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A herbal remedy for gout? These herbs, and a spice, might do itA herbal remedy for gout? It's a popular idea among gout sufferers since it offers to at least relieve the disease without using drug medications.Many herbs and a spice or two are featured in the gout literature. Those discussed here are among the most prominent and best researched of the herbs for gout and are included in many herbal remedy for gout supplements. Three of the herbs on this page are reputed to lower uric acid levels. And the spice, Turmeric, is an anti inflammatory and it works like NSAIDs to reduce pain. Please note that the dosages shown on this page are guideline dosages only. TURMERIC Turmeric is a yellow-orange coloured spice with a pepper-like flavour. Why could it be one of the herbs for gout? The flavonoid anthocyanidins in cherries and possibly in strawberries and some other berries, are reputed to inhibit the Cox-2 prostaglandins which carry pain messages, and reduce inflammation. Turmeric also eases inflammation. The curcumin in turmeric inhibits the production of Cox-2 prostaglandins without the side effects of such similar acting medications. Cox-1 prostaglandins need not be inhibited but NSAIDs such as aspirin, ibuprofen and naproxen work by inhibiting both Cox-1 and -2. Turmeric has not been found to inhibit Cox-1, only the inflammatory Cox-2 prostaglandin. Thus it may reduce the pain of a gout attack and possibly stop it. Moreover, its anti inflammatory effect is well researched and documented by confirming studies. It is used in traditional Chinese and Indian medicine as an anti inflammatory and for many other medical problems. So turmeric is sold as an anti-arthritic and for gout sufferers its attraction is its ability to reduce pain and inflammation. It is also a strong antioxidant a property that’s well researched. If you have read the antioxidants page you’ll know they are important for gout sufferers. But how much curcumin is in the turmeric that's used as a spice? Not much, about 1% of its weight. So putting it in a curry may be a mildly useful addition, but that’s not a herbal remedy for gout. You definitely need to use a dietary supplement of turmeric. Or take it in a herbal remedy for gout formula product, where it is usually one of five or six substances and where it’s included because it’s also an antioxidant. Dosage: Buy Turmeric extract, standardised to 95% curcumin. Take 500mg of Turmeric extract one to three times daily. DEVIL’S CLAW Devil’s Claw may be a herbal remedy for gout. It comes from the fruit of a Southern African plant. The fruit is shaped like a claw, hence its unusual name. Its medicinal properties have been known to herbalists for centuries. Its reputation as an anti-arthritic has been confirmed by a study at the University of Freiburg in Germany. So it’s a known anti-inflammatory but is it a herbal cure for gout? The anti-inflammatory substances in Devil’s Claw are called harpagosides. What makes Devil’s Claw a possible herbal cure for gout is that harpagosides are reputed to lower uric acid. Some posters to internet forums have said Devil’s Claw helped and even worked. Dosage: Take 50/60mg two or three times daily. The best form is a dietary supplement containing a standardized extract of harpagosides. Warning! Devil’s Claw is known to cause many side effects. It should certainly NOT be taken without your doctor’s, or your health care professional's approval. YUCCA Yucca Schidegera (one species of the Yucca plant) grows in the south west deserts of the United States and in Mexico. Native Americans have used it for centuries for many medicinal purposes including arthritis relief, and as a poultice. It’s sold as a herbal cure for gout, and it is included in herbal remedy for gout formula products.This is because it contains phytochemicals called saponines. These have been shown to reduce pain and inflammation in some people. Dosage: Yucca is available as a standardized extract capsule of 5% saponines. Take two – four 500mg capsules or tablets daily. Possible side effects include: Yucca is regarded as generally safe but it can cause diarrhea, vomiting, nausea, upset stomachs and a bitter taste in the mouth. LAGERSTROEMIA SPECIOSA Lagerstroemia speciosa (other names: Crepe Myrtle, Queen’s flower or Banaba) is a flower that grows in the Philippines and some other Asian countries, where it has been a traditional folk remedy for a variety of ailments for centuries. The leaves are used to obtain a recently discovered (2004) herbal remedy for gout called Valoneic Acid Dilactone (VAD), which is used as an inhibitor of xanthine oxidase to lower uric acid levels. Dosage: VAD is included in a formula for a natural cure for gout product called Goutcleanse. For more details see the page on gout supplements. STINGING NETTLE And here’s a would-you-believe-it gout herbal cure! Your commonplace garden stinging nettle may also be a herbal remedy for gout. Nettle (urtica dioica) has been a folk remedy for gout and a host of other ailments including arthritis, for centuries. Nettle roots, not the leaves, are used to make standardized extracts because it’s a diuretic that aids excretion, especially of uric acid. Don’t eat the stinging nettles leaves from your garden. Nettle tinctures can be bought, but most tinctures contain alcohol which gout sufferers do not need. Non alcholic tinctures can be found on the Internet. Dosage: 300-600mg of freeze dried extract daily.
In the U.S., Remedies Direct sell a herbal gout preparation in capsule form. They ship internationally too. (Click shipping info in the top right corner of the page that arrives when you click on the text link or small advertisement below).
If you can take delivery in the U.S. we recommend the curcumin and turmeric products below from Swanson Vitamins. Standard shipping within the U.S.is $4.95 on any size of order. Swanson also ship internationally. For more details about Swanson shipping rates -click "$4.95 shipping", top right corner of the swansonvitamins.com home page.
In Great Britain, Healthy Direct sell Devil's Claw and Turmeric online.They also ship to continental Europe and Worldwide. Click on the advertisement below and type Devil's Claw or Turmeric into the search box of the Healthy Direct page that arrives. Orders over GBP10 are packaging and post free to the U.K. Under GBP10 it's GBP1.95. To Europe it's delivery price + GBP3.95. To the rest of the world it's delivery price + GBP9.95
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