for example, more often consume boiled potatoes, vegetable soups, cabbage salads, and borscht. After meals, drink 100 ml of milk.

Diet for lymph edema

The diet with such a diet must be varied with vegetables, dairy products and citrus fruits. But the consumption of salt and water is limited.

Diet for edema during pregnancy

During pregnancy, swelling almost always occurs. To reduce swelling, you need to exclude carbonated water, kvass, sweet concentrated juices and salty mineral water from your diet. It is also better to refrain from eating highly salted and fried foods.

Diet for swollen legs

If there is severe swelling of the legs, it is necessary to diversify the menu with dairy products, fruits (excluding grapes and bananas), vegetables and legumes. Soy milk and yoghurts (natural, without additives) will also be useful. You should not consume sugar, fatty desserts, smoked foods, mayonnaise and alcohol. For liquids, drink herbal teas and freshly squeezed juice more often.

Diet for facial swelling

First of all, you need to limit your salt intake - the daily dose should not exceed 3 grams. It is also better to exclude smoked, canned and fried foods, replacing them with fruits. The most useful for facial swelling are citrus fruits, watermelon, carrots and apples. You should have dinner no later than four hours before bedtime.

Diet for puffy eyes

To get rid of bags under the eyes, you need to include soy dishes, oatmeal, rice, legumes and lean meat in your diet. Every day, eat a handful of seeds or nuts (if you are not allergic) and drink herbal infusions.

Important!

When using diuretics and adhering to diets that reduce swelling, you should be careful - poor nutrition, too little diet can lead to dehydration or disruption of the water-salt balance in the body.

The main rule of all diets is to reduce the amount of salt consumed. Maximum allowed - 1-1.5 g per day.

General rules

Edema(edema) are tissue swelling resulting from an increase in the volume of interstitial fluid passing from the vascular bed into the interstitial space. There are general and local edema of different localizations. Edema can be a symptom of a variety of diseases:

• Heart failure. Characteristic is the symmetry of the appearance of edema, its gradual increase in the lower extremities/lower points of the body.
• Nephrosis. Swelling, as a rule, appears on the face in the morning, in the abdominal cavity and limbs. Edema of this origin shifts quite quickly when the body position changes.
• Venous insufficiency. Swelling is predominantly in the lower extremities.
• Allergic edema ( Quincke's edema, food allergies). Appears on the face.
• Cachectic edema. Forms of edema vary in location and size.
• Pregnancy(at late toxicosis, heart failure).

In addition, swelling can appear due to endocrine disorders (hormonal imbalance in women, thyroid disease), excess body weight, heavy load on the legs, impaired blood/lymph flow (wearing tight shoes/clothing, sedentary lifestyle), high temperature air in the summer, prolonged fasting, consumption of large amounts of water in the afternoon, excessive consumption of table salt and salty foods.

It is necessary to understand that there is no universal algorithm for the treatment of edema, since treatment and dietary nutrition differ for each type. So, for example, for edema of allergic origin, it is prescribed hypoallergenic diet, patients with renal failure- medicinal Table No. 7, for edema caused by circulatory failure - Table No. 10. For edema caused by excess body weight - Table No. 8. Therefore, first of all, it is necessary to find out the cause of edema.

However, diet for edema of any origin is an essential component of treatment. There are general principles of therapeutic nutrition aimed at eliminating fluid retention and relieving swelling, strengthening the walls of venous vessels, improving the trophic properties of blood and reducing viscosity.

First of all, table salt, which contains sodium chloride, retains fluid in the body, should be limited in the diet. The level of table salt restriction is determined individually in each specific case. In any case, food should not be salted during cooking, and it is better to add salt to the finished food already on the table.

Products containing salt are also subject to restrictions - sausages, canned food, smoked meats, chips, crackers, cheeses, soy sauce, sauerkraut, pickled vegetables, salted herring. Also, an increased sodium content is observed in various table and medicinal mineral waters, therefore, for diseases accompanied by edema, it is necessary to consume only certain types of mineral water. All fatty, fried foods, spicy and salty foods are also limited - heavy cream, sauces, mayonnaise, fatty meats, fried/spicy foods, fast food.

The diet of patients suffering from edema should be dominated by protein products, the source of which should be dietary varieties of poultry, rabbit, fish, chicken eggs, dairy/fermented milk products (bio-yogurt, cottage cheese, kefir, fermented baked milk), whole grains (buckwheat, rice and sprouted grains of wheat, rye, oats), vegetables (fresh, boiled, baked and stewed), fruits (apples and pears). The fiber they contain is involved in the synthesis processes fibrous fibers, which strengthen the walls of the veins.

The diet for swelling of the legs should include foods containing large quantities of organic flavonoids And antioxidants, strengthening the vascular endothelium of the leg veins and normalizing blood circulation (berries, apples, citrus fruits, large-leaf green tea, freshly prepared juice). Contained in them vitamin P (routine) reduces capillary fragility.

Red grape leaves are especially beneficial because they contain flavonoids. isoquercetin/quercetin glucuronide And saponins, contained in horse chestnut, which have a pronounced anti-edematous and capillary-protective effect. If your legs are swollen, dishes from these plants should be included in your diet.

In the presence of edema and increased hydrophilicity of tissues, it is recommended to include foods rich in potassium in the diet: baked/boiled potatoes, tomatoes, pumpkin, seaweed, dried apricots, raisins, apricots, grapes, legumes, prunes, nuts, cocoa, melon, apples, bananas .

Many patients use various types of diuretics to remove fluid from the body. However, they can only be taken as prescribed by a doctor, since their unreasonable (excessive) use leads to a large loss of salts and water from the vascular bed, as well as an imbalance of Na+ and K+ ions.

For minor edema (swelling), it is preferable to include in the diet decongestant foods that have a mild diuretic effect: parsley, watermelon, pumpkin, zucchini, celery, dill, grapes, vegetable/fruit juices (carrot, pumpkin, beet juice) , green tea. Such products, when consumed regularly, can significantly reduce swelling and hydrophilicity of tissues.

Also, against edema (after consultation with a doctor), you can use a decoction of hawthorn, lingonberry, rose hip, lemon balm, strawberry, horsetail, birch buds, calamus, knotweed, bearberry. It is also allowed to use pharmaceutical decongestant herbal preparations and diuretic teas. Drinking regime is extremely important. The volume of free liquid should not exceed 1.5 liters. Excessive fluid intake increases blood volume and overloads the venous system.

Edema and increased tissue hydrophilicity.

The diet in the presence of edema should include dietary types of poultry (turkey, chicken), lean beef, and rabbit. The presence of various types of seafood (shrimp, mussels, squid, oysters, crabs) and river/sea fish, seaweed in the diet is beneficial.

Especially useful are foods containing unsaturated fatty acids - nuts, vegetable oils, cauliflower, red fish, flax seeds, as well as vegetables and fruits - potatoes, carrots, bell peppers, zucchini, tomatoes, garden herbs (parsley, celery, dill) berries, which can be included in the diet in various forms (raw in salads, boiled or baked), berries/fruits - watermelon, grapes, black currants, apricots, apples, citrus fruits, cherries.

Cereals in the form of porridges, crispbreads or in sprouted form, in the form of whole grain bread/crisps, are extremely useful. Dairy products include low-fat, non-acidic cottage cheese and fermented milk drinks.

Vegetables and greens

boiled cauliflower 1,80,34,029 canned grape leaves 4,32,011,769 carrots 1,30,16,932 cucumbers 0,80,12,815 salad pepper 1,30,05,327 boiled beets 1,80,010,849 tomatoes 0,60,24,220 dill 2,50,56,338 garlic6,50,529,9143

Fruits

apricots0,90,110,841oranges0,90,28,136cherries0,80,511,352grapefruit0,70,26,529

Berries

cranberries0.50.06.826 gooseberries0.70.212.043 rowan 1.50.110.950 currants1.00.47.543 rose hips1.60.014.051

Nuts and dried fruits

dried apricots5.20.351.0215prunes2.30.757.5231

Cereals and porridges

buckwheat (kernel) 12.63.362.1313 oat flakes 11.97.269.3366 wheat groats 11.51.362.0316

Bakery products

whole grain bread 10,12,357,1295

Confectionery

jam0,30,156,0238

Raw materials and seasonings

honey0.80.081.5329

Dairy

kefir 3.2% 2.83.24.156 sour cream 15% (low fat) 2.615.03.0158

Cheeses and cottage cheese

cottage cheese17,25,01,8121

Meat products

lean pork 16,427,80,0316 beef 18,919,40,0187 beef liver 17,43,10,098 veal liver 19,23,34,1124 lamb 15,616,30,0209 rabbit 21,08,00,0156 beef stew 14,117,40, 0214

Bird

chicken liver20,45,91,4140turkey19,20,70,084turkey liver19,522,00,0276goose liver15,239,00,0412

Eggs

chicken eggs12,710,90,7157

Fish and seafood

brown algae1,70,68,343pink salmon20,56,50,0142red caviar32,015,00,0263cod caviar24,00,20,0115pike caviar17,32,00,087squid21,22,82,0122shrimp22,01,00,097salmon19,86 ,30.0142mussels9 ,11.50.050 seaweed 0.85.10.049 herring 16.310.7-161 cod (liver in oil) 4.265.71.2613 trout 19.22.1-97

Oils and fats

vegetable oil0.099.00.0899butter0.582.50.8748olive oil0.099.80.0898

Fully or partially limited products

If edema is present, fatty red meats, waterfowl meat (goose, duck), canned meat/fish, boiled and smoked sausages, mayonnaise, bacon, cooking and animal fat, confectionery, baked goods, heavy cream, cottage cheese are excluded from the diet. , sweet yogurt, fried chicken eggs, baked milk, salty and fatty cheeses, pasta, white rice, semolina and oatmeal.

The consumption of marinades, pickles, smoked meats, and alcoholic beverages is not allowed. The consumption of table salt, spices and seasonings, salty foods is limited. The consumption of strong black tea, coffee, and mineral waters containing chlorides is limited.

Vegetables and greens

canned vegetables 1,50,25,530 sauerkraut 1,80,14,419 pickled cucumbers 0,80,11,711 sorrel 1,50,32,919

Mushrooms

mushrooms3,52,02,530

Cereals and porridges

wheat bran15,13,853,6296

Confectionery

candies 4,319,867,5453 pastry cream 0,226,016,5300 cake 3,822,647,0397 shortbread dough 6,521,649,9403

Ice cream

ice cream3,76,922,1189

Cakes

cake4,423,445,2407

Chocolate

chocolate5,435,356,5544

Raw materials and seasonings

Dairy

milk 3.23.64.864 cream 35% (fat) 2.535.03.0337 sour cream 30% 2.430.03.1294

Cheeses and cottage cheese

cheese24,129,50,3363cottage cheese 18% (fat)14,018,02,8232

Meat products

fried pork 11,449,30,0489 lard 2,489,00,0797 bacon 23,045,00,0500

Sausages

smoked sausage28,227,50,0360smoked sausage9,963,20,3608sausages10,131,61,9332sausages12,325,30,0277

Bird

duck16,561,20,0346smoked duck19,028,40,0337goose16,133,30,0364

Fish and seafood

fried fish19,511,76,2206smoked fish26,89,90,0196salted fish19,22,00,0190canned fish17,52,00,088

Oils and fats

cooking fat0.099.70.0897 rendered pork fat0.099.60.0896

Alcoholic drinks

white dessert wine 16%0.50.016.0153vodka0.00.00.1235cognac0.00.00.1239liqueur0.31.117.2242beer0.30.04.642

Non-alcoholic drinks

cola0,00,010,442coffee0,20,00,32dry instant coffee15,03,50,094pepsi0,00,08,738black tea20,05,16,9152energy drink0,00,011,345

* data is per 100 g of product

Menu (Power Mode)

The menu for edema depends on the specifically prescribed diet and the disease causing the edema.

Reviews and results

• “... I suffer from varicose veins. The legs swell terribly, especially in the summer when the air temperature is high. I take all the medications prescribed by the phlebologist, wear compression stockings, and follow a diet. But so far the results are not encouraging. They offer laser surgery, but there are so many different reviews from patients who have undergone surgery that I don’t know what to do right”;
• “...Very often I notice swelling of the face. Not very pronounced, but still unpleasant. She underwent examinations, but nothing serious was found. It was recommended to follow a drinking regime, limit salt and salt-containing products, drink special teas, decoctions of lingonberry leaves and pharmaceutical preparations. I hope it helps."

Diet price

Dietary food for edema includes regular foods. The calculation of their cost varies between 1400-1500 rubles per week.

Fluid retention in the body is an unpleasant phenomenon familiar to most people, especially women. It leads to swelling, which not only affects the appearance, but also increases the load on the internal organs. Difficulty removing fluid from the body is a symptom of some heart and kidney diseases. But most often this happens due to an incorrect lifestyle and because many do not know what foods retain water in the body. If edema has become a constant companion in life, first of all you need to adjust the menu, reducing or completely eliminating these particular products. Often this is enough to get rid of bags under the eyes in the morning and a couple of extra pounds.

The main reason for water retention in human tissues and cells is electrolyte imbalance. Electrolytes (sodium, potassium, magnesium and calcium) play an important role in ensuring the normal functioning of the body. They are responsible for metabolism and affect the composition of the blood. Excessive or insufficient intake of any one of these minerals leads to an imbalance.

Sodium and potassium regulate water-salt metabolism: sodium ions retain water, and potassium removes it. Excess sodium in the body causes excess fluid to accumulate. Insufficient potassium intake also causes swelling.

The daily dose of sodium to maintain electrolyte balance is 1.5-3 g. Regularly exceeding this dose (more than 4-5 g) leads not only to edema, but also to increased blood pressure and kidney disease.

The main source of sodium in the body is food containing salt. Excessive consumption of salty foods is the main cause of morning swelling, but not the only one.

Another reason why water retention occurs is a high level of insulin in the blood, which stimulates the release of aldosterone, a hormone that retains sodium in tissues. Therefore, edema is also provoked by foods and drinks with a high glycemic index.

Thus, there are two main food groups that can retain water in the body. Let's look at each in detail.

All products containing large amounts of sodium in their composition are products that retain fluid in the body. The most common source of sodium is table salt (sodium chloride). Almost all food of animal and plant origin contains sodium chloride in its pure form:

milk; seafood; meat; eggs; celery; legumes; cereals.

Their salt content is low, and their consumption is the minimum necessary to maintain electrolyte balance. But in the production of many food products, sodium is artificially added to them. Most often, manufacturers aim to enhance the taste and preserve the freshness of the product for as long as possible, so they add additional forms of sodium instead of salt:

sodium nitrite to improve color and as a preservative; monosodium glutamate to enhance taste; sodium saccharin – sugar substitute; sodium benzoate – keeps the product fresh for a long time (preservative); sodium bicarbonate (baking soda).

These forms of sodium are found in large quantities in all processed foods. We express the quantitative content of sodium salts in them in the table.

The food products noted in the table are leaders in salt content, so if you are prone to edema, they should be excluded from your diet first.

A small package of any salty snack or just a few slices of sausage provides several times your daily sodium intake. The constant addition of various sauces, even to healthy foods with low salt content, also leads to an overdose of this microelement, causing electrolyte imbalance and fluid retention in the body.

Another group of foods that cause water retention are foods with a high glycemic index (GI). Its use causes a sharp release of insulin, which leads to the production of the hormone aldesterone. It retains sodium in the body's cells and causes swelling.

Below is a list of high GI foods:

all sweets: chocolate, cookies, candies, halva, waffles, muffins; baked goods; dried fruits; bakery products; potato; cornflakes.

These foods, which retain water in the body, should also be limited if there is swelling and excess weight. When consuming dairy products with high fat content, the body also begins to produce aldesterone, so they can also be included in the list of foods that provoke water retention.

When drinking some drinks, fluid will be retained rather than removed, so if you are prone to swelling, you should limit their intake. For example, beer and sweet carbonated drinks have a high glycemic index, and coffee in small doses has a diuretic effect, but when consumed in excess or with large amounts of sugar, coffee retains water in the body.

Drinking alcohol always causes swelling. Alcoholic drinks are strong diuretics; they remove fluid from the body, but at the same time disrupt the balance of all body systems, including water-salt balance. To remove toxins from the liver, water is needed, so all the liquid drunk after an alcoholic libation accumulates in the intercellular space and becomes the cause of edema.

The best way to get rid of edema caused by consuming foods and drinks that cause fluid retention is to completely limit them in your diet.

But due to various circumstances, it is not always possible to adhere to the principles of proper nutrition, so these foods and drinks can appear on any person’s menu. What can you do to minimize the risk of edema after eating foods that cause water to accumulate in body tissues?

To do this, you should follow several rules and recommendations.

Drink as much clean, non-carbonated water as possible (at least 1.5-2 liters per day). At first glance, this seems illogical: if water accumulates, its intake should be reduced. But the body will react to the restriction of fluid with an even greater delay and will accumulate it “in reserve.” With sufficient fluid intake (except for coffee and sweet carbonated drinks), the need for water accumulation will disappear. Exercise and walk in the fresh air. This helps speed up metabolism, improve kidney function and remove excess water faster. If there is a lot of fluid in the body, a bath or a warm bath with sea salt and soda helps to successfully remove its excess. Try to salt foods as little as possible when cooking. The salt contained in the diet of a modern person is quite enough for the normal functioning of all organs (even without the use of various sauces, smoked meats and snacks). Consume foods and drinks high in potassium and fiber - they help to quickly remove excess fluid: green tea and hibiscus; dried apricots and raisins; berries, especially cranberries, blueberries, chokeberries; wheat bran; nuts; bananas; avocado; jacket potatoes; watermelons and melons; herbal teas from chamomile flowers, calendula, lingonberry leaves, blueberries, lemon balm; zucchini; cucumbers Use the juice of fresh vegetables (carrots, cabbage, beets) as a diuretic. It is prohibited to prescribe or drink pharmaceutical diuretics on your own - they are addictive and remove potassium, magnesium and calcium salts from the body along with sodium salts. Periodically arrange fasting days. Regular unloading on kefir, apples or milk tea prevents fluid stagnation in the cells (2 tablespoons of green tea are brewed in 2 liters of milk). To eliminate swelling caused by foods high in salt, you need to eat rice or oatmeal with water (unsalted, of course) for several days. This is a proven product used by athletes to dry their muscles before competitions.

If, after eliminating foods that cause fluid retention from the menu and following recommendations for preventing edema, they still occur and cause concern, this is a reason to consult a doctor for a comprehensive examination of the body. Perhaps the cause of swelling is a serious illness that requires medical intervention and medication.

Proper nutrition and an active lifestyle are the best means of preventing edema caused by the accumulation of fluid in the body. Daily consumption of clean water, fresh fruits, vegetables, meat and seafood, steamed or boiled, exclusion of fast food, sweets and industrial sauces from the diet is the key to excellent appearance, absence of swelling and health problems.

We often notice, especially in the mornings, that our face seems blurred, it is impossible to put a ring on our finger, and for some reason our shoes have become a little tight. This is fluid retention in the body. Many people suffer from this problem, especially in the modern rhythm of life. After all, it is our treatment of our own body that leads to such disappointing consequences.

If the body retains more fluid than it should, then all systems work under overload. There can be many reasons for this phenomenon: from genetic and somatic diseases to poor nutrition.

Compliance with the drinking regime is one of the important components that ensure a normal volume of fluid in the body. The daily dose of water for each person is 30-50 ml per 1 kg of body weight. A small adjustment is made depending on the time of year and air temperature. The more a person sweats, the more fluid he needs to drink to maintain hydration.

There are a number of foods that provoke fluid retention in body tissues. This:

table salt and products that contain it: pickles, canned and pickled foods; sweets - cookies, cakes, sweet carbonated drinks, chocolate, honey, all kinds of syrups; fatty dairy products - butter, heavy cream, fermented milk products containing preservatives; sauces with preservatives and modifiers - mayonnaise, ketchup; spreads, margarines, hard cheese; chicken eggs; yeast products - white bread, baked goods, pasta; all types of smoking - meat, sausages, fish; fried foods with added oil; chips, snacks, crackers; tea, coffee (only sweet); alcoholic drinks of any strength; all products that contain preservatives, dyes and other synthetic additives; fast food.

To avoid swelling, which is only the first sign of a violation of water-salt metabolism, you need to exclude from your diet foods that retain fluid in the body.

Do this at least for a while so that your body can regulate its excretory processes and remove excess water on its own.

It cannot be said that in the modern world, with the current speeds and busy rhythm of life, a person will be able to completely refuse to consume foods that can provoke fluid retention. But avoiding their frequent use is simply necessary.

In order to quickly remove excess water from the body, include healthy foods in your diet that will help cope with this problem without medications. But this is only possible if you noticed the swelling in time, and it was not yet very strong.

If the problem turns out to be much more serious, you should consult a doctor. The specialist will prescribe adequate treatment. And he will advise you to include several other foods in your diet.

There are a number of products that are very useful for fluid retention in the body:

fruits that have a pronounced diuretic property: watermelon, cranberry, viburnum, chokeberry, strawberry, blueberry.
Before eating these fruits, it is advisable to do an ultrasound to find out about the presence of kidney stones. It should be used with caution in people suffering from renal failure. products - natural diuretics: buckwheat porridge, celery, parsley, dill, pumpkin, zucchini, bell pepper, beets, apple cider vinegar; products that help eliminate toxins and accelerate metabolic processes: lettuce, tomatoes, carrots, asparagus, cabbage; diuretic teas and decoctions of medicinal herbs: lingonberry and blueberry leaves (also help lower blood sugar levels), chamomile, calendula, chicory, centaury.

A lack of vitamins, amino acids and microelements can also lead to fluid retention in the body. It is imperative to include the following foods in your diet:

containing vitamin B6: salmon, red meat, tuna, bananas, brown rice. This vitamin also helps normalize digestive processes; containing vitamins B1, B5 and D: low-fat dairy products and fresh fruits. These products also have a beneficial effect on the state of the nervous system, bone tissue and metabolic processes; trace elements calcium, manganese, potassium, magnesium. They are found in large quantities in greens, spinach, melons and citrus fruits. In addition, these products actively fight viral infections and help improve immunity.

In order for the body to fully get rid of excess fluid, toxins, waste and other products of processing and vital activity of the body, it is necessary to maintain a drinking regime.

You need to drink clean, high-quality water. Juices, compotes, teas, fruit drinks and other liquids that we often try to replace water with will not bring any benefit. If the liquid contains sugar, honey, minerals and other natural ingredients, it is already food. And water should enter the human body in its pure form. Some nutritionists recommend using structured water as a water resource. This is water that has undergone a cold purification process - freezing.

What you need to do to get rid of excess fluid in the body:

drink clean water in the amount of 1.5-2 liters per day. Soon your body will understand that it has enough water and will stop storing it in its tissues for future use. The swelling will go away. Eliminate salt as much as possible. As you know, salt retains water in the body. It also masks the real taste of the product. If you gradually get used to less salty foods, you may notice and discover a completely new taste of familiar foods. But completely unsalted food is not always good either. After all, table salt is the main source of sodium for the human body. Walking in the fresh air and dosed physical activity will help speed up metabolic processes. This will also lead to the removal of excess fluid from the body. Proper diet. Make it a rule to start the day with breakfast, which must include oatmeal, cooked in water without salt or sugar. Add dried fruits, cinnamon, turmeric to it. If you really can’t bear it and want something sweet, a spoonful of honey will replace sugar and serve as a source of glucose.
You can vary your breakfast and replace oatmeal with other cereals - buckwheat, brown rice, corn. Corn is almost the only grain that contains gold elements that can be absorbed by the human body. Be sure to eat fresh vegetables, fruits and wholemeal bread every day. This is a source of “correct” carbohydrates, which will not only help remove excess water from the body, but also provide it with the necessary energy for the whole day. Low-fat fermented milk products, lean meats, fish and legumes are the most correct and healthy source of proteins, without which the normal functioning of the body is simply impossible. Replace sugar, baked goods and synthetic sweets with natural ones - dried fruits, nuts, honey and dark chocolate in small quantities.

The human body is 75% fluid, but too much of it can cause big problems. Edema itself can occur for various reasons. One of them is a warning about impending troubles or a predisposition to some kind of disease.

You just need to learn to understand your body language. It sends us signals that we often ignore for a reason. Morning swelling is a reason to think about your health. And of course, take action.

Most people are familiar with the problem of edema and excess fluid in the body. Often, when we go to the mirror in the morning, we notice that our face seems to be swollen or “blurred.” In the arms and legs, swelling is also detected visually, and by other signs: shoes are too tight, and the straps of summer shoes cut into the skin; In winter, it can be difficult to zip up boots.

If you feel “heaviness in your legs”, but the swelling is not noticeable in appearance, you can press your finger in the area of ​​the shin: a trace remains - there is swelling.

Determining the cause of “swelling” of tissues and the occurrence of swelling is not always easy - competent medical diagnosis is needed.

For example, more fluid enters the body than is excreted; electrolyte balance or metabolism is disrupted; there are diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, heart, liver or kidneys.

Fluid may be retained due to lack of exercise, poor posture, hot weather, working in one position - sitting or standing, taking certain medications - including contraception, wearing tight (uncomfortable) clothes and shoes. In women, edema can also be accompanied by PMS, and in most cases, pregnancy, although this cannot be considered the norm.

When water is retained in the tissues, the body has to work under conditions of serious overload. This can last for months and even years: many people here simply get used to their illnesses and believe that “nothing can be done about it.”

Sometimes, having discovered a tendency to edema, a person tries to limit fluid intake, but the problem does not go away. The swelling remains, the state of health does not improve.

The body needs to remove toxins - this requires water. If there is not enough of it, the body waits until it has enough, and the kidneys stop working at full capacity. But, having received such problems, people do not calm down, and resort to diuretic tablets: the liquid accumulated “with difficulty” is forcibly removed, and the process begins anew.

What to do to avoid fluid retention and edema? Remove foods that retain fluid from your diet or reduce their consumption to a reasonable minimum. If the swelling is severe, you should give up such foods completely for a while, give the body time to come to its senses and remove excess water without strain. True, many people think that they cannot do without these products, and they ask the question: what then to eat?

First of all, “fast food” and ready-made products from the store: bring it home and eat. In the first place are any smoked and canned goods – meat and fish, salted fish “to go with beer”, like the beer itself. Any alcohol causes swelling: the body actively fights dehydration, tries to restore the acid-base balance, and generally return to normal. Chips, crackers and other snacks rich in salt also force the body to retain fluid.

Photo: products that retain liquid

In general, salt is contained in many products, and in considerable quantities, and we also add it to dishes consisting of these products: for example, we salt salads with sausage, cheese and mayonnaise. Any fried food also retains water, be it potatoes, meat or golden-brown pancakes. And by pouring ketchup on potatoes and pasta, we seriously complicate the work of the kidneys, which already have a hard time.

Fatty homemade sauces, pickles and marinades, canned compotes, high-fat dairy products, eggs, baked goods (especially white flour), store-bought sweets - from cakes and soda to chocolates and syrups, semi-finished products, aged cheese, margarines and spreads, juices with sugar, sweet tea and coffee - this is not a complete list of products that contribute to fluid accumulation.

Let's talk about some products in more detail. There may be doubts about coffee: this popular drink is known to have a diuretic effect. This is true if you drink coffee without sugar, and in large enough quantities - at least 3 cups. But we usually drink sweet coffee, and even with cookies, and the liquid is retained rather than removed.

Everyone knows about the benefits of milk, cottage cheese and yoghurt, but when consuming high-fat milk, the body begins to produce more insulin, the presence of which enhances the work of the adrenal glands: they produce a hormone that retains sodium salts.

Photo: products that retain liquid

To stay healthy, a person only needs 2.5 g of salt per day, which is less than 1/3 tsp, so, to be objective, food does not need to be salted at all. Why? But because salt is hidden in natural, natural products, and not just in store-bought, ready-made and semi-finished products.

So, a serving of regular beets, peas or red cabbage can contain up to 9% of the daily salt requirement; in pasta and cereals - up to 14%, in greens and mushrooms - from 3 to 15%, etc. This seems like a trifle, but we salt food when cooking, and even add “something salty” to “brighten up” the menu.

Sauerkraut is a healthy vitamin product, but it must also be used wisely: it contains a lot of salt - up to 800 mg per 100 g.

Another point is water retention due to excess creatine. This compound enters the body mainly with meat and fish, and is partially synthesized by the kidneys, liver and pancreas. Creatine is a source of energy for muscles (that’s why athletes take it as a supplement), but with our modern lifestyle we use it negligibly – less than 2 g per day. And we eat meat and fish dishes almost every day, and more than once; excess creatine works to accumulate water - up to 2 liters, even if the swelling is “not visible to the eye.” To restore fluid balance, you do not need to take diuretics or reduce your drinking regimen; on the contrary, you need to drink up to 3 liters of clean water per day, along with a salt-free diet, until the swelling “goes down”.

Hidden salt can also be “found” in very healthy products, although at first glance this seems strange. From 2 to 8% salt contain corn and oat flakes, chicory, green beans, rye bread, potatoes, celery (root), spinach, bananas, raisins, oranges, dates, rose hips, nuts, tomatoes, etc.

And now what i can do? Should you exclude a product from your diet just because it contains salt? Not at all.

Under no circumstances should we give up the products we need for a normal life. But it’s worth reducing the amount of salt, as well as changing your diet for the better: stop eating fast food, ready-made food, sausages, mayonnaise and ketchup, and start feeding yourself freshly prepared food, from environmentally friendly and natural products.

Sugar promotes fluid retention, just like salt, and we can definitely do without it by replacing it with honey, dried fruits, jam, etc. - in reasonable quantities.

Walking and physical exercise, even in the form of morning exercises, greatly help speed up metabolic processes, improve kidney function and prevent swelling.

You should not take diuretic medications without a doctor, but you should definitely drink clean water, up to 2 liters per day: when the balance of water consumption is maintained in the body, edema does not occur. In summer, when the hot sun and hot wind “take away” more moisture from us, we need to monitor our drinking regime especially carefully.

Tags: products that retain fluid, which products retain fluid