Contents
- 1 Remedies to lower uric acid naturally
- 1.1 Natural uric acid treatment
- 1.2 Conventional uric acid treatment
- 1.3 Should you drink a lot of fluids to eliminate uric acid?
- 1.4 Medicinal herbs to eliminate uric acid
- 1.5 Avoid excess salt and increase potassium-rich foods
- 1.6 Diuretic medicinal plants for uric acid
- 1.7 Herbal remedies and preparations for gouty arthritis
- 1.8 Proper diet for uric acid
- 1.9 HARMFUL foods for uric acid
Remedies to lower uric acid naturally
Natural uric acid treatment
Home remedies for high uric acid consist of treatments to reduce the symptoms of hyperuricemia (pain, joint degeneration, …), prevent gout attacks, and reduce uric acid levels.
The herbal medicine used for uric acid consists of:
- Medicinal herbs that help eliminate uric acid
- Proper diet for uric acid
- Herbal remedies and preparations for joint pain
Before taking any remedy, herb or supplement, it is necessary for a doctor to evaluate the origin of high levels of uric acid in the person (hyperuricemia), which may be due to genetic factors, taking some medications, diseases, or by an inadequate diet.
Conventional uric acid treatment
Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs such as Ibuprofen, Motrin, etc.) are often prescribed in conventional medicine. They may prescribe a drug called colchicine (which is extracted from the colchicum plant) to prevent gout attacks, and there are also other drugs that prevent the body from making uric acid.
When the uric acid level is high but does not present symptoms, the above medications are also administered to prevent the formation of kidney stones, gout attacks and to reduce the acidification of the body that supposes this increase of uric acid.
Treatment for an attack of gout or gouty arthritis may consist of puncturing the joint (usually the big toe) to remove the accumulated fluid.
Should you drink a lot of fluids to eliminate uric acid?
It is important that people with gout or excess uric acid in the blood are very well hydrated for two main reasons:
- Avoid the formation of kidney stones
- Help eliminate uric acid
But this does not mean drinking excessive amounts of water, which is also harmful. Good hydration is achieved with water and infusions (in normal quantities) and, above all, with a diet rich in greens and vegetables (which contain 90% water).
All the liquid helps to eliminate uric acid and reduces the risk of kidney stones or grit. It is important not to drink too much water or take an excess of diuretic infusions.
What is recommended to increase diuresis is a diet rich in vegetables such as arugula, broccoli, radishes, onions, asparagus, artichokes, turnips, carrots, celery, garlic, beets, vegetable creams, seaweed soup, aromatic herbs and other diuretic foods, because in foods, diuretic principles are provided in a more balanced way (together with beneficial micronutrients and phytochemicals, fiber, antioxidants, electrolytes…).
Medicinal herbs to eliminate uric acid
Diuretic plants have a great capacity to increase diuresis and stimulate the elimination of uric acid through the urine. A doctor should be consulted before taking any of the remedies listed below.
Medicinal plants can help in this aspect, since if the liquid that is drunk also has diuretic components, as is the case with diuretic infusions, the elimination of uric acid increases.
Avoid excess salt and increase potassium-rich foods
In parallel with diuretics, it should be taken into account to increase the potassium-rich foods in the diet and reduce salt intake to promote good diuresis and not strain the kidneys.
That is, avoid foods with a lot of salt and increase the consumption of legumes, vegetables and aromatic herbs (foods with a lot of potassium).
Salt is mostly hidden in processed meat and bakery products, such as bread, cookies, breakfast cereals, etc.
Diuretic medicinal plants for uric acid
The main plants that can be used are:
- Horsetail (Equisetum arvense): Horsetail is one of the most diuretic species of all plants. It has a great capacity to eliminate water from the body, being able to increase urine 30% more than usual. (Decoction for 30 minutes of a good handful of dried plant in a liter of water. Take 3 cups a day)
Lemon helps reduce uric acid (squeeze in drinking water or in meals) Lemon for uric acid: Due to its diuretic properties, lemon is a good natural remedy for hyperuricemia, gout or high uric acid. In addition, due to its citrate content, it helps prevent these urates from accumulating, forming kidney stones. (Squeeze lemon into the drinking water)
- Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale): It contains high doses of potassium salts, which makes it a strong diuretic. These properties are well known, to the point that their vulgar name in French translated ‘pissenlit’ means “piss beds”, referring to this property. (Decoction of 100 gr. Of roots in liter and a half of water. Take three cups a day) (Infusion 1 teaspoon of dried leaves per cup of water. Take 3 cups a day)
- Artichoke (Cynara scolymus): It has a high content of potassium, which enables it to promote the elimination of liquid. (Introduce the artichoke in the diet, along with other plants that would also be suitable such as onion or garlic). (Decoction of 60 gr. of dried roots per liter of water, until reducing the liquid by half. Drink 2 glasses a day) (Infusion of a teaspoon of dried leaves per cup of water. Drink 2 cups a day).
- Nettle (Urtica dioica): (Decoction of the dried root for 10 minutes. Take 3 cups a day) (Infusion of two tablespoons of dried leaves per liter of water. Take three times a day before meals.)
- Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis): Diuretic properties are recognized. (Infusion of 1 tablespoon of dried leaves per cup of water) Onions are very diuretic.
- Onion (Allium cepa): It has diuretic properties due to its high content of potassium, caffeic and glycolic acid, sulfur compounds and flavonoids. It favors the elimination of body fluids, being very suitable for eliminating uric acid. (Boil 2 onions in half a liter of water and drink the broth, without salt) (Macerate 300 grams of onion in a liter of water for 12 hours. Take three glasses a day)
- Birch: (Betula alba) (Infusion of 40 grams of dried leaves per liter of water for 10 minutes. Three cups a day.)
- Ulmaria (Filipendula ulmaria) (Infusion for a ¼ hour of a tablespoon of dried plant in hot water without boiling. Take 4 cups a day.
People who do not like infusions can take the above plants in capsules, with plenty of water.
Herbal remedies and preparations for gouty arthritis
It will consist of preparations with anti-inflammatory and analgesic plants that help treat uric acid symptoms such as joint pain. These remedies are applied externally on the sore joint:
- Arnica oil (Arnica montana): The anti-inflammatory properties of arnica are very useful for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. (Apply a gentle scrub on the sore joint with arnica oil)
- Peppermint (Mentha x piperita) (Dilute a few drops of peppermint oil in alcohol and impregnate a compress with which the affected joint is then wet)
- Turmeric (Curcuma longa): It has anti-inflammatory properties due to its curcumin content. (Prepare a paste with turmeric powder and hot water, let it cool for 8 minutes and apply the poultice on the inflamed joint).
- Cold: A cold pack or ice covered with a towel helps relieve pain and decrease inflammation.
Proper diet for uric acid
In addition to the treatments that the doctor deems appropriate to use, the nature of hyperuricemia requires that it be necessarily accompanied by a specific type of diet, necessary to control uric acid levels. We can summarize the proper diet for uric acid in the following points:
- Drink at least 1 liter of water a day. Combine with diuretic infusions, such as those mentioned in the previous points, and with a diet rich in vegetables.
- Low-salt diet: Avoid eating foods with a lot of salt such as pickles, sausages, salted cod, snacks, chips, precooked, soy sauce, etc.
- Avoid or reduce the consumption of foods rich in purines or that increase uric acid: The foods richest in purines are shellfish, red meat, organ meats (pate, liver, …), fish (sardines, anchovies, salmon, tuna , …), legumes (peas, beans and lentils). In less quantity than the previous ones, some vegetables contain purines: cauliflower, asparagus, spinach and mushrooms (champignon mushrooms, shiitake, …).
Eggs and omelet can be eaten because they do not contain purines. Foods that do not contain uric acid, or contain it in little quantity and that therefore can be safely consumed in the diet are: eggs, dairy, potatoes, rice, sweet potatoes, corn, bread, vegetables in general (broccoli, carrots, lettuce, artichokes, zucchini, squash, chayotes), fruits in general (pear – Pear is one of the most diuretic fruits -, kiwi, apple, oranges, watermelon, guava, medlars, etc.). Legumes with the least purines are chickpeas and beans. An ovo-lacto-vegetarian diet can be recommended during gout attacks (in case of obesity or cholesterol, consume skimmed dairy products, cheeses and up to 7 eggs a week, because they do not raise cholesterol).
- Take homemade vegetable broths to basify the body and help eliminate uric acid from the blood. This broth can be prepared with onion, celery, zucchini, turnip and oil, and preferably without salt.
HARMFUL foods for uric acid
- Pre-cooked broths, meat broths, fish or seafood broth are NOT suitable because they contain many purines (they are soluble components of meat that dissolve in water and remain in the broth. Purines greatly increase uric acid in the body).
- Alcohol consumption is NOT recommended because it prevents the elimination of uric acid.
Pears are one of the most diuretic fruits due to their arbutin content, present in the skin Eating foods with a lot of sugar is very harmful, such as sweets, refined sugar, sugary soft drinks, nectars, smoothies, industrial fruit juices, chocolates or pastries. An intake of foods very rich in fructose and/or sucrose, can increase uric acid levels by metabolism called “de novo synthesis”.
- In case of overweight or obesity, uric acid levels should be stabilized before following any diet to lose weight. The weight loss plan must be supervised by a doctor and a specialist in nutrition and dietetics.
- Psoriasis: Uric acid levels can be increased by psoriasis, in which case the following guidelines or diet for the psoriasis.
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