Natural supplements can be an important element in your fight against gout. At the heart of that fight is how to reduce uric acid in the body. And diet is fundamental to this, along with supplements. Here, you'll discover why uric acid reduction is so important and the part diet and natural supplements play in lowering uric acid. The objective is to not only relieve the symptoms of gout, but also to continually control the situation so that your gout doesn't return. This is important because frequent bouts of gout can lead to damaged kidneys and permanently damaged joints. And you need to be aware that if this is your first gout attack you are virtually certain to have more. The result of these high uric acid levels is that this excess uric acid can collect in and around your joints in the form of crystals. And these crystals are needle-shaped, so that they cause the symptoms of, what we know as, gout: swelling, redness, inflammation and excruciating pain. An important aspect of any natural gout remedy is your diet. You need to avoid foods high in purines: sweetbreads, anchovies, sardines, liver, kidneys, brains, meat extracts, game, gravy, mackerel, herring, scallops, beef, pork, poultry, shellfish, fish, mushrooms, spinach, cauliflower, asparagus, beans, peas, lentils, oatmeal, wheat germ, wheat bran. You can use drugs to reduce inflammation, relieve pain and reduce acid levels. Traditional drug-based medications like, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (e.g. ibuprofen, naproxen, indomethacin, etc.), colchicines and corticosteroids can work very well to reduce inflammation and relieve pain. And so can drugs like allopurinol and probenecid to reduce your acid levels. Meats, such as beef, pork and seafood contain purines that attribute to uric acid levels being high. Some white meats have purines and should be consumed in moderation, such as chicken, ham, and bacon. These are not as bad as red meats, but still need to be controlled. A natural gout remedy, as with all gout treatments, requires the reduction of uric acid levels. The normal clinical target is a serum (blood) level of 6 mg/dL for men, less for women. Reducing uric acid to these levels often dissolves the MSU crystals which are mainly formed from uric acid. But even better was the fact that after two weeks, the male participants had reduced their levels of uric acid by approximately 12.5 percent, while the women had reduced their levels by 6.5 percent. By the end of the vitamin C study every participant had reduced his or her gout uric acid levels. Convention treatment, especially for those with chronically high readings, revolve around drug therapies mainly consisting of anti-inflammatory medications such as colchicine or indomethacin. Long term medication to maintain normal uric acid levels often include colchicine and some nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). Again, the doctor will probably prescribe drugs to do this. They work very well for most people. But they can also have bad side effects, plus, they have to be taken daily for very long periods of time, even lifetimes. This is because they only reduce the acid whilst they are being taken. Once stopped, your high levels can return again. Animal protein should be limited in a good diet for gout. Try smaller portions of less than six ounces each three or four times a week. If you eat chicken or fish, remove the skin as this contains high amounts of purine (which should be avoided). And try to stay away from canned fish like tuna fish due to its high purine concentration.
Please Rate this Article 5 out of 54 out of 53 out of 52 out of 51 out of 5
Not yet Rated
