Last updated: 07.01.2022
Most of us know the feeling when suddenly the scales start to show a few kilos more, and on the body, for example in the abdomen, arms, buttocks or thighs, unsightly swellings appear. We feel sluggish, lacking vitality and have a bad mood. We come to the conclusion that we have gained some weight, so we decide to take care of ourselves. We go on a diet, we start exercising. However, after some time it turns out that not much has changed. Maybe the weight has moved slightly, but the problem is still there…
The reason for weight gain, heaviness and swelling is not necessarily the increase in body fat. The cause can be water retention in the body. When water-electrolyte balance is disturbed and water, instead of circulating through the body and filling the blood vessels, is accumulated in the subcutaneous tissue, weight gain, swelling and edema occur. It is then necessary to react! There are several ways to stop water retention in the body. The first thing to do is to reduce salt in your diet and increase your water supply. It is also worth taking an appropriate dietary supplement. There are many tablets available on the market for excess water in the body. Well-chosen preparations of this type can be an irreplaceable help for us.
Table of contents
Water retention in the body – what is it?
Water retention (or water retention) is a phenomenon related to water-electrolyte imbalance and lack of balance between absorbed and excreted fluids. In other words, as a result of excess sodium ions in the diet or due to other factors, our body begins to store water in the tissues instead of removing it with appropriate intensity and frequency.
As a result of water retention in the body, a number of troublesome symptoms occur, which not only have a negative impact on our mood, but also on our appearance.
The most commonly observed symptoms of water retention in the body:
- the body is swollen, seems “inflated”, an increase in body weight occurs, body circumference increases,
- water accumulated in the subcutaneous tissue causes swelling, it is visible mainly on the fingers of the hands, in the abdominal area, hips, shoulders,
- excess fluid in the body leads to swelling of the legs – thighs, calves, ankles and feet are swollen, accompanied by pain, heaviness of legs and excessive pressure on the feet, shoes become too tight,
- Water cellulite appears,
- swelling around the eyes,
- Feeling of heaviness and fullness, as if suddenly we have gained a few extra kilos,
- Difficulty in losing weight, even with calorie restriction,
- we are lethargic, weak, overtired,
- we have a bad mood,
- we have trouble concentrating,
- we feel irritable and broken down.
Where does excess water in the body come from? The most common causes of water retention
The problem of excess water in the body is quite complex. The reasons can vary and water retention itself takes different forms. It can be a temporary or permanent problem, it can be caused by hormonal, physiological (e.g. menopause, pregnancy), environmental, lifestyle-related, and disease-related factors (e.g. thyroid diseases, cardiovascular diseases).
In the latter case, when water retention in the body is related to a disease, it is best to consult a doctor, who will show us how to proceed. A frequent cause of excess water in the body is, paradoxically, too little water intake. The body, in its defence against dehydration, switches into a sparing mode and begins to accumulate water. There are also several other causes of water retention in the body.
If the water retention in the body is sporadic and temporary (e.g. due to the approach of menstruation), there is little we need to do, the symptoms usually subside on their own. On the other hand, if the excess water in the body is a permanent or frequent phenomenon, it is worth making some changes in lifestyle, including modifying the diet, mainly in terms of reducing the amount of sodium. It is also worth taking an appropriate dietary supplement, which will allow us to effectively free ourselves from body swelling and other annoying symptoms.
The most common causes of water retention in the body:
- Upcoming menstruation. Due to the increased production of estrogen, more water accumulates in our body, the body becomes puffy, and the scale indicates more pounds. Symptoms usually disappear in the first days of menstruation. Excess water in the body can also occur as a result of hormonal changes during menopause and pregnancy, and in other situations when there are rapid fluctuations in hormone levels.
- Dietary water deficiency. When we consume little fluid (less than 1.5-2 liters per day), the body increases the production of a hormone called vasopressin (it is designed to take care of the balance of fluids in the body). In the case of reduced water supply in the body, vasopressin affects the work of kidneys, making them produce more concentrated urine (thus, less water is urinated, more water remains in the body).
- Too poor a diet. If you are on a restrictive weight-loss diet or eat too much processed junk food and too little healthy natural food, it’sIt is easy to suffer from deficiencies in certain nutrients that may contribute to excessive water accumulation in the body. This mainly concerns protein, one of whose tasks is to bind water. Deficiencies in protein cause physiological fluids to seep through the walls of blood vessels, after which they accumulate in the intercellular space and cause edema. Also, potassium deficiencies in the diet can cause water retention in the body.
- Excessive salt in the diet. This refers both to adding salt to food and consumption of products rich in salt (e.g. chips, salty sticks and other products rich in salt). It includes both adding salt to food and eating products rich in salt (e.g. chips, salty sticks and other salty snacks, tinned foods, sausages, pâtés and other highly processed meats, smoked products, anchovies, bacon, yellow cheese, soy sauce, salty spices, ready meals, fast food, ready-made sauces). The main component of salt, sodium, binds water in tissues and promotes water accumulation.
- Alcohol abuse. By drinking alcohol, the blood vessels become dilated. This in turn leads to more intense seepage of fluids into the tissues and their excessive storage instead of excretion.
- Low physical activity, sedentary lifestyle, staying in one position for too long. If we move little, do no sport, and spend most of the day in a sitting or lying position, our blood circulation is too slow. Poor blood circulation in turn causes stagnation of fluids in the body and swelling.
- Improper functioning of the capillaries, pressure fluctuations. The role of capillaries is to exchange nutrients and gases between blood and tissues. This phenomenon occurs due to pressure differences. If pressure changes are abnormal, excessive amounts of water can be accumulated in the tissues.
- Certain diseases, including: cardiovascular disease (e.g., hypertension, heart failure, varicose veins), diabetes, liver disease, hypothyroidism, kidney disease, anemia.
- Taking certain medications, such as contraceptives, steroids, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, painkillers, blood pressure-lowering drugs.
How to get rid of water from the body?
How to get rid of excess water from the body? Here are simple ways:
First, a healthy balanced diet with limited salt
If you have a tendency to heavily salt your food, it is a good idea to reduce this habit. Instead of large amounts of salt and spices with salt content, we can use more herbs. We should also avoid salty snacks, powdered soups, instant meals, ready-made food, salty meats and all highly processed products.
Instead, our menu should include:
- fresh vegetables and fruits in significant quantities (thanks to bioflavonoids contained in them, they seal blood vessels and prevent accumulation of water in the body),
- products with a high protein content such as fish, cottage cheese, yoghurt, kefir, buttermilk, eggs, lean meat (protein(protein prevents water from seeping through the blood and lymphatic vessels and prevents it from collecting in the subcutaneous tissue),
- nuts, seeds, whole grain products (abundant in electrolytes such as calcium, magnesium, potassium important for maintaining water balance in the body).
Secondly, an appropriate amount of liquids drunk
We should take care of regular body hydration. It is recommended to drink about 1,5 – 2 liters of water daily, and to use other drinks as well, such as unsweetened juices, water enriched with freshly squeezed juice (e.g. from lemons, oranges). In addition, we should drink other beverages such as unsweetened juices, water enriched with freshly squeezed juice (e.g. from lemons or oranges), fruit and vegetable blender cocktails, green tea, home-made compotes, herbal and fruit teas. We should avoid sweetened colored drinks and alcohol.
Thirdly, more physical activity
It is worth introducing regular physical activity in any form (e.g. running, fitness, gym, swimming, fast walking etc.) into your schedule. This will improve blood and lymph flow and regulate water balance in the body.
If you have a sedentary job, it is worth taking short breaks every now and then to stretch your legs, take a few steps or do simple exercises. If we spend a lot of time in the car, perhaps we could reduce driving (at least to some extent) at the expense of walking.
Fourth, use of preparations and herbs that help remove excess water
The use of herbs or ready-made herbal preparations speeds up and intensifies the process of removing excess water from the body. Especially if the problem is significant or if you expect quick results, it is worth using them.
Herbal materials stimulating water removal from the body:
- Common nettle,
- goldenrod,
- field horsetail,
- dandelion,
- chlorella and spirulina,
- parsley,
- yerba mate,
- birchbark,
- purgative,
- cranberries,
- green tea.
Tablets for removing excess water from the body
In online and stationary pharmacies you can find a large selection of tablets regulating water levels in the body. These are dietary supplements mainly based on compositions of herbs with diuretic properties. By increasing the production of urine, they accelerate the removal of water from the body. You can stop with drinking infusions, for example from nettle, but multi-ingredient tablets or capsules provide much more. Thanks to a complex of several different active substances, they are more effective and have broader action than single herbs, and what is more, they are more convenient to use.
Herbs or algae that boost metabolism and cleanse the body are often included in water removal products, which is an important advantage. Thanks to this, we have a chance to get rid of excess water, but also a few unwanted pounds and harmful toxins remaining in the tissues.
The best tablets to remove excess water
The choice of dietary supplements for removing excess water is large. One of the best is Spirulin Plus – a complex preparation based on spirulina, chlorella and precious herbs. Thanks to the rich composition of ingredients, it has a very broad spectrum of action.
Spirulina is an alga from the cyanobacteria family, which has been making waves in the dietary supplement market for some time now due to its strong health promoting properties. Spirulina has cleansing, immunizing, slimming, revitalizing and deacidifying properties. It also stimulates the removal of excess water from the body along with harmful substances deposited in our bodies.
Spirulin Plus is not only algae!
In online stores you can find a lot of products with spirulina, but Spirulin Plus is distinguished by a very rich and accurate composition, in which besides the blue-green alga you can also find: chlorella, dandelion, nettle, green tea, alfalfa and zinc.
During the treatment with Spirulin Plus the body not only gets rid of excess water, the supplement also has a positive effect on other processes:
- It deacidifies and removes toxins. Some of the ingredients have alkalizing properties, so our body quickly regains the right pH.
- It stimulates the metabolism to action, thanks to which calorie burning is stimulated and digestion of fats and carbohydrates is improved.
- It inhibits the feeling of craving. We snack less, we have less desire for sweets and snacks, our meals are smaller, thus losing weight becomes easier.
- Because it contains diuretic substances, it normalizes the amount of fluid in the body and accelerates the removal of excess water, thus leading to weight loss and reduction of swelling and water cellulite.
- It improves the condition of skin, hair and nails.
- Adds energy and strength, improves mood.
Good reviews and easy availability
Spirulin Plus receives positive reviews from Internet users, who praise it for its effectiveness in accordance with the manufacturer’s declarations. In the recommended treatment time, that is, up to 90 days, they note a clear surge of energy, weight loss, improvement in appearance, reduction of body swelling, absence of movement discomfort and feelings of heaviness, and better mood.
