The best remedies for gout
Gout is a painful and debilitating condition, and if you suffer from it, you’re sure to be on the lookout for any new and effective surface remedies today. If you or someone you know has gout, this article aims to review current gout remedies and see if the research provides us with new information to help with gout.
When you look at current remedies for gout, they really fall under one main remedy, which is eating an anti-inflammatory diet, since gout is an inflammatory condition just like arthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.
1. Include these anti-inflammatory foods in your diet:
- Water – This is free! It is very important to drink 8 glasses of water a day. This will help your body get rid of excess uric acid and reduce swelling and pain.
- black cherry juice – One of the most effective home remedies for taste. Look for unsweetened, concentrated black cherry juice. This can usually be found at a health food store or online. It is recommended that gout sufferers drink several tablespoons of the concentrated juice daily during flare-ups.
- blueberries – Blueberries are rich in antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds.
- strawberries – A handful of strawberries every day will quickly reduce swelling and pain, as strawberries neutralize uric acid.
- fresh cherries – They can usually only be found seasonally, but a handful of fresh cherries every day between meals can relieve gout symptoms quickly.
- baking soda – Take half a teaspoon of baking soda daily with meals. This can raise blood pH levels over time.
- Apple cider vinegar – Although vinegar is acidic, apple cider vinegar has an alkaline effect on the body.
- celery seeds – Celery seeds help your body remove uric acid from the blood. They also contain anti-inflammatory compounds. Celery seeds have a diuretic effect, so it is important to drink plenty of water. They should also not be used by pregnant women or people with kidney disease.
- Potassium – Eat foods rich in potassium, such as baked potatoes with skin, cooked spinach, avocados, bananas, skim milk or prunes. You can also take a potassium supplement, however food-based potassium seems to work faster. Potassium helps your body get rid of uric acid crystals, so it’s very important that you get enough potassium.
2. Reduce Inflammatory Foods In Your Diet:
- Reduce or eliminate meat and dairy, substitution of vegetables, nuts and whole proteins for meat
- Reduce or eliminate dairy productsreplacing almond or rice milk, nut cheese, and soy or coconut milk based products
- Reduce or eliminate sugars. It’s best to stay away from chemical substitutes as much as possible, opting for the herb Stevia, or a touch of maple or agave syrup instead. It is also highly recommended to stay away from soft drinks and beer.
New medical research continues to support the traditional anti-inflammatory diet, mentioned here, which is gaining ground in the scientific community, as it also benefits many medical conditions in addition to gout. Dr. Andrew Weil, a renowned holistic physician is a big proponent, and he recently came up with the Anti-Inflammatory Food Pyramid and diet.
If you feel the anti-inflammatory diet is too restrictive, it is strongly recommended that you at least follow it during a flare-up, taking care to stay away from all animal proteins, soft drinks, beer, fatty fish such as herring, sardines, and salmon, and all fried foods, as well as aspirin, as they deplete vitamin E, which in turn causes an increase in uric acid. While following these gout remedies will help you control your gout symptoms, it’s also important to reduce your risk of future gout attacks.
The best way to limit or eliminate the painful condition of gout is to follow the anti-inflammatory diet as much as possible, reducing uric acid in your body, creating a healthier weight level, and preventing future gout attacks. You don’t have to follow it perfectly to get great results, just taking it day by day and doing the best you can will give you great health benefits.