How to Treat Gout Naturally

If you suffer from gout—high levels of uric acid in the blood, which crystallizes in the joints—or live with someone who suffers from it, you know that the pain of an attack is indescribable.

It starts suddenly and escalates until you can't do anything—you can't move, cover yourself with a sheet, sleep, or stop thinking about the affected joint. Fortunately, gout is, in most cases, a preventable disease.

Apart from the follow-up that you and your specialist want to give to this disease, you can make a change in your diet and lifestyle that promotes your health and significantly lowers the level of uric acid in the blood, eliminating or reducing the intensity and frequency of attacks.

According to the Mayo Clinic in the United States, maintaining a healthy weight, drinking water, eating low-purine foods, and not consuming alcohol are the guidelines for prevention.

In this post we tell you about the lifestyle changes that we have seen in my house that naturally reduce the intensity, duration and frequency of gout attacks.

Although gout is very painful and can have serious health consequences, in my family, the second gout attack was the wake-up call we needed to take control of my husband's health. Since that second attack four years ago, he has only had one more, but he has also lost a significant amount of weight, is stronger, has more energy, is happier, and has much higher self-esteem because he feels better about himself.

We'll tell you everything we've learned in the last four years:

If you are in the middle of a gout attack
Gout attacks typically last 2 or 3 days, but if you don't change your lifestyle during that time, they can last much longer. (The pain from joint damage caused by the buildup of uric acid crystals can last for more than a week longer.)

• When you get up, drink a glass of warm water with half a freshly squeezed lemon: to alkalize your body
• Drink plenty of water throughout the day: to help eliminate excess uric acid through urine.
• Completely eliminate red meat, shellfish, and legumes: because they have high levels of purines, which raise uric acid levels.
• Reduce or eliminate grains such as rice, pasta, bread, etc., especially refined ones: because they raise blood sugar and therefore your body's insulin and uric acid levels.
• Completely eliminate juices, soft drinks, sugar, and alcohol: because they raise blood sugar, which in turn raises your body's insulin and uric acid levels.
• Eat vegetables, except spinach, and eat eggs in moderation.
• Take a fiber supplement: to reduce insulin levels and help the digestive system eliminate waste more efficiently
• Apply a turmeric ointment to the affected area: to help dissolve crystallized uric acid and relieve pain
• Take a vitamin C supplement, either in pill form or as cherry juice or elderberry extract , to lower uric acid levels.
• Avoid exercise until the pain has completely subsided: to prevent further damage to the affected area

Prevent new attacks
Once your gout attack has passed, you should carefully consider how you will care for yourself to prevent future attacks. Gout is not only very painful during attacks, but each attack damages the affected joint and can even destroy it. Chronic—or recurring—gout can affect more than one joint at a time. After years of suffering from gout without treatment, tophi can develop. These are lumps in the joints that become painful whenever uric acid levels are high. Furthermore, gout is linked to other problems such as diabetes, cardiovascular issues, and metabolic syndrome. If you have gout, your body is telling you that you need to change your lifestyle.

• Lose weight: Eat three healthy meals a day. A good breakfast, a moderate lunch, and a light dinner are one way to achieve this, but you can consult a good nutritionist who can help you base your diet on real, plant-based foods, not diet.
• Start exercising: and if you already do, change up your routine so your body continues to burn calories efficiently. A combination of cardiovascular exercise (like running), strength training (like weightlifting), and stretching (like yoga or Pilates) is very balanced, but choose activities you enjoy so you can maintain an active lifestyle.
• Change your diet: Foods with the highest purine content include red meat, shellfish, unsoaked legumes*, beer, and, among vegetables, spinach and mushrooms. For now, say goodbye to all of them, at least until you have your gout under control. Once your gout is under control, you can reintroduce them in moderation. Beer, however, is especially contraindicated.

*If you soak the legumes for 8-12 hours and cook them in clean water, you can eat them, since the purines are consumed during germination.

• Eliminate sugar and limit fructose: Refined sugar and fructose contribute to obesity and diabetes, which in turn contribute to gout. Both also raise blood insulin levels, which in turn raise uric acid levels. Fructose, moreover, inhibits the normal elimination of uric acid.
• Eat more fiber: Fiber will help you lose weight because it makes you feel full, but it also helps your digestive system eliminate waste more easily and efficiently. Coarse fibers, like psyllium husk , also cleanse the colon.
• Add cherries and strawberries to your diet: Both fruits can help lower uric acid levels in the blood. Organic, seasonal cherries are best. The rest of the year, you can take cherry extract as a supplement.
• Drink water: As boring as it may seem, water is the best drink, especially if you have gout. Avoid wine, beer, and soft drinks.
• Take supplements: Fish oil helps regulate cholesterol—raising the good and lowering the bad; vitamin C reduces uric acid levels in the blood; and digestive enzymes help you process food better.
• Completely eliminate high fructose corn syrup, present in many industrial products, including bread and pastries.
• Monitor your medications: Some medications can contribute to high uric acid levels in the blood or prevent the proper elimination of uric acid. Ask your doctor if lifestyle changes can help you eliminate some or all of your medications.

Maintenance
Once your uric acid levels are completely under control, you can ease off your strictest diet, but always remember that you have the problem, and taking care of yourself to avoid future attacks and more serious medium- and long-term issues is essential. Keep in mind that we all need to take care of ourselves for one reason or another, and it's our decision whether or not to do so.

• Be mindful of what you eat: If you want to have dessert to celebrate a birthday, for example, make sure your meals that day are lighter and lower in sugar and purines. Exercise to regulate your insulin levels.
• Eat and drink quality, not quantity: Look for quality ingredients—whether it's meat, pastries, or vegetables. Quality products taste better and are much more filling.
• Enjoy your health: Taking care of yourself isn't easy, especially when we're surrounded by people who don't, but health is wonderful. Make the most of it and do everything you want to do in your life.

A note on stress

Stress can trigger gout attacks. While it's not always possible to control stressful situations, it is possible to manage them. Take time to meditate, exercise, or engage in relaxing activities, and make sure you get enough sleep.

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This information is for guidance only and should not replace consultation with your doctor. Gout is a disease that must be treated by a specialist. This article was compiled in part using information from the Mayo Clinic and Mercola.