8 Herbs For The Treatment of Gout

Gout is a disease in which the recurrent attacks of acute inflammatory arthritis occur. The arthritis in gout has red, tender and swollen joints. The metatarsal-phalange joint is the most affected joint in the problem of gout. This problem usually arises by the increased levels of uric acid in the blood. This acid crystallizes and the crystals get deposited in the joints, tendon and the neighboring tissues in this problem.

The dietary changes, genetic predispositions and under excretion of urate and the salts of the uric acid affects the problem of gout. Gout attacks the joint of the big toe normally. The common symptoms of this problem are the presence of pain and inflammation in the toes. The treatment with the help of conventional medicines like steroids and NSAID’s is possible but it has some side effects so herbs should be used for the treatment of gout. Some of the best and effective herbs to treat gout are given hereunder.

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Best Herbs For Gout

Devil’s Claw

Devils’ Claw herb is the perennial herb native of Southern Africa. During the old time the infusion of the roots of this herb is used to get relief from the inflammation problems. But now this herb is available in many different forms like pills, tea and root extract .

One of the best active ingredient of this herb is glycosides which have effective anti-inflammatory properties. This herb controls the level of uric acid in the body by the proper digestion of proteins in the body. However, this herb is not recommended for pregnant and nursing mothers and the person having heart and ulcer problem.

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Alfalfa

This herb was traditionally used as a general tonic and to lower down the cholesterol levels but now days it is widely used to aid digestion and reduce the amount of uric acid. Alfalfa herbs rich in amino acids, flavonoids, saponins and steroids. It also has anti-inflammatory properties. It will fulfill the requirement of proteins and minerals in the body. You can take this herb in the form of alfalfa tablets of 2000 to 3000 mg. It is not recommended for pregnant women and diabetic patients. The higher dosage is not suggested as it may lead to autoimmune disorders.

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Pseudo Cinnamomum

This herb is the evergreen tree of the country Taiwan. In the traditional times the oil of the leaves and barks of this plant was used to fight various types of fungal and bacterial infections. But now you can use it many forms as it is available as a dried powder, tea bags or capsules.

This herb has anti-microbial and anticancer properties and it contains cinnamaldehyde which inhibits the growth of xanthine oxidase, an enzyme responsible for increasing the level of uric acid in the body. The dosage of this herb must be taken as directed on the packaging or directed by the health practitioner.

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Celery Seed

Celery seed is a healthy and medicinal herb which helps to reduce the necessity of salt in cooking. The important ingredient of celery seed is apigenin and isoquerticin and these compounds help the blood vessels to expand. It is a natural diuretic which reduces the increased amount of water in the body and uric acid that leads to pain and inflammation in gout. The seeds of celery can be used in tea or soup preparation and as an extract in the form of supplement. If you have allergic reactions to the use of diuretics then you should not take this herb. It may lead sun burn in people taking ACE inhibitors for the control of high blood pressure.

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Turmeric

Turmeric herb belongs to the family of Ginger. It is often used as a spice and coloring agent in various dishes. One of the important ingredients of Turmeric is cur cumin which gives the yellow color to turmeric and has got an anti-inflammatory and pain killing properties.

Although this herb is used as a spice in cooking but to get the benefits of this herb medically you should use it in the form of supplement or the paste of turmeric powder can be applied topically to the inflamed area. This herb will give much better results when used in combination with ginger or black pepper.

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Boswellia

Boswellia herb has anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties. The constituents of this herb are boswellic acid which helps to decrease the formation of inflammatory leukotreines. The herb boswellia it should be used in combination with celery seed and ginger for the best results in the treatment of gout. The resins and diluted form of powdered resin is used in skin care and tinctures, tea and capsule form of boswellia is used for the treatment of gout. The results are not as fast as other herbs give but this is very good to reduce the inflammation and can be taken safely for the long term.

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Flax-seed

The flax seed soothes the inflammated tissue of the skin. Take flax-seed oil if your goal is to soothe the inflamed tissue in your skin. Flax-seed is a type of leukotrienes and is one of the best sources ofOmega-3 fatty acids which are very much important for the health.

It helps to maintain the balance of all the essential fatty acids of the body and prevents all types of autoimmune disorders and rheumatoid arthritis which is one of the reasons for the problem of gout. It can be taken in the form of oil, whole or powdered seed. You can also take flax-seed oil supplements that are easily available in the market. The best option to take this seed is to buy the whole seeds and grind it as required.

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Artichoke

The herb artichoke is a healthy source of fiber, potassium, vitamin C, folate, and magnesium. It is low in calorie. This herb affects the process of cholesterol synthesis in the liver and increases the elimination of bad cholesterol from the body. This helps to reduce the amount of uric acid also. So it is equally good for the treatment of gout. You can take this herb in the form of dried powder, tea, capsule or extracts. However, it is not recommended for people suffering from gallstones and for the pregnant and nursing women.