While our body is, by and large, composed of water, it isn’t normal for people to put on weight due to excess water. This condition is actually the repercussion when there’s imbalance in water and in the essential electrolytes and minerals that the body requires. This can also be an indication of an underlying health issue. It is important to know that causes your body to retain water. This way, you’re able to address the root problem as easily as possible. In general, water retention is triggered by the following factors:
1. Poor diet
The primary cause of water retention is too much intake of sodium, which can be found in huge quantities in processed foods and fast food. High amounts of sodium can even be found in foods you think are healthy, such as salad dressing and cereals. Canned soups are also one of the food items people think are nutritious, but they’re usually loaded with sodium.
Whenever possible, it’s better to make homemade meals using filtered water and recipes that don’t require lots of sodium. It is also important that you read labels before buying food items. It’ll be helpful to compare sodium content of products before making a purchase. Naturally, go for the one that has lower sodium amount.
Nutritional inadequacies can also lead to water being retained in the body. When you’re deficient in protein, vitamins B1, B5, and B6, it’s more likely for you to have water retention. It is also important to note that consuming high protein; yet low carbohydrate diet can place unwarranted strain on the kidneys, which are the organs in-charge of regulating water in the body.
Since they filter a lot of substances, they can become tensed if they need to undergo detoxification process more often and more vigorously due to the great amounts of protein you’re consuming.
2. Lack of workout
Inadequate workout is another factor that causes water retention. When you engage in any physical activity, you somehow force the veins to transport waste materials and already exhausted blood to the heart. This results in the cleaning of blood, which helps other organs. This also helps in releasing excess fluids.
Those who don’t work out, meanwhile, frequently form inflamed limbs, strained organs, and weight gain. As a matter of fact, working out on a regular basis is considered as one of the best shields against water retention.
3. Taking prescription drugs
Prescribed and over-the-counter medications are frequently the cause why people retain needless fluids. These medications mostly are steroids, contraceptives which have estrogen, high blood pressure drugs, anti-depressants, and NSAIDs.
The reason is that these medications have the possibility to intervene with the natural courses of fluid elimination from the body by impacting electrolytes, disrupting with hormonal levels, or placing substantial strain on vital organs.
Of course, you need to speak with your doctor first before deciding to quit taking medications. It is also crucial that you make your physician aware of any changes in your body as a consequence of taking certain prescription or over-the-counter drugs.
4. Sickness
Several illnesses can force the body into retaining water. Some of the most typical health issues that can cause water retention include high blood pressure, cirrhosis, and congestive heart failure, among others. In cases like this, it’s usually recommended to take diuretics prescribed by doctors to help the body eliminate excess fluids.
5. Hormonal imbalance
This is more usual in women than men. Hormonal imbalance typically results in water retention, especially among women who are expecting and are experiencing premenstrual syndrome, as well as menopause. This is even more so among women undergoing hormonal replacement therapy.
This is because hormones have a substantial impact on how the kidneys work, how much water the body preserves, and how the body regulates protein, electrolytes, and essential enzymes. For instance, the hormones are the ones that tell the body of a pregnant woman to retain more fluid due to the presence of the fetus. Thus, with fluctuating hormones, it is very likely to experience water retention.
