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Home remedies for gout include these beverages, but don't include alcoholWater is one of the best home remedies for gout. Drinking water accompanies everything else you are prescribed or try. Drink lots and lots. By drinking water you will dilute uric acid. Recall the importance of excreting uric acid. This makes it easier for the kidneys to excrete uric acid and makes it less likely that it will form MSU crystals and so hopefully the next gout attack doesn’t arrive. Of all the home remedies for gout water is amongst the most popular. And it’s cheap. And it avoids a known gout trigger which is dehydration i.e. insufficient water in the body. The recommended approximate amount is 8–12 six fluid ounce glasses daily. Or about eight glasses. If you’re not sure how much 6 fluid ounces is exactly – and few of us are – observe how much by pouring water into a measuring jug. Amounts to drink daily that are recommended in the gout literature vary somewhat, but all agree on its importance among the home remedies for gout. Hard water is better than soft water. It contains more minerals and therefore is more alkaline. Mineral waters also have an alkalizing effect. So does alkaline water. But remember not to over hydrate. i.e. don’t drink more than your doctor advises. Water is more effective when the body is more alkaline One school of thought about home remedies for gout is that the solubility of uric acid increases with a higher body pH ratio. That is, when the body is more alkaline, (higher pH) and therefore less acidic, the more uric acid will be dissolved and excreted.
(There’s much more about this on the pH and pH foods pages).
Methods of improving the quality of your water intake, which can make a big difference, can be read about on this site - see alkaline water and water ionizers on the baking soda page.
Another of the top home remedies for gout is to avoid alcohol. Alcohol is a known trigger for gout. Read that again. It speeds up the breakdown of purines into uric acid and it reduces uric acid excretion. And alcohol is a diuretic. i.e. it increases water excretion - makes you less hydrated or more dehydrated. If you seriously want to defeat gout, alcohol must be avoided or severely curtailed. You may be lucky enough to cure gout simply by doing this. It has been done. Beer is reckoned to be the highest in purines, next is spirits,(whisky, whiskey,vodka, gin, etc.),then wine. Red wine may be the only alcohol a gout sufferer can drink, and only in moderation.
DRINK FRUIT JUICES Cherry juice and the juices of the following fruits are highly recommended: strawberries, blackberries, blueberries, bilberries, blackcurrants, raspberries and elderberries.
See the gout diet foods page for why these juices are excellent foods for a gout diet.
The late Dr.Robert Atkins became the world’s most famous doctor. His book “Dr.Atkins Age Defying Diet” was one of his best sellers.(This a different book to his better known low carb diet books, with a menus section designed for people who need to eat a diet rich in antioxidants). In this book, he explained that both tea (black tea) and green tea contain flavonoid antioxidants. And that these antioxidants block the COX-2 enzyme in a similar manner to drug medications that mainly block the Cox-2 enzyme. But without their side effects. Other natural remedies block Cox -2 inhibitors, as you’ll know if you have read around this site. In addition, in the USDA database, an important flavonoid in tea and green tea is quercetin. Green tea has slightly more quercetin than black tea. Both should be steeped for five minutes to release the flavonoids. You get the most flavonoids from teas by brewing your own from leaves in a pot in the traditional way, or by using tea bags, not by using instant or decaffeinated versions. But you may need to avoid caffeine in which case use decaffeinated tea. Tea contains caffeine, although only about half as much as regular (non decaffeinated ) coffee. (See caffeine below). You’ll need to adjust for this by in taking more water, one way or another. The same is true for any other drink that contains caffeine. If possible, sweeten tea with sucralose or stevia. As an aside, it’s worth pointing out that both tea and green tea also contain a powerful antioxidant called epigallocatechin 3-gallate. Just spelling that out in full once! EGCG has been described as possessing strong cancer fighting properties, stronger indeed than vitamins C and E. Green tea contains more of this antioxidant than tea (black tea). Why do gout sufferers need to avoid caffeine? Caffeine and gout do not go together. Caffeine, as with alcohol, is a diuretic i.e. it increases the excretion of water. Any beverage that contains caffeine should be avoided or adjusted for by drinking more water. Carbonated beverages such as colas, and energy drinks, often contain caffeine. Try to buy decaff versions. Check all beverage labels carefully. How else to get more water without drinking it? One way is eating more meals made with water e.g. soups and stews. But don’t use gravy powders,granules and meat extracts. Or a broth base - use water.
See the purines/uric acid page for why.
Drinking so much water is not the easiest of the home remedies for gout. But it is cheap and it does dilute uric acid. People who do say you get used to it. Practice makes perfect etc. The sooner you make it a habit the sooner you will get used to it. Note In books about nutrition and diet,flavonoids are often referred to as polyphenols.
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