Did you know gout is the most popular type of inflammatory arthritis? On average, this condition affects around 2.5% of our population!
Gout can appear as a sudden and intense attack of joint pain, mainly occurring overnight in adults. A gout flare-up often occurs due to diet, certain medical conditions, medications, and lifestyle factors.
Depending on the intensity and frequency, a gout attack can impact the quality of your life, be it at work, in a social setting or at home. However, it can be prevented and managed safely with the right care and treatment.
Dive in with us as we explore everything you need to know about gout, our management recommendations, and the best tea for gout.
Overview of gout
Gout is a painful form of inflammatory arthritis that can happen to anyone. It causes sudden and severe joint pain, mainly in the evening. Gout arises due to the accumulation of uric acid in the bloodstream, forming needle-like crystals inside and around joints. One of the most common joints affected is the big toe.
While the main symptoms of gout typically come and go, the most common ones are:
- Sudden and severe joint pain in your big toe or other joints in your knees, hands, ankles, wrists and elbows
- Red hot and inflamed skin underneath your joint
- Limited range of motion
Note: If you may have gout looking at these symptoms but are unsure, book an appointment to see your GP. If untreated, a gout attack can last 1-2 weeks, and future attacks can last longer, damaging joints.
According to the NHS, gout attacks are typically treated using non-steroidal anti-inflammatories such as ibuprofen and steroid injections.
5 alternative remedies to prevent a gout attack
While your doctor may prescribe anti-inflammatory medication, it’s important to know there’s no definite cure for a gout attack. However, there are a range of home remedies and self-care techniques you can start implementing to help keep your gout at bay. Here are the recommended remedies we suggest to try:
1. Eat cherries
Snacking on cherries may not be the first action that pops into your mind when you think about preventing a gout attack, but it should be. According to a 2016 survey, tart cherries can be a helpful home remedy for gout, be they black, red, sweet, sour, or as a juice.
It’s believed cherries can significantly lower levels of uric acid. According to the research, it’s recommended you eat three servings of cherries over a two-day period.
2. Increase your magnesium intake
Magnesium is a mineral that low levels could trigger a gout attack. Low levels of magnesium are thought to worsen chronic inflammation in the body. However, there’s no scientific research that proves this.
On the contrary, in 2015, a study found that sufficient magnesium levels were associated with lower and healthier uric acid levels, lowering the risk of gout. So you might want to try eating magnesium-rich foods such as spinach, quinoa, dark chocolate, black beans, edamame, avocado, cashews, almonds, peanuts and more. If you feel you can’t get enough from your diet, then try supplements.
3. Consume more ginger
Ginger is a well-known herb used worldwide for its range of benefits. One major benefit is that it’s high in anti-inflammatory properties, like gingerol, which helps treat different types of arthritis. Research shows that topical ginger may reduce pain linked to high uric acid levels in gout. You can either simply eat more ginger or use a ginger compress and apply it to the area where you’re experiencing pain.
Pro Tip: Try our caffeine free Ginseng & Ginger herbal tea. High in antioxidants and anti-inflammatories, this herbal tea can help ease inflammation, promote feelings of vitality and help you maintain concentration and coordination.
4. Eat apples
Remember the saying, “An apple a day keeps the doctor away?” Well, eating apples may help minimise your risk of gout attacks. Apples have malic acid, which helps lower uric acid, stopping crystals from being formed. However, don’t eat too many apples, as they do contain fructose, leading to health risks.
5. Hydrate frequently
You must drink plenty of water for your kidneys to function optimally. Simply making sure your kidneys are in good shape can help reduce the buildup of uric acid, which can reduce gout attacks.
What tea is good for gout?
In addition to the points mentioned above, certain teas you can drink may help ease gout symptoms. Here are 4 different types of joint care tea we recommend:
NutraUric
NutraUric is an herbal tea that helps support joint health. It contains a range of healthy herbs, such as dry cherry, nettle, turmeric, banaba leaf, orange peel, and piperine. Dry cherry and nettle in NutraUric help reduce uric acid levels and eliminate waste components. Green tea helps maintain bone strength, and turmeric supports joint flexibility and joint health. NutraUric is a tea for uric acid that helps nourish joints, a great aid for those who have gout or care about their joint health.
NutraJoint
NutraJoint is a low caffeine herbal tea that can be added to your daily routine alongside gout medication. Inside NutraJoint are herbs such as curcumin, piperine and green tea, which help promote overall joint and bone health. Curcumin has strong anti-inflammatory properties, which can reduce inflammation and lower the risk of acute gout flare-ups. Piperine is also high in antioxidants, which can help reduce the impact of free radical damage and stress on the joints.
NutraBone
If you’re looking for a tea to support bone and joint health, you might want to try NutraBone. This low-caffeine herbal tea contains a range of herbs that can help with bone strength and nourish those with poor bone health. Turmeric, nettle, liquorice, willow bark and devil’s claw in NutraBone help strengthen your body’s locomotor system, maintaining flexible joints, muscles and tendons. Turmeric in NutraBone supports the health of normal bones and has high anti-inflammatory properties, reducing swelling and the risk of a gout attack.
Turmeric & Cinnamon
Turmeric and cinnamon is a flagship tea that can provide a range of benefits for your health and well-being. In particular, turmeric helps with blood circulation and heart function and helps with joint and bone health. Cinnamon is high in antioxidants, which can help protect your joints from damage from oxidative stress caused by inflammation and uric acid crystals.
Gout treatment which is the best?
Overall, there’s no “best” gout treatment for a gout flare up. In fact, gout can’t be treated completely; however, it can be managed. If you think you’ve got gout and have not been diagnosed, see your doctor, as unmanaged symptoms can last for 2-3 weeks at a time.
Usually, doctors prescribe steroidal medication to manage this. However, if you’re looking for a more natural form, there’s a range of home remedies to try. For instance, simply eating cherries, increasing your magnesium intake, staying on top of hydration, eating ginger, and much more.
To learn more, check out our post-herbs that help with arthritis.
