Foods and Other Things to Avoid
• Meat: organ meats, offal, meat extracts, veal, bacon, sweetbreads, meat gravies and broths, consommé/bullion
• Poultry: turkey, goose
• Seafood: salmon, mackerel, trout, cod, herring, sardines, anchovies, mussels, crab, shrimp
• Vegetables: peas, beans, lentils, asparagus, mushrooms, cooked spinach, rhubarb, cauliflower
• Yeast products: baked goods, beer
• Alcohol - it increases the production of uric acid and inhibits its excretion by the kidneys
• Coffee - it accelerates the breakdown of protein into uric acid
• All fried foods - they cause a depletion of vitamin E, which can cause uric acid to rise
• Cream and ice cream
• Rich desserts
• Spices
• Pastries
• Simple sugars, simple carbohydrates and saturated fats - they increase your body's production of uric acid and impair your kidneys' ability to get rid of it. Eliminate fructose (found in food and drinks, like sodas)
• White flour
• Aspirin can raise uric acid levels. If you need to use pain killers, only use ones with ibuprofen.
• Oatmeal
• Whole grains
• Caffeine - it impairs kidney function, which is needed to get uric acid out of the body.
Prevention
• One of the best ways to prevent gout is to drink at least 6-8 eight ounce glasses of water, fresh juices or herb tea daily, especially at the first signs of gout. This will keep your urine diluted and will help your body excrete uric acid and prevent crystals from forming.
* Eat foods high in potassium, as mentioned above.
• Eating generous amounts of other fruits and vegetables helps keep uric acid crystals in solution.
• Take the flavonoid quercetin - see below under Folk Remedies. This should be part of your permanent gout-prevention diet.
• Lemon juice prevents gout attacks by stimulating the formation of calcium carbonate in the body. Calcium carbonate neutralizes acids in the body, including uric acid that triggers gout attacks. After each meal drink the juice of one freshly squeezed lemon in a glass of lukewarm water. To get more juice out of the lemon, bring it to room temperature, then roll it around on the counter with the palm of your hand.
• Taking 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda with meals will prevent gout attacks. This will help alkalize the body.
• Keep the leg elevated.
• A high fiber diet also aids in the elimination of uric acid by absorbing bile acids formed in the liver. These bile acids can act as a precursor to uric acid.
Supplements
Low-purine diets are low in vitamins B, E and other antioxidants, so supplementation will be necessary to prevent damage from free radicals that can intensify gouty problems.
B complex One to three 50 mg tablets of the complete B complex daily, plus 500 mg of pantothenic acid (B5) in divided doses to assist the body's conversion of uric acid into harmless compounds.
Bromelain 500 mg twice daily as an anti-inflammatory.
Fish oil Take 2 grams of fish oil capsules 2x a day to reduce the chances of gouty inflammation.
L-glutamine 500 mg four times daily on an empty stomach - is an antacid.
L-glutathione 500 mg twice daily on an empty stomach - increases renal cleansing of uric acid.
L-glycine 500 mg four times daily between meals - acts as an antacid.
L-methionine 250 mg twice daily on an empty stomach - detoxifies purines.
Magnesium citrate 400 mg three times a day - an antispasmodic to relieve pain.
Shark cartilage used on a daily basis of 3-6 capsules/day can make the pain disappear and allow you to eat previously forbidden foods within one week without experiencing pain in the affected joint. After approximately one month of continuous use, you may stop taking the cartilage until the pain reoccurs. At this point you will probably only need to take the cartilage (3-6 capsules) for a week or two. You may continue this on/off cycle as needed. Your uric acid level may return to normal, but even if it doesn't, the pain will go away.
Tissue salts To prevent the formation of uric acid crystals, take two tablets of 6X Silicea three times a day. During a gout attack, increase the dosage to three tablets and add an equal amount of Nat. Phos. and Nat. Sulph.
Vitamin C 1,000 mg per hour at the very outset of a gout attack, then reduce to 500-3,000 mg daily for maintenance. Vitamin C helps lower serum uric acid levels.
Vitamin E Low-purine diets are low in vitamin E and fried foods deplete it, so supplementation will be necessary as a deficiency can contribute to the formation of excess uric acid. Begin with 100 IU of natural vitamin E, and slowly increase to 6-800 IU daily.
Acupressure
• Press just below the center of the nose toward the upper lip.
• Press and massage between the ball of the foot and the bottom of the big toe on each foot; then on the left foot only, stimulate a point halfway between the base of the little toe and the heel pad.
• Press inward and upward on the underside of the protuberance at the base of the skull.
• On both hands, press and massage a point on the inside of the pad at the base of the thumb directly beneath the index finger; then on the left palm only, stimulate a point halfway between the base of the little finger and the wrist.
Remedies
Folk
Alfalfa is a good source of minerals and other nutrients that help reduce serum uric acid.
Apple cider vinegar (ACV) Add some rose hips to vinegar and boil; dab on affected area. You may need to apply this mixture several times a day for a few weeks. The vinegar changes the blood pH so that the crystals will go into solution and be excreted.
• Mix two teaspoons each of apple cider vinegar and raw honey in a glass of water and drink at mealtime.
• Soak the foot in a mixture of 1/2 cup of ACV and three cups of hot water.
Bilberry is high in anthocyanosides and flavonoids, which are helpful in overcoming gout.
Black cherry juice Get some natural, concentrated black cherry juice and drink several tablespoons of the concentrate daily. You should expect relief in 48 hours.
Black cohash moderates blood acidity.
Blueberries are high in anti-inflammatory compounds called anthocyanins, which help ease the pain of gout.
Buchu tea helps dissolve and flush out uric acid crystals.
Castor oil packs Soak a piece of white flannel in warm castor oil, wring it out and place over the affected area; cover with plastic wrap and apply a heating pad. Do this for one hour twice daily.
Cayenne pepper Boil one tablespoon of pepper in 1 cup of vinegar and 1 cup of water and dab onto the painful joint.
• Mix cayenne with enough wintergreen oil to make a paste and apply to the affected area.
Celery seeds These seeds are quite effective in relieving gout by eliminating uric acid from the body. According to James Duke, Ph.D., a medical botanist formerly with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, celery seeds contain about twenty different anti-inflammatory agents. Although there is little scientific research on celery seeds, according to Kerry Bone, a leading expert on herbal remedies in Australia, "it (sic) works brilliantly in patients." Recommended dosage is 500 mg (standardized to 450 mg of celery seed extract) 2x daily. Note: This remedy is not to be used by pregnant women because of its diuretic effect and the fact that it can encourage uterine contractions, or those with kidney disease because of its potential diuretic effect and that the plant's oils can worsen kidney inflammation.
• Cook a tablespoon of celery seeds in two cups of water until they are soft; strain and drink 1/2 cup four times a day.
Charcoal Take 1/2 -1 teaspoon of activated charcoal daily.
• Make a poultice using 1/2 cup of activated charcoal, 3 tablespoons of ground flaxseed and warm water to draw out the toxins.
Cherries If you are lucky enough to have fresh cherries, eating 6-8 cherries daily will relieve the symptoms of gout. This remedy was reported in 1950 by Dr. Ludwig W. Blau who cured his own gout. Frozen and canned cherries may also be used. When you feel an attack coming on, eat 20-30 cherries immediately. Cherries are rich in compounds that prevent the destruction of collagen, which the body uses to form connective tissue. The connective tissue is damaged by gout. Cherries also have an enzyme that neutralizes uric acid and are high in anthocyanins which have high antioxidant properties as well as anti-inflammatory action. For greatest effectiveness eat them between meals.
Devil's claw reduces uric acid levels and is a natural cleansing agent for toxic impurities. Take 400 mg of the dried extract 3x a day for as long as desired.
DMSO (dimethylsulfoxide) is very effective in relieving pain and swelling caused by inflammation. It helps dissolve crystalline deposits.
Garlic Eat several cloves of raw garlic daily. Mince the garlic and add it to black cherry juice for a potent remedy.
Ginger Put 1/3 cup of ground ginger (buy in bulk to keep the cost down) in a bathtub of water and soak for 30 minutes. This will cause you to sweat (a good thing) which will help eliminate the uric acid from your tissues. When you are finished the bath be sure to rinse off thoroughly, as the ginger can cause skin irritation if it dries on your skin.
Grapes are high in alkalines which lessen the acidity of uric acid and aid in its elimination from the body.
Hawthorn is high in anthocyanosides and flavonoids, which are helpful in overcoming gout.
Hydrangea is an anti-inflammatory.
Ice Apply an ice pack for ten minutes, then alternate with a moist hot-towel compress, to soothe and numb the pain.
Mullein Soak mullein leaves in a hot vinegar/water mixture. Pack the leaves on the affected area.
Nettle contains alkaloids which neutralize uric acid.
Parsley acts as a natural diuretic.
Quercetin The flavonoid quercetin inhibits uric acid production in a similar fashion to commonly prescribed drugs for gout. Take 1000 mg of quercetin along with 1,000-1,500 mg of the enzyme bromelain (to enhance absorption) two to three times daily between meals. Bromelain also help reduce the inflammation.
Red clover has traditionally been one of the standard remedies for gout, as well as removing toxins from the body, and treating psoriasis, eczema, and hot flashes. Studies have shown that red clover may thin the blood, so it should not be used by patients who are also taking an anticoagulant medication. While red clover is high in isoflavones, the reason it is helpful in treating gout has not been studied.
Saffron neutralizes uric acid buildup.
Spearmint Make a poultice of spearmint leaves and wrap the affected area.
Strawberries Eating a cup of strawberries with each meal should bring quick relief. They neutralize uric acid.
Yarrow Make a tea by using equal parts of yarrow and stinging nettles; strain, cool and drink several cups a day.
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