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What’s in herbal water retention tablets?

Dandelion is used in herbal tablets for water retention to help relieve bloating and swelling from unwanted fluid, which occurs when the body stores water instead of passing it out naturally through urine and sweat. 

In French, Dandelion is known as ‘pis-en-lit’ which can be literally translated as ‘wet the bed’. However, using herbal tablets containing Dandelion root and leaf offers an effective way to gently relieve unwanted fluid retention – without the risk of any nasty accidents!

Many women chose a natural diuretic just before their period. This tends to be when bloating from fluid retention is at its worst, making clothes feel tight and uncomfortable around the tummy area and, for many women, making their breasts feel enlarged and tender. 

Fluid retention can also be a common side-effect of long-haul flights or long bus or car journeys when excess fluid can ‘pool’ in the ankles due to immobility.

After menopause, water retention tends to be most problematic in the ankles, feet and hands. Called ‘peripheral oedema’, this is usually a symptom of slightly sluggish circulation or may occur as a result of prolonged periods of sitting without raising your feet. It can make shoes or jewellery feel tight and, if it persists, can make skin feel tight and itchy and in extreme cases, can even lead to ulcers or lesions on the skin. 

Properties of Dandelion as a Diuretic

Dandelion was traditionally used by Native Americans to treat liver or kidney disorders, swelling, skin problems and an upset stomach. 

Dandelion leaf and root contains the natural polysaccharides inulin and levulin, which are traditionally associated with balancing blood sugar. In the BBC programme ‘How to Stay Young’ hosted by Angela Rippon, she explained that inulin can help to reduce the visceral fat stored on our organs or internally which can be detrimental to your health and which often can’t be seen. 

Dandelion also contains choline which helps to stimulate the liver and support the body’s natural detoxifying system.

In a pilot study in the US published in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine in 2009, volunteers were given an extract of medicinal dandelion, Taraxacum Officinale. Along with a control group, the volunteers were given a specific volume of fluid over a single day and the amount of urine they produced was then measured over the same period. The pilot study found that people who took the dandelion root extract had a significant increase in the volume of urine they produced in the five-hour period after the first and second doses.

If swelling is severe, you should always see your doctor to make sure it is not a sign of a more serious underlying health condition or a symptom of high blood pressure or kidney problems.

However, if fluid retention is occasional, it could be well worth trying a licensed natural herbal medicine such as HRI Water Balance. This popular herbal remedy contains extract of Dandelion leaf and root, as well as the active ingredients Uva-ursi leaf and Buchu leaf, which to offer gentle relief from the discomfort of bloating from water retention. 

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