Home Remedies For Gout

            If you are suffering from a flare-up of gout, you may wonder if there is anything you can do to ease the pain and swelling. There are natural remedies that will relieve the symptoms, but first you must understand what causes gout in the first place. Gout is a type of arthritis caused by an excess of uric acid in the blood. Foods high in purines, such as red meat, alcohol, fish, and beans, cause uric acid crystals to form. These painful, sharp, crystals end up in the joints of the feet as gout. When it comes to gout, or any other disease or illness, you’ll want to remember the old adage, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”  That being said, you’re going to want to take a good look at your eating habits. Are you eating a well balanced diet that includes healthy fruits, vegetables, grains, and lean proteins?  Or do you tend to favor foods high in fat and sodium? If the latter is true, it’s time to make some changes right away!

            The first step is to AVOID those purine-saturated foods as much as possible. You’ll want to clear the toxins out of your bloodstream right away.Gout is a disease that affects the whole body, even though you only may only feel the pain in your big toe. To treat your symptoms the correct way, you will have to cleanse your body from the inside out.

            Start to increase your fiber intake. Fiber binds to fat, cholesterol, and uric acid in the blood, which will then be carried out of the body. Be sure to drink plenty of water, as this is what will flush all the impurities out of your system.  

Next, eat plenty of foods that will keep your body healthy. Foods high in Vitamins A, E and B5 will help your body counteract the effects of gout. Most fruits, vegetables, nuts and grains contain these vitamins in some form. Be sure you eat fruits and vegetables raw instead of cooked, because heat destroys these vitamins. Once your body is clean and healthy, you are on the right track!

There are some natural remedies you can use to ease your painful gout symptoms more quickly. Vitamin C will assist the body in flushing out uric acid. Squeeze half a lemon into an 8 oz. glass of water, and drink it cold or hot. Potassium, found in cherries, is an excellent way to reduce inflammation and swelling.  Drink 3-4 oz. of cherry juice mixed with water twice a day.

If you’d like to try an herbal remedy for gout symptoms, nettles are the way to go. Infuse one tablespoon of nettles in hot water and drink two cups a day.

All of the remedies listed here have something in common. They all work by removing uric acid crystals from the body. The pain caused by these crystals is the body’s way of saying that it is full of toxins. By using these natural cures, you are healing your body from head to gouty, swollen toe. All the painkillers in the world can’t do that.