Gout home remedies and supplements

Gout is a form of arthritis which is created when a buildup of uric acid a normal by product of protein metabolism , changes from its liquid form into tiny crystals. The uric acid crystals in the blood stream are deposited on the cartilage of joints, the tendons and the surrounding tissues. Their favourite joint and the most common for gout is the big toe.This provokes an inflammatory reaction of these tissues. This reaction causes pain, redness, heat and swelling which can be so intense you cannot even walk.

Gout is a form of arthritis which is created when a buildup of uric acid a normal by product of protein metabolism , changes from its liquid form into tiny crystals. The uric acid crystals are deposited on the cartilage of joints, the tendons and the surrounding tissues. Their favourite joint and the most common for gout is the big toe. This provokes an inflammatory reaction of these tissues. This reaction causes pain, redness, heat and swelling which can be so intense you cannot even walk.

Gout usually attacks the big toe (approximately 75 percent of first attacks); however, it also can affect other joints such as the ankle, heel, instep, knee, wrist, elbow, fingers, and spine. In some cases, the condition may appear in the joints of small toes that have become immobile due to impact injury earlier in life.

Once you have had one attack of gout you are likeliest to continue suffering from attacks of gout. Gout must be treated, as there is a risk that over a period of many years uncontrolled buildup of uric acid crystals can destroy a joint and may lead to the formation of stones in the kidneys and gallbladder.

The symptoms of Gout is of an excruciating burning pain, swelling, redness, warmness and stiffness in the joint. Low-grade fever may also be present. The patient usually suffers from two sources of pain. The crystals inside the joint cause intense pain whenever the affected area is moved. The inflammation of the tissues around the joint also causes the skin to be swollen, tender and sore if it is even slightly touched. For example, a blanket or even the lightest sheet draping over the affected area could cause extreme pain.

By increasing your intake of water you will assist the body in diluting and excreting uric acid. However you will need to drink a lot of water to achieve this and it must be pure water ie bottled.

As has been previously mentioned one home remedy to help in relieving the symptoms of gout is to increase your intake of water, although to achieve this you need a lot of glasses of water. The Vitamin B6, also known as Pyridoxine helps to distribute the water within your body to keep all tissues maximally hydrated. This will help to dilute the uric acid crystals, allowing them to be excreted from the body through urination. A mineral which will further enhance the effectiveness of Vitamin B6 is Magnesium, as this assists the body in absorbing Vitamin B6.

Cherries may help prevent the onset of gout, the substance anthocyanocides found in high concentrations in cherries are very efficient at lowering uric acid. The black cherries are the best out of all the cherry varieties at lowering uric acid. To benefit from taking cherries it is best to take a cup of cherries remove the stones and blend them into a drink with water. It is best to avoid shop bought cherry juice because the pastuerisation process it has gone through will have destroyed the anthocyanocides. If you wish it is ok to take the cherry supplements available. link to cherry supplements page.

Anthocyanocides are also found in high concentrations in bilberries which are used to treat vision problems.

Diet

The serum (blood plasma) level of uric acid is the primary risk factor for gout. The serum level is the result of both intake (diet) and output (excretion).

To avoid gout and try to minimize the length of an attack of gout reduce your intake of purines which raises uric acid.

The solubility threshold for uric acid is approximately 6.7 mg/dl; above this threshold crystals may form. The average uric acid level in men is 5.0 mg/dl, and substitution of a purine-free formula diet reduces this to 3.0 mg/dl. A purine-restricted diet lowers the level nearly as much (1-2 mg/dl).

A diet low in purines reduces the serum level of uric acid, unless these levels are caused by other health conditions and not as responsive to dietary changes. For notable sources of dietary purines, see "Foods to avoid" section below.

Protein is a crude proxy for purines; a more precise proxy is muscle. Apart from the notable dietary purines above, the main source of dietary purines is DNA and RNA, via their bases adenine and guanine. All sources of dietary protein supply some purines, but some sources provide far more purines than others. Meat (particularly dark meat) and seafood are high in purine because muscle cells are packed with mitochondria, which have their own DNA and RNA. In a large prospective study, high consumption of meat and seafood were found associated with an elevated risk of gout onset (41% and 50%, respectively). High consumption of dairy products, high in protein but very low in DNA and RNA, was associated with a 44% decrease in the incidence of gout. Consumption of the more purine-rich vegetables or a high protein diet per se had no significant correlation.

Men who consume two or more sugary soft drinks a day have an 85% higher risk of gout compared with those who drink less than one a month.

Consumption of beer is associated with a 49% increase in relative risk per daily 12-oz serving. By contrast, consumption of spirits was associated with only a 15% increase in relative risk, and no association at all was found with consumption of wine.

Diet is important to avoid raising the levels of purine which is caused by the proteins in food and raises the serum (blood plasma) levels of uric acid.

A low purine diet will include cherries, billberries, blueberries, pineapple, celery, millet, brown rice, free range eggs, lamb, cheese, (not the full fat varieties) and dairy products.

Foods to avoid which are high in purines will include meat, fish, seafood, poultry, sweetbreads, kidneys, liver, brains, offal, full fat cheese like stilton and vegetables like asparagus. cauliflower, mushrooms, spinach, Dry beans (lentils & peas) - although Moderate intake of purine-rich vegetables is not associated with increased gout. Yeast based drinks like marmite and bovril have high levels of purines and malted drinks like horlicks seem to cause problems for some people.

Alcohol

Beer is generally considered to be bad for people who suffer gout on the basis that brewer's yeasts are very rich in purine. Since most modern commercial beer contains only trace amounts of yeast, this claim requires further substantiation. Formerly, port wine was sweetened with litharge, causing lead poisoning, of which gout is a complication. Ironically, red wines, particularly those produced by traditional methods, contain procyanidins released from grape seeds during wine making, which have been reported to lower serum uric acid levels by an indirect mechanism.

To avoid dehydration drink plenty of liquids, especially water, to dilute and assist excretion of urates. Avoid diuretic foods or medicines like aspirin (aspirin should be avoided by those suffering from gout, unless specified by a qualified physician), vitamin C, tea and alcohol.