Home Remedies for Gout
If you have never heard of Gout, then you are one of the very fortunate ones. But if you are reading this, you or someone you know has experienced the excruciating pain that is associated with Gout.
Anyone who has experienced this pain is more likely to exchange a million dollars to get rid of the unbearable pain. Gout is another form of arthritis that painfully occurs when excess uric acid builds up and forms crystals in the joints. If your body if producing too much uric acid or is not able to remove enough of it, it may lead to hyperuricemia. It is a form of arthritis that causes inflammation and pain in joints. It can occur in your knees, ankles and toes. Gout can also affect wrists, ears, and the small joints in your hands. This leads to a lot of discomfort and pain.
What causes these crystals to form in the joints? The body produces uric acid after it breaks down a substance called – Purine. This can be found in many foods and especially the supposedly rich foods. No wonder, the illness was once even known as ‘disease of the kings’ because people associated it with the ‘rich’ diet of the wealthy.
Symptoms of Gout
Gout is a type of arthritis that flares and subsides, but the flaring can be unbearable. Some of the common symptoms of a gout flare include:
- Sudden and intense pain in the joint
- It usually strikes the big toe but can occur in other toe joints, ankles, knees etc.
- Normallyattacks one joint at a time
- The affected joint gets swollen and is painful
- The pain from such an attack can last a week or two
Causes of Gout
As discussed earlier, Gout is a type of an inflammatory arthritis and is caused when the uric acid levels in the body exceeds. It is a normal byproduct of metabolic reactions in your body. Hence, when it cannot be dissolved and flushed out from the body it starts to form crystals. These crystals then go and deposit themselves in joints the result of which is severe inflammation coupled with pain. There is also the risk of acquiring it from your family. Also, having a chronic kidney diseasecan also assist in developing gout in the long run.
Home Remedies for Gout
If you are already experiencing a gout flare up are in excruciating pain and while you opt for medication for instant relief from the pain and inflammation, there are however a few home remedies for gout that you could consider. But first a list of things to go on your ‘Do Not Touch’ list:
Avoid the following food and drinks
- Organ Meats – liver, kidney, heart, sweetbreads, tripe, brain and tongue
- Red meat, lamb, and pork
- Fish and Seafood – these would include anchovies, sardines, trout, scallops, caviar, shellfish like shrimp, lobster, mussels
- Ground meat and meat-based Liquids – gravies, broth etc.
- Beer and grain liquors like vodka and whiskey
- High-fructose products like soda and some juices, cereal, ice cream, candy, and fast food
Home remedies for Gout
Gout-friendly Diet
A gout-friendly diet would include a good measure of carbohydrates, dairy, fruits, and vegetables. Good nutrition is very important as to reduce your risk of falling prey to some of the chronic diseases like gout. A good diet to prevent gout is one which contains low levels of purine.
White bread, pasta and noodles
These refined carbohydrates are good for gout patients because they have a low purine content. However, excess of everything is bad and too much consumption of refined carbohydrates can cause a rise in blood sugar.
Milk, Cheese andYogurt
Because of the low purine levels – low-fat milk and low-fat yogurt are excellent foods and can help to lower the risk of gout.
Vegetables
Eat plenty of vegetables such as cabbage, squash, red bell pepper, etc but avoid vegetables with moderate purine content such as asparagus, spinach, cauliflower and mushrooms.
Fruits
Fruits which have high Vitamin C,should be included in the diet like oranges, tangerines, papaya and cherries.
Apple Cider Vinegar
Apple cider vinegar can be taken, as it acts as a natural cleanser. The malic acid which it contains helps in breaking down the uric acid and flushing it out of the body. You could mix a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar to a glass of water. Drink a glass of the mix everyday and it should help in flushing out the excess uric acid considerably.
Lime juice
Another liquid diet regime that you can adopt , which is a natural reedy for gout is to have a glass of lime water at least twice a day. This again is a good and natural cure for gout. It helps in flushing the excess uric acid out of the body. Also, since lime contains citric acid it is helpful in dissolving the uric acid.
Antioxidants
You should load up on antioxidant fruits and vegetables. Antioxidant rich berries like cherries, blueberries and strawberries contain flavonoids that help in reducing inflammation and stiffness.
Cherries
Another fruit that is a natural cure for gout is Cherries. It contains high levels of anthocyanins, which are anti-inflammatory in nature. It is suggested that cherry or it’s juice reduces the symptoms of gouts.
Celery seeds
Celery seeds are rich in Omega-6 fatty acids and are helpful in cleaning the body of excess unwanted fluids by stimulating the kidneys to flush out the uric acid. You could probably take half a teaspoon of dried celery seeds once a day along with plenty of water.
Ginger
Another natural cure for gout can be easily found in all South Asian kitchens. The perennial occupant in the fridge door – Ginger and itsanti-inflammatory quality is well known. Put a tablespoon of freshly grated ginger to boiling water. Now dip a hand towel in the mixture. Once the towel is relatively cooler and you can bear it on your skin, apply it to the affected area. Do it for 15-20 minutes, at least once a day.
Drink more water
The best home treatment for gout is to flush out as much of the excess uric acid from your body as you possibly can. And the best way to do it is by simply drinking plenty of fluids. Plenty of water and other liquids will help your kidneys to flush out uric acid faster. Keep a water bottle with you at all times.
Avoid alcohol
Since the key is to hydrate and flush out the uric acid from the body, alcohol can be counterproductive as it can make you more dehydrated. Worse still, it can also trigger high uric acid levels. This puts extra load on your kidneys, as they have to first filter out the alcohol instead of continuing to flush out uric acid and other wastes. As mentioned earlier, some types of alcoholic drinks such as beer are also high in purines.
Lose weight
It is always a good idea. It is likely that people who are obese or over weight may also produce more uric acid. Since fat cells produce more uric acid than muscle cells, they are at a higher risk. While that is not enough, being overweight also makes it tougher for the kidneys to flush out the uric acid.
Some dietary changes and home remedies for gout can help in managing the severity of pain associated with the disease. However, if the pain is sudden and intense, a doctor’s advice must be sought.
FAQs:
Rest is important for the home treatment of gout. One of the first things that you should do once the pain flares up is to try to keep the affected joint higher than your heart. Place your foot on a pillow to elevate the joint. Like any other inflammation and swelling, Ice is always helpful to reduce the pain and the inflammation.
The best and the most natural treatment for gout is to flush out the uric acid from the body. And the way to do it is to drink lots of fluids, which can be water or orange juice. Switching to a diet which is high in dietary fiberwould also help to lower the uric acid levels in the blood. A diet high n dietary fiberwould help in absorbing the uric acid in your bloodstream and eliminate it from your body through the kidneys. Again, drink plenty of fluids to help flush uric acid from your body
Since the uric acid needs to be flushed out of the body – drinking loads of fluids will be highly recommended. It would be a good idea drink 10-15 glasses of water a day. Vitamin C also helpsin lowering the uric acid content in your body. So drink orange juice as well. However drink it in moderation as it high levels of fructose which may increase the uric acid level if consumed in excess. Another drink that may be helpful in cutting down the uric acid content is caffeinated coffee. Again do not consume it in excess.
If you are suffering from joint pains caused by gout then you may want to consume chicken carefully. Chicken is known to have considerable amount of purines, which is the main villain behind gout. You may also want to avoid organ meats such as liver because they have higher levels of purines and can cause flare-ups sooner or later. Hence, moderation would be the key.
Banana is a fruit that possesses several nutrients like potassium, vitamin B6, manganese, vitamin C, and pectin. These are important and help to reduce uric acid levels in your body and can reduce inflammation. This fruit is one of the best fruits to include in your diet if you are suffering from gout. As part of your natural treatment/home remedies of gout, eat 1-2 bananas per day. However, make sure not to have more than this number as bananas have high sugar content.
