The grape has an exceptional diuretic value on account of its high contents of water and potassium salt. Its low albumin and sodium chloride contents enhance its value in urinary system disorder. It is an excellent food in acute and chronic nephritis and in kidney and bladder stones.
Honey
Honey is a valuable diuretic food. It contains mineral salts and is hence endowed with unique properties to facilitate profuse urination. It is a very effective remedy for retention of urine. About 70 grams of honey should be taken mixed with 4 grams of sugar in treating this condition. It acts as a powerful diuretic and urination will start immediately.
Lady’s Finger
The lady’s finger is a very popular table vegetable grown all over India. It contains a large quantity of bland, viscid, mucilage, which is valuable in allaying irritation of the skin. It exercises a soothing effect on the skin and mucous membranes.
A decoction made from lady’s finger forms an effective diuretic food. This decoction is prepared by boiling 90 grams of the fresh capsules, cut transversely, in half a litre of water for 20 minutes and then strained and sweetened. It can be given with beneficial result in doses of 60 to 90 ml. frequently, in all irritable condition of genito-urinary organs, such as dysuria, gonorrhoea and leucorrhoea and in all cases attendant with scalding, pain and difficulty in passing urine.
Musk Melon
The musk melon occupies a place of pride among the summer delicacies. The fruit is called musk melon from the musk-like odour it emits. The ripe melon is highly nourishing. The seeds of this fruit yield sweet edible oil, which is nutritive and diuretic.
This fruit is a valuable diuretic food. A quarter Kg. of this fruit should be used for the purpose in summer and a piece of sugarcandy sucked after its use. The regular use of musk melon 3 or 4 times daily causes profuse micturition. The use of water should be restricted with this treatment. It may be replaced by slightly sweetened milk. The pulp of the fruit being a powerful diuretic is highly useful in cases of scanty or suppressed urination.
In Ayurveda, the rind of melon is regarded as a sure cure for urine retention. Melon rind is rubbed in water and the strained water is given to the patient in summer. In the winter season, it is warmed slightly before administration. This will promote clear micturition.
Onion
Onion is an effective diuretic food and very beneficial in the treatment of urinary system disorders. For burning sensation with micturition, a decoction of this vegetable has proved very valuable. This decoction is prepared by boiling 6g of onions in 500 ml of water. It should be removed from the fire when half of the water has evaporated.
It should then be strained and taken by the patient when cool. In retention of urine, onion should be rubbed in water and 60 grams of sugar should be mixed with it. The patient should take this mixture and it will result in free urination within a short time. The effect will be greatly enhanced if a little potassium nitrate is added to this mixture.
Orange
The juice of orange is an effective diuretic food when mixed with tender coconut water. It serves as a natural diuretic in all cases of scanty urination, dropsy, nephritis, cystitis, gonorrhoeal, non-specific urethritis and painful micturition due to high acidity of the urine.
Parslane
This green leafy vegetable is a diuretic food. It increases the secretion and discharge of urine. It is thus a valuable diet in dysuria, which is marked by pain or difficulty in passing urine. A teaspoon of the infusion of the leaves should be given twice daily in treating this condition. The seeds of this vegetable are also useful in treating scanty urination due to excessive sweating. An emulsion, prepared by mixing a teaspoon of the seeds in a glass of tender coconut water can cure these disorders. This emulsion should be administered thrice daily. It also reduces burning sensation in bladder infection.
Parsley
Parsley possesses diuretic properties. It is an aqua-retic food, which stimulates loss of water, says Dr. Varro Tyler. According to him, drinking parsley tea is a very effective way to stimulate loss of water. This tea can be prepared by putting a couple of teaspoons of dried parsley in a cup of boiling water. It increases the secretion and discharge of urine. According to R.D. Pope, M.D, who has done considerable research on the subject, parsley is excellent for the genito-urinary tract. It is of great assistance in the calculii of the kidneys and bladder, albuminuria, nephritis and other kidney troubles.
Radish
The leaves and tape roots of radish are diuretic foods, which increase the secretion and discharge of urine. A cup of radish leaf juice given once daily for a fortnight, acts as a curative medicine in dissolving gravel in urinary tract and cystitis, which is marked by inflammation of urinary bladder. This juice is also useful in cases of difficulty in passing urine (dysuria), passing of urine in painful drops (stranguary) and in urinary and syphilitic complaints. This juice may be given in doses mentioned above and repeated as often as necessary.
Spinach
The leaves of spinach are an effective diuretic food. They increase the secretion and discharge of urine. Fresh spinach juice, taken with tender coconut water once or twice a day, acts as a very effective but safe diuretic due to the combined action of both nitrates and potassium. It can be safely given in bladder infection, nephritis and scanty urination due to dehydration.
Sugarcane
Sugarcane is the most important member of the plant kingdom with a metabolism leading to the accumulation of sucrose. It is transported as glucose and fructose within the growing plant. The crop provides the cheapest form of energy- giving food. The juice is nutritious and refreshing. It contains about 15 per cent natural sugar and is rich in organic salts and vitamins.
The juice of sugarcane is a very effective diuretic food. It is highly beneficial in scanty urination. It keeps the urinary flow clear and helps the kidneys perform their functions properly. It is also valuable in burning micturition due to high acidity, gonorrhoea, enlarged prostate, cystitis and nephritis. For better results, it should be mixed with limejuice, ginger juice and coconut water.
Watermelon
Watermelon contains the highest concentration of water amongst all the fruits. It is also rich in potassium salts and has a base forming property. It is thus one of the safest and best diuretics, which can be used with beneficial results in scanty urination, kidney and bladder stones and excess discharge of phosphates in the urine, it is also valuable in affections of the urinary organs like gonorrhea. The pulp may be rejected when it is to be consumed in large quantities as the entire food Value is contained in the juice.