Having experienced a number of gout attacks, I have sought ways to Reduce
Uric Acid Naturally. When it comes to gourmet cooking and eating, I especially love any type of seafood dishes paired with wine. Unfortunately, there is a price that I pay for indulging in this heavenly obsession. That is, I occasionally experience Gout attacks. Anyone that has ever experienced a gout attack can attest to the extreme pain in the joints. In my case, I usually get them on my left foot to include the toes, ankles, heels, and even to my knees. The pain is so intense that I have to resort to using crutches or even a roller wheel crutch to be able to function.
Cause of Gout
So what is gout? It is simply the body for whatever reason, doesn’t get rid of enough uric acid. Or in some cases, the body overproduces uric acid. Thus the elevated uric acid finds its way into the joints and then forms sharp crystals. It is these sharp crystals that create excruciating pain during a gout attack.
How is Uric Acid Produced
Your body produces uric acid when it breaks down purines. Purines are not only found naturally in your body but are also found in certain foods. This includes steak, organ meats, and seafood. Other foods and drinks also promote higher levels of uric acid. For instance, alcoholic beverages particularly beer and drinks sweetened with fruit sugar (soft drinks) when consumed create purines.
Normally, uric acid is dissolved in your blood and passes through your kidney into your urine. Sometimes either your body produces too much uric acid or your kidneys excrete too little uric acid when this occurs, uric acid can build up and develop into sharp crystals in joint and surrounding tissues. Symptoms include sharp pain (like thousands of needles jabbing your joints), inflammation, and swelling.
Personal Experience
In my case, I experience inflammation of the left foot and when I put any pressure on it, I get unbearable shooting pain! During my first attack ten years ago, the pills for inflammation to treat gout took up to almost 2 weeks to take effect. Since then, I have had 4 additional attacks. And with each one, I have searched on how to cure gout naturally to avoid taking expensive medicine.
Natural Options to Avoid Gout
Here is what has worked well for me for the past three years. First of all, I
have changed my diet to virtually an alkaline diet. Meaning, that I eat a lot of green vegetables such as zucchini, broccoli, brussel sprouts, and control the number of purine foods that I eat. In addition, I have latched on to fruits that help prevent gouts such as blueberries, strawberries, and dark cherries. Plus, I have found that by consuming V8’s Energy Black Cherry drinks during gout attacks speed up the recovery. More importantly, I drink a can or two days to avoid future attacks. In fact, this energy drink has replaced my favorite soda, Mountain Dew! For me, I was able to reduce uric acid naturally being gout-free for over three years now!
As a side note, when I visited my sister in Bar Harbor, Maine, I had a gout flare-up. Since I forgot to bring the natural supplement that I take daily (Goutrin), I had to find something to relieve the pain. I basically devoured half of a Wild Maine Blueberry pie to hopefully provide some relief. To my amazement at the end of the day, I was able to walk without experiencing excruciating pain. So, to this day I eat a lot of wild Maine blueberries on a weekly basis!
Natural Supplements
There are a number of supplements on the market that help reduce uric acid naturally to avoid Gout Attacks. When trying to find the right supplement option, the supplement of choice should include some if not all of the following natural ingredients:
Tart cherry, Turmeric, Chance Piedras, and Celery Seed.
Foods to Avoid
Studies have shown the following foods are high in purine and should be avoided or eaten only a measured amount:
- All organ meats (liver, kidneys, sweetbreads, and brain)
- Game meats (pheasant, veal, and venison)
- Fish (Herring, trout, mackerel, tuna, sardines, anchovies haddock)
- Seafood (Scallops, crab, shrimp, and roe)
- Sugary beverages (Fruit juices and sugary sodas
- Added sugars (Honey, agave nectar and high fructose corn syrup)
- Yeast (Nutritional yeast, brewer’s yeast, other yeast supplements)
Below are some of the low-purine foods that are safe for people with gout:
- Fruits (All fruits but Cherries help lower uric acid levels and inflammation)
- Vegetables (All vegetables are fine especially green leafy vegetables)
- Legumes (All are fine, including lentils, beans, soybeans, and tofu
- Whole Grains (Includes oats, brown rice, and barley)
- Dairy products (All dairy is safe, low-fat dairy is especially beneficial)
- Eggs
- Beverages (Coffee, tea and green tea)
- Herbs and spices (All herbs and spices)
- Plant-based oils: (Including canola, coconut, olive and flax oils)
Conclusion
I have found that having a low purine diet along with cutting out soft drinks from my diet has worked for me to keep gout attacks away. By doing so, I still can enjoy wine with my meals! If you need a healthy cookbook that includes meals with low purine foods, check out this site.
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