Health Topics > Liver health > fluidretention

FLUID RETENTION

Fluid retention is a common problem, causing swelling of the feet and ankles particularly. Puffiness of the hands and fingers or the eyelids can also occur. In women, fluid retention premenstrually can cause breast tenderness and abdominal bloating.

Lymphoedema is swelling caused by blockage of the lymphatic vessels such that fluid accumulates in the tissues. The commonest causes of chronic lymphoedema in the Western world are cancers or subsequent surgery or radiotherapy. An example is mastectomy with lymph node clearance for breast cancer, following which lymphoedema or swelling of the arm on the affected side may occur.

What causes it?

Mild fluid retention has a number of possible causes including:

Hormonal imbalances such as an under active thyroid gland.
Taking the oral contraceptive pill or potent hormone replacement therapy
Kidney problems
Sluggish liver function.
Liver disease.
Heart disease and heart failure.
Problems with the lymphatic system.
Varicose veins, which cause fluid retention in the legs
Food allergies and being overweight.

However, more significant fluid retention may indicate heart, liver or kidney disease so it is important to be assessed by your doctor.

Treatment and general recommendations

Fluid retention is made worse by poor diet, lack of exercise and using artificial sweeteners.
It is best to avoid diuretic drugs if possible, as in the long term they may actually increase fluid retention, and on stopping a diuretic the fluid retention will initially get worse.
Losing weight if you are overweight will often resolve the problem. Physiotherapy with special binding techniques can improve lymphoedema.
Treatment of the underlying cause of fluid retention is certainly the first step.
If you are taking oral synthetic HRT or the wrong type of contraceptive pill this can also play a part in the retention of fluid. The Lymphatic type does better on the natural hormonal creams rather than the troches.
Massages incorporating lymphatic drainage can be helpful - see a qualified practioner.

Diet

Follow The Liver Cleansing Diet Principles in chapter 5 of the book "The Liver Cleansing Diet"

An alternative is to follow the eating plan for the Lymphatic body type from "The Body Shaping Diet" book or follow "Can't Lose Weight? You Could Have Syndrome X" book.

Include often foods which have a diuretic effect including celery, cucumber, apples, artichokes, rockmelon, watermelon, parsley, fresh dandelion greens, watercress, fennel, papaya, pineapple, garlic and dill.
Converse to what you may think you should also drink plenty of water, say 6 to 8 glasses daily.
Lean fresh red meats and fish can be eaten if desired as they are good sources of magnesium which reduces fluid retention.
Consider the possibility of food allergies; an elimination diet avoiding dairy products, wheat and other grains which are the most common culprits may be worthwhile.
If you are taking a potassium losing diuretic, consume potassium-rich foods like wholegrains, nuts, sunflower seeds, fruits and vegetables including bananas, apricots, citrus fruits, parsley, spinach, broccoli and carrots.
Hot spicy foods are good for lymphatics - chilli, tumeric, curries, garlic and ginger etc
Buckwheat contains valuable rutin to strengthen the veins and lymphatic vessels.

FOODS TO AVOID

Limit all dairy. Opt for organic unsweetened soy, oat, rice, almond or light coconut types of milk.
Preserved meals (eg, ham, bacon, sausage, pizza meats, corned beef, smoked meats).
Processed foods
Potato chips
Salted nuts
Fizzy drinks
Aspartame
Foods containing refined sugars, honey and glucose.

Dairy foods are poison for the lymphatic type and should be avoided always. These include milk, cheese, cream, butter, yoghurt, ice-cream, chocolate. Also due to foreign proteins in cow's milk it is also very bad for autoimmune conditions and poor immune system function. Both the Liver Cleansing Diet and Syndrome X eating plans are dairy free. Try some different brands and varieties of soy as they vary greatly. The fresh soy products in the dairy cabinet are much lighter and not as strong in taste as the long life products. There are also rice milks and oat milks to try. Drinking lots of water and fresh juices is also very important especially in preventing further cellulite.

Raw juicing

Juicing recipes that are beneficial for different health conditions can be found in "Raw Juicing can save your life"

The recommended recipe to assist with fluid retention is:

Fluid Retention Juice" on page 85.

The raw fresh vegetable juices are important. It is good to use both whole fruits and vegetables in the diet as well as the juices, as the juices provide an easily absorbable form of nutraceuticals that are very beneficial for the liver and lymphatic system

Orthodox Medical Treatment

Diuretic drugs like "Lasix" or "Moduretic" may be prescribed but should not be necessary if you try the natural alternatives above. Harsh diuretic drugs can flush the fluid away on a temporary basis, but often cause side effects such as mineral deficiencies, fatigue and sugar cravings. When they wear off the fluid comes back worse than before!

Recommended supplements:

Liver tonic powder or capsules

Take 1 teaspoon stirred into fresh raw juices or water twice daily or 2 capsules twice daily before meals - Liver tonics containing St Mary's Thistle, B vitamins and Taurine will help stimulate the phase 1 and 2 detox pathways in the liver and stimulate and improve fat burning efficiency.

Body type weight control tablets

Take 1 three times daily before food to help assist with fluid retention. Specific body type tablets help in:

Eliminating mucous and toxins
Improving the lymphatic system
Reducing cellulite
Boosting a sluggish metabolic rate
Relieving fluid retention