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Herbal Remedies for Gout
Learning about the condition
Gout is a type of arthritis that occurs when an excessive amount of uric acid in the blood, tissues and urine crystallizes in the joints. People with gout are unable to break down and excrete uric acid, a byproduct of digesting certain foods.
Traditional Treatment vs. herbal remedies for Gout
The traditional treatment is high doses of NSAIDS to kill the pain, anti-inflammatories and drugs that inhibit formation of uric acid. However, these have serious side effects, such as skin eruptions, liver toxicity, inflammation of the blood vessels and possible weakening of kidney function by forcing the kidneys to work too hard to excrete the uric acid. Herbal remedies on the other hand provide sure relief from this painful condition in a natural way without the anxiety of side effects at a fraction of the cost. Herbal remedies are a product of nature's bounty and in the right combination help in improving, strengthening and guarding the human constitution against further disease. Since herbal medicine makes use of plants or extracts, be it roots or flowers, to treat illness, they are natural and organic alternatives to restoring health and therefore preferred by many.
Gout symptoms and how they are treated by various herbal remedies
Gout is an inflammatory condition caused by the deposit of uric acid crystals in joints, mostly the big toe, as well as other tissues. Typical symptoms include sudden attacks of fierce pain, redness, swelling and heat punctuated by pain-free intervals. The many by-products from nature's store that help treat this kind of pain are:
- Devil's Claw has been used for many years in alternative therapy for treating conditions of gout and rheumatoid arthritis. Scientific research indicates that it benefits in the treatment of gout by relieving joint pain and also reduces serum cholesterol and uric acid levels. The usual dosage is about 750mg of devil's claw containing 3 percent iridoid glycosides thrice daily for affected persons.
- Autumn crocus is the herb that gives us the drug, colchicines after isolating it for the traditional approach in gout treatment. The herb extract has sufficient toxicity and needs the expert supervision of an able physician for controlled relief in gout treatment.
- Gravelroot is a herbal helper that helps treat gout pain by stimulating the elimination process of uric acid from the body. The recommended dosage is of an infusion taken thrice day containing 2 teaspoon of gravelroot in a cup of water.
- Celery seed obtained from the herb Apium graveolens is used to stimulate the elimination of uric acid and persons affected by gout are prescribed drinking 2 teaspoons of this seed in a cup of water thrice daily.
- Cherries, Hawthorn berries and blue berries, including other varieties of red-blue berries are rich sources of anthocyanidins and proanthocyanidins; these contain compounds of flavonoid molecules that are very effective in preventing collagen destruction, otherwise damaged by excess uric acid. Consuming 225gms of fresh or canned berries everyday is helpful in preventing attacks of gout.