Gout is an inflammatory disease. It is a painful form of arthritis that develops in some people who have high levels of uric acid in the blood. In vulnerable people, when levels are too high, crystals form in vulnerable joints and cause sudden, severe episodes of pain, tenderness, redness, warmth and swelling.
Your first indication that you may be suffering from gout is experiencing painful joints – especially in your big toe, your ankle, and your knee. Many people turn to home remedies to treat gout before contacting their doctor, as there’s evidence that many household staples can be used to treat gout. Several home remedies have been found to have varying degrees of success in the treatment of gout. They include:
- apple cider vinegar
- baking soda
- cherries
- ginger and/or turmeric
- water
- lemon juice
- celery seeds
- epsom salt
- bromelain
- vitamin c
You likely already have most of these items in your kitchen at home. So, which remedies work and which do not work? You’ve come to the right place to find out. We’ve tested each method and have summarized our findings below.
Who Gets Gout?
Your chances of getting gout are higher if you:
- are genetically vulnerable
- are overweight
- have heart disease, high cholesterol, high blood pressure
- drink too much alcohol
- are male
- had gastric bypass surgery
- eat too much meat and fish that are high in natural chemicals called purines
- take medicines, such as water pills (diuretics), that can bring on gout
Why Do I Suffer from Gout?
A hyperuricemia or in other words, increased uric acid in your blood. This is the reason why your joints are painful and inflamed. Uric acid is a normal product in your body – it is a substance that breaks down purines in your body which are found in certain foods that we eat, in addition to being found in human cells. When your body overproduces uric acid, you’re at risk for developing gout. But, why would your body overproduce uric acid?
The triggers of hyperuricemia include:
- injury
- infections
- surgery
- diuretics
- chemotherapy
- crash diets
- excessive alcohol consumption (especially beer)
- eating large amounts of red meat and shellfish
- dehydration
- drinking sugary sodas
It is these types of triggers that can create the hyperuricemia, which can result in gout. When you overproduce uric acid, your kidneys have to work harder to flush out the extra uric acid out of your bloodstream, as they would normally do.
What are the Symptoms of Gout?
A gout attack happens when something, such as a steak with a glass of wine, causes uric acid levels to rise. Sugary sodas and even too much fruit can prompt an attack. Injury can also cause gout. Trauma to the joint can irritate the crystals that have formed in a joint, triggering the attack. The resulting inflammation and pain often strike at night and intensify over the next eight to 12 hours. The symptoms ease after a few days and likely go away in a week to 10 days. Some people never experience a second attack, but an estimated 60% of people who have a gout attack will have a second one within a year.
Can I have gout without feeling pain?
Surprisingly, even when there’s no pain, the gout isn’t gone. Low-level inflammation continues to damage joints and gout attacks will (unless you take preventative measures) become more frequent and long lasting. Eventually joint damage may occur, which can lead to a loss of mobility, as well as damage to the kidneys. With proper management and treatment, this more advanced stage is preventable.
How do I know my pain is from gout?
Your doctor will need to rule out other potential causes of joint pain and inflammation such as infection, injury or another type of arthritis. Your doctor may take an X-ray, ultrasound, CT or MRI to examine soft tissue and bone. The doctor might also remove fluid from the affected joint and examine it under a microscope for uric acid crystals. Finding uric acid crystals in the joint fluid is the surest way to make a gout diagnosis.
How to Prevent or Minimize the Effects of Gout
Essentially, you do the opposite of all the line items above that make you susceptible to gout.
- eat and drink non-triggering beverages and foods in moderation
- avoid sugary foods and drinks
- review your medications to be sure they are not contributing to your risk
- eat a heart-healthy diet
- keep your weight in a healthy range using an age appropriate exercise program
- avoid organ meats (e.g., liver), anchovies, sardines, herring
- avoid excessive alcohol, as well as beer
- use supplements to reduce inflammation
Home Remedies for Gout
Because of the rise in health care costs and the popular inclination to try natural home remedies to prevent the need for prescription drugs and surgeries, many people are turning toward alternative remedies to treat gout. A number of these “home remedies” have been acknowledged for treating gout. But, are they effective or not? We will present a number of them below and discuss their likelihood of success.
Here are the most popular natural home remedies voted by gout sufferers:
- Apple Cider Vinegar: ACV is considered king when it comes to a gout natural home remedy and it’s my most popular post voted by social media. ACV helps your body become more alkaline and the acidity helps relieve acute gout pain. Many gout sufferers report drinking 1-2 tablespoons of raw unfiltered and organic apple cider vinegar in a glass of at least 8 ounces of water. Some will drink this 2-3 times a day for better results. ACV can also be used as topical treatment. You you can soak your foot for about 30 minutes in a bucket full of 4 cups of hot water and 1 cup of apple cider vinegar. You can also soak a clean, dry cloth in apple cider vinegar and wrap it around the affected area for about 15 minutes.
- Baking Soda: Another extremely popular natural home remedy for gout sufferers is baking soda. Like apple cider vinegar, it makes your body more alkaline. Many consume ½ a teaspoon in a glass of 8 oz. water.Many will repeat this throughout the day until they have consumed at least 3 teaspoons of baking soda. It helps lower uric acid providing with relief from the pain at the same time. Avoid this home remedy if suffering from high blood pressure and try to limit salt intake in your meals during the day when taking baking soda. Baking soda is very high in sodium. The maximum recommended dose is 4 teaspoons throughout the day.
- Cherries: Whether sweet or sour, cherries have been known to be extremely effective in treating gout and lowering uric acid due to their high antioxidant properties. In one study conducted with 600 people suffering from gout, it was concluded that eating half a cup serving of cherries daily (10-12 cherries) resulted in a 35% reduced risk of a successive gout attack. For those eating 2 or even 3 servings in a day, their risk dropped to 50%! But that is too much sugar as well which can cause other health ailments. Best recommendation is to use a tart cherry extract supplement and avoid the sugar intake if you can!
- Ginger and/or Turmeric: The powerful anti-inflammatories present in ginger root and turmeric can be very helpful in easing gout pain and inflammation. I basically chop off a little piece the size of an inch and boil it for about 20 minutes and drink it as tea. You can also add ginger root and/or turmeric in cooking recipes. Some may also eat a small piece raw daily. Others use it topically to reduce swelling by making a paste of ginger root with water and then apply it to the affected area, leaving it on for about 30 minutes.
- Water: Very simple, we all have it and it’s usually free. Drink plenty of it and flush excess uric acid out of your body. Staying hydrated is one effective way of limiting gout flares. Drink at least 8 glasses of water a day but if you can, why not strive for 12?! Make sure a water bottle is with you everywhere you go, I carry a bottle with me from morning to night and keep refilling it all day long.
- Lemon Juice: Another natural home remedy that helps alkalize your body thus reducing uric acid in the blood, is drinking lemon juice. Many gout sufferers squeeze half a lemon in a glass of 8 oz. of water and drink it up to three times a day. Others will combine it with ½ a teaspoon of baking soda. Remember lemon juice is also high in vitamin C which also helps gout.
- Celery Seeds: Another popular natural home remedy that helps lower uric acid and prevent gout according to many gout sufferers is celery seed extract. Celery seed simply stimulates your kidneys causing your kidneys to excrete more uric acid out of the body. Thus it causes you to visit the bathroom and urinate more.
- Epsom Salt: There is no better topical treatment to treat a gout attack than epsom salt, widely used by many to relax muscles, aches and pains. The presence of magnesium which is an alkaline minreal in epsom salt also helps to treat gout. Before taking a bath, simply add 1 to 2 cups of Epsom salt in your bath and soak your entire body or affected joint, for at least 30 minutes.
- Bromelain: Bromelain is a compound found in pineapples. The enzymes within it are frequently recommended for gout sufferers since it can lower uric acid and ease inflammation caused by gout. Again, bromelain is loaded with vitamin C as well which is also good for your gout.
- Vitamin C: A very popular vitamin with gout sufferers, let’s not forget vitamin C. Numerous studies have shown how vitamin C is effective in lowering uric acid levels in your blood.
Keep in mind that each individual is unique and will respond differently to each treatment type. Always discuss any new treatments that you are considering with your physician prior to starting them so he/she can review with you any potential medication interactions and potential side effect concerns.
The Gout Remedy Report (Out With Gout) Review
The Gout Remedy Report has detailed information on both alternative and traditional treatments for gout. The book goes in depth on the different treatments and what you can expect from both. Reviewers found this information useful, especially when it came to choosing a treatment method they were most comfortable with or thought would work for them best.
There are not many people who know that there is a link between what they eat and gout. There is and The Gout Remedy Report has comprehensive information on this. The book tells you how to improve your diet for this condition. Reviewers learned that even if certain foods were categorized as healthy it did not mean that they were good for gout sufferers. For example tofu and fish are touted as healthy protein sources but are actually foods that gout sufferers need to avoid. In addition, the book details why people with gout should avoid foods with a high purine content, and what foods contain this.
Vitamins and herbs play a major role in alternative treatments as a replacement for medical drugs. The Gout Remedy Report features the vitamins and herbs that target gout and alleviate symptoms.
There were some reviewers, who were just tired of pumping their bodies with prescription medication especially with painkillers that they know can be addictive. These reviewers were delighted with these natural remedies and reported good results and an overall better quality of life.
Even with good outcomes, the results varied. They were a few reviewers who asserted that they were cured of gout because they no longer experienced gout attacks. Most reviewers reported experiencing fewer and less severe attacks and with a much longer period between these flares. There were some who reported no change.
Alternative treatments are not everyone’s cup of tea. There were some people who bought the book and then decided that this was ultimately not for them. Fortunately, the Gout Remedy Report comes with a 60 day money back guarantee.
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Disclaimer:
Please understand that any advice or guidelines revealed here are not even remotely a substitute for sound medical advice from a licensed healthcare provider. Make sure to consult with a professional physician before making any purchasing decision if you use medications or have concerns following the review details shared above. Individual results may vary as the statements made regarding these products have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. The efficacy of these products has not been confirmed by FDA-approved research. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.