Nocturia, characterized by nighttime urination, affects a significant proportion of the population, especially the middle-aged and older adults. Nocturia impairs the quality of life as it disrupts sleep, resulting in fatigue, difficulty in concentration, and low mood during the day. It also increases the risk of cardiovascular disease, with a 23% rise in mortality. Current treatments for nocturia are limited by their side effects, such as hyponatremia and long-term resistance, highlighting the need for alternative strategies such as dietary supplementation.
Flavonoids are natural polyphenols with anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and anti-aging properties that may help reduce nocturia. The pathogenesis of nocturia involves inflammatory damage to the urothelial cells, irritation of the bladder mucosa, and disruption of the circadian rhythm. By virtue of their anti-inflammatory properties and their ability to improve circadian rhythm, flavonoids may be useful to improve bladder health and decreasing nocturnal urination. However, no studies have directly examined this link, and research is limited.
A study by Cai et al., published in the journal “Scientific Reports”, investigated the connection between dietary flavonoid consumption and nocturia using data from the 2007–2010 NHANES. The study included 5,938 middle-aged and older adults. Dietary flavonoid intake was assessed through two 24-hour dietary recall interviews, and nocturia was evaluated using a standardized questionnaire. Weighted multivariate logistic regression revealed that higher dietary flavonoid intake was significantly associated with a decreased prevalence of nocturia (OR: 0.93; 95% CI: 0.88–1.00, p = 0.036). The data suggest that flavonoids may help reduce nocturia prevalence in older adults (See Graphic).
(Source: Cai Y, Liang YC, Hu XY, Li L, Liu DL, Chu SF, Li HL. Inverse association between dietary flavonoid intake and nocturia in middle-aged and older adults from NHANES 2007–2010. Scientific Reports. 2025 ;15(1):4423. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-88681-2)