Home Remedies For Gout

In the article, "Everything About Gout Diet," I mentioned a few dietary options for gout, including some natural remedies that focus on different operations in the body to help provide healthy blood circulation, kidney function, urine flow and diuretics, and other factors that prevent gout flare ups. This article focuses more on those remedies, and offers some other ideas. For recipe ideas and a more comprehensive list of foods to eat, download our free ebook.

Foods and Drinks

Certain ingredients should be incorporated into the diet, as they may reduce uric acid levels and are anti-inflammatory. Healthy kidney and liver function regulates uric acid from entering the bloodstream. Water retention or irregular urine flow is another factor in maintaining a healthy diet.

Uric Acid Moderators and Natural Diuretics:

• Cherries
• Apples
• Grapes
• Apple Cider Vinegar
• Tea (especially green)
• Celery

Anti-inflammatory:

• Turmeric
• Ginger Root
• Green Tea
• Nuts
• Cold-processed, virgin oils, such as olive, flax, and coconut

Blood circulation is also important for maintaining low uric acid levels. Physical movement, especially stretching, helps circulation and controls inflammation. The following foods are a few options especially rich in nutrients to help a healthy blood flow.

• Avocados
• Cayenne Pepper
• Dark Chocolate
• Garlic
• Ginger Root
• Grapes
• Oranges
• Sunflower Seeds
• Watermelon

Teas:

Herbal teas have different benefits, and tea is an excellent method to wind down and destress.

• Butcher's Broom: Promotes healthy blood circulation, especially in the legs
• Dandelion: Acts as a diuretic and aids in eliminating waste
• Horsetail: Has diuretic properties to help flush the urinary tract and kidneys
• Parsley: Natural diuretic that helps reduce toxic build up in the kidneys urinary tract

Supplements

Supplementation is important to get proper nutrition, enjoy the foods you love, and keep your uric acid under control. Considerations include:

• Comprehensive Formulas: Certain formulas combine many ingredients into a blend to help support different channels in the body that contribute to uric acid levels. Urix Acid uses 18 ingredients to provide a broad spectrum of benefits to the body, from promoting healthy uric acid levels to helping the body with natural detoxification. Liver, kidney, and urinary tract herbs are included to promote the healthy flow of fluids in the body, while anti-inflammatory herbs help prevent flare ups. Other herbs help combat stress, as stress is a major contributing factor in inflammation. Vitamins are included to assist in protein digestion, healthy circulation, and other important functions.
• Vitamin C and citric acid may help reduce uric acid levels in the body. Vitamin C is naturally found in vegetables and fruits, not just oranges. If taking a Vitamin C supplement, be cautious about citric acid levels as this may be too harsh on the body and cause stomach upset. While this does not relate directly to uric acid or gout, there is no sense in creating more discomfort in the body. Many whole food powders and capsules in Vitamin C exist which come from a variety of fruits and vegetables. These will provide the broadest spectrum of Vitamin C benefits.
• Tart Cherry Extract: Medical journals have established tart cherry extract as a potential supplement for gout relief. Malaysian Journal of Nutrition published a study in 2009 examining uric acid level reduction in rats with Tart Cherry Juice. Rats were administered the juice in 5ml dosages for 2 weeks. The end conclusion is that, while further studies are needed, rats within a normal healthy range that did not have gout had no effect, while the rats with higher uric acid levels displayed improved amounts after the time period. Both groups showed greater antioxidant levels. Zhang Y at Boston University led a study that found a 35% decreased risk of gout with cherry consumption over two days in a 633 person study
• Bromelain and/or Proteolytic Enzymes: Bromelain–derived from pineapple–is an enzyme that, when taken on an empty stomach, helps reduce inflammation. When taken with food, it can help breakdown proteins. Proteolytic enzymes are a blend of enzymes which also have anti-inflammatory responses when taken on an empty stomach and help break down proteins when taken with food.
• Zinc: Aids in metabolizing protein and repairing tissue damage.