Edema
Natural Remedies

  1. Home
  2. Ailments

Edema - Editor's Choice

| Modified on Mar 10, 2025
Add New Post Comments
Apple Cider Vinegar

Edema, or fluid retention, occurs when excess fluid builds up in the body's tissues, leading to swelling—most commonly in the legs, feet, hands, and arms. It can result from poor circulation, high salt intake, pregnancy, or underlying health conditions.

Common Causes of Edema

  • Excess sodium intake
  • Prolonged sitting or standing
  • Hormonal changes
  • Kidney, liver, or heart conditions
  • Certain medications

Top 15 Natural Remedies for Edema

1. Reduce Sodium Intake

Excess salt causes water retention. Avoid processed foods and opt for fresh, whole foods.

2. Drink More Water

Staying hydrated helps flush out excess sodium and reduce swelling.

3. Dandelion Tea

A natural diuretic, dandelion tea promotes kidney function and reduces water retention.

4. Apple Cider Vinegar

ACV is rich in potassium, which helps balance sodium levels. Mix 1 tablespoon in water and drink daily.

5. Magnesium Supplements

A magnesium deficiency can worsen edema. Supplement with 200–400 mg daily.

6. Epsom Salt Bath

Soaking in an Epsom salt bath helps draw out excess fluid and reduce swelling.

7. Parsley Tea

Parsley is a natural diuretic that aids in flushing out excess fluid. Drink 2 cups daily.

8. Compression Socks

Wearing compression stockings prevents fluid buildup in the legs.

9. Increase Potassium Intake

Potassium-rich foods like bananas and avocados help balance fluids.

10. Exercise & Movement

Regular exercise promotes circulation and prevents swelling.

11. Massage Therapy

A lymphatic massage encourages fluid drainage and reduces swelling.

12. Elevate Your Legs

Raising your legs above heart level helps excess fluid drain naturally.

13. Avoid Processed Foods

Refined carbs and processed foods can spike insulin, leading to fluid retention.

14. Ginger

Ginger has natural anti-inflammatory properties that reduce edema.

15. Lemon Water

Drinking lemon water in the morning helps flush toxins and excess fluids.

When to See a Doctor

If you experience severe swelling, shortness of breath, chest pain, or sudden weight gain, seek medical attention immediately.

Conclusion

Edema can be managed naturally with dietary adjustments, hydration, exercise, and herbal remedies. Incorporate these tips into your daily routine for relief.

Share Your Experience!

Have you successfully dissolved calcium deposits using natural remedies? Let us know your results in the comments below!

The comments below reflect the personal experiences and opinions of readers and do not represent medical advice or the views of this website. The information shared has not been evaluated by the FDA and is not intended to diagnose, treat, or prevent any disease or health condition. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional for medical concerns.
Sort by Default New Loved

Rosemary Oil

Posted by Rob (Kentucky) on 07/21/2021
 ★★★★★

Editor's Choice

My GF's father (62 yrs old) suffers from swollen legs (Peripheral Edema). He has serious heart issue's with mini-heart attacks everyday. Strong smells also set him off and makes his chest hurt. He eat's nitro-pills like M&M's. He says hot weather causes his legs to swell.“He works outside in construction”.

The family has been rubbing Rosemary essential oil undiluted on his legs. It brings the swelling down in a few hours and the smell does not aggravate his heart.

Hope this helps someone...

Trace Minerals

Posted by Jared (Portland, OR) on 02/26/2020
 ★★★★★

Editor's Choice

Concentrated Trace Mineral Supplements. Direct cause and effect for me.

Was seeing an increase in left leg edema. I Increased water intake. Starting feeling migraine symptoms and recalled reading an article regarding trace minerals and migraines so started increasing my trace mineral intake. No more edema. No more migraines.

Everyone can stand to increase their trace minerals.

R+ALA

Posted by Gord235 (Vancouver, Canada) on 10/25/2019
 ★★★★★

Editor's Choice

R+ALA 400mg./day worked for me in 24 hr. reducing the swelling by about 75%.

Be sure to get the one with R+. I'm not sure what the R+ stands for but in previous posts on the old site it was stressed that it was better than just ALA alone.

ALA + Butcher's Broom

Posted by Laura C. (Ohio, US) on 10/01/2019
 ★★★★★

Editor's Choice

My husband has been suffering from edema on his legs since before I knew him. We tried lots of things, with no relief. He started taking 600mg of Alpha Lipoic Acid (ALA) and 940mg of Butcher's Broom once a day (both easily found, purchased from Amazon).

Within hours, he felt the fluid begin to pull from the edema in tingly, not painful way. A week later, one of his legs is visibly smaller and the other is much more pliable; he feels great relief!

Celery Juice

Posted by Jacklyn (United States) on 06/27/2019
 ★★★★★

Editor's Choice

Celery Juice For Edema

I have been suffering with Edema for years. My ankles and legs get swollen on a regular basis especially when I sit all day at a desk or if I am on a long flight. I have tried ginger tea, ACV, blackstrap molasses, and even drinking more water. I also tried walking to make the blood circulate but it still wasn't working.

Then I tried celery juice while on a vacation. After 1 day the swelling in my legs and ankles came down by half. After 2 days it came down by 3/4 and I was in the bathroom peeing all the time. By the 3rd day, my ankle and legs were the smallest they have been in years and I could see the veins in my feet. I drank the 16 oz celery juice every night. You will have to go to the bathroom in the morning. Now I have started drinking it in the morning on an empty stomach. If I miss it for one or 2 days, the swelling comes back. No other green juice works for this. I have tried. Just 16 oz of Celery Juice, with nothing added, is best. If you are adding something, which you shouldn't, it is ok to add a little bit of lemon juice.

I am happy that I found this, and I hope it helps you too.

Apple Juice and Olive Oil

Posted by Daniel (Thailand) on 05/09/2015
 ★★★★★

Editor's Choice

Licorice root (one of Ted's remedies for edema) increases my edma dramatically along with Bacardi and coke. Flying also has the same effect, so I tried the apple juice and olive oil programme. drinkin pure apple juice for five mornings straight. On the evening before retiring to bed I mixed 1/2 glass of apple juice and 1/2 glass of olive oil mixing them until the mixture was complete. The swelling stayed away for about 5 months. From this I learned it was my liver the culprit..

Alpha Lipoic Acid, Beets

Posted by Shirley (Long Beach, Ca) on 04/18/2015
 ★★★★★

Editor's Choice

I started using beets and Alpha Lipoic Acidd (ALA) and within 2 days had reduced my edema by 95%. I just peel the fresh beets with an apple for flavor in the blender. It's kind of like red applesauce. For over 10 years I've suffered with severe edema. This is the miracle I have been looking for. I can wear real shoes again and walk without pain and throbbing in my feet and legs. I eat the fresh beets and apples and take the ALA every and I will never stop.

Cream of Tartar

Posted by Eileen (Atlanta, Ga.) on 06/09/2013
 ★★★★★

Editor's Choice

Cream of Tarter for Edema: Cream of Tarter is rich in potassium. Often edema is caused from not enough water intake (dehydration) or too much sodium and not enough potassium. Cream of Tarter, 1/4 t in a glass of water, sipped, will provide a hefty dose of potassium. For me I start to pee out the fluid within an hour.

Dietary Changes

Posted by Albularyo (Chatham, Ontario, Canada) on 04/26/2013
 ★★★★★

Editor's Choice

For edema, it's not just sugar that needs avoiding, but all carbohydrates, in fact anything requiring Insulin to digest. What happens is that Insulin causes the kidneys to re-absorb salt and thus increases the water contents of the body. Historically humans were hunters and gatherers, they hunted the fattest animal they could find and they ate all of it, with very little else, ... And most importantly were able to live very healthy and energetic lives on that diet. Insulin was only needed for the little bit of fruits and vegetables they ate. Today's diet is the opposite from their's and some of us don't tolerate a mainly carbohydrate diet it all that well and end up diabetic and waterlogged, if not fat as well.

The upshot is, it takes only a few days on a NO-Carb diet and your waterlogged legs and feet will go back to normal. It's amazing to say the least.

Butcher's Broom

Posted by Gabrielle (Pottsville, PA) on 06/11/2009
 ★★★★★

Editor's Choice

Butcher's Broom for ankle/feet swelling:

I've been suffering off and on with swollen feet/ankles for many years. Most of the time it has passed within a short amount of time with little effort (such as drinking more water and elevating my legs/feet on pillows). Recently the swelling came on after being laid off from work for a couple months - spending too much time at my computer! I tried the pillows several times to no avail. Every time I put on shoes and took a walk to help circulation, the swelling in my feet would simply move up worse into my ankles. I researched online and in the many books I have for herbal remedies and came to the conclusion that Butcher's Broom was the most recommended of anything. I went and got some at my local natural food store and took the regular dose (two 500 mg) and within just a couple of hours I realized I could once again see the veins on the tops of my feet and the swelling had reduced by at least half. I could feel a huge difference and the relief -both physical and mental- was immense.

Blackstrap Molasses

Posted by Norman L (Abbotsford, BC) on 03/16/2008
 ★★★★★

Editor's Choice

I had serious swelling of ankles, feet & legs. And all doctors could suggest is poor circulation and one way valves in leg not working properly and would have to wear pressure socks for the rest of my life, but I was not willing for this and kept searching and trying all sorts of natural things but when finally I went back to blackstrap molasses, which I used to take for nose bleeding & cured that and after some time of use I ran out of it, & forgot to replace it and got swelling problems, but never connected it to molasses. But after 2 yrs for some reason I tried blackstrap molasses again and after some time I noticed something, less swelling to happen and gradually dissapeared and not even swelled during the day anymore and so it must be the molasses that played a part in circulation for me in my legs. I will continue taking it for this is a much better cure than wearing pressure socks, which did not go to fix the problem anyways. Thank You.

Apple Cider Vinegar

Posted by Carolyn (Winchester, VA) on 09/24/2007
 ★★★★★

Editor's Choice

I love this site. I stumbled upon this site about a week and a half ago and started the apple cider vinegar remedy last week. I love the taste, in water. I put 4 tablespoons of ACV in 20 fluid oz and sip it all morning at work. My appetite has decreased as has my taste for sweet things. I am terribly overweight and have had weight problems all my llife, had 4 knee surgeries and have arthritis and edema. My pain has lessened as has my edema has I really feel healthier. This is something I would recommend to everyone! Thank you for this website. My only problem is when I get home I feel suddenly a big decrease in energy, which is not so bad since I have been feeling so sluggish the new energixed feeling I have had is very welcome. I was just wondering if I should drink a tablespoon more of ACV when I get home in order to keep the energy level up. I did not want to over do the ACV as I am new to this. Thanks for any help! Sincerely grateful, Carolyn


Advertisement

Please note that we use cookies necessary for the functioning of our website, cookies that optimize the performance. To learn more about our cookies, how we use them and their benefits, please read our Privacy Policy