Gout Herbal Remedies - Alleviate gout symptoms naturally

Thursday, December 30, 2010 by: Dianna Dill
Tags: herbal remedies, gout, health news

(NewsTarget) Herbal remedies are a centuries-old gout treatment that remains widely used even today. Gout arthritis, or simply gout, is a one of the most painful forms of rheumatism. It is an arthritic condition resulting from an accumulation of uric acid crystals in the joints, particularly the large joint of the big toe, causing intense pain and acute inflammation. You can treat gout naturally with herbal remedies.


Black Currant Leaf Herbal Tea

In his book "Jude's Herbal Home Remedies," Jude Todd recommends drinking black currant leaf herbal tea as a natural gout treatment. Add one tablespoon of chopped black currant leaf to one cup of boiling water, cover and let steep for about 10 minutes. Strain the herbal tea and drink a cup three times a day.


Cherry Stems Decoction

Drink a cherry herbal tea decoction brewed from cherry stems. Add one cup of cherry stems to 2 cups of water. Bring the mixture to a boil and then let it simmer for half an hour. Strain the decoction and stir in 2 cups of honey. Drink a cup three times a day.


Charcoal Foot Soak

Lihua Wang, in the book "Chinese Home Remedies," writes that a charcoal foot soak is an ancient Chinese home remedy for gout in the foot. Boil 8 ounces of charcoal in water for 10 minutes. Remove the charcoal, let it dry and then wrap it in a cotton fabric bag. Place the bag in a container large enough to hold your feet, and add enough warm water to submerge your feet in it. Soak feet in the charcoal water for 30 minutes, once daily for a month.


Strawberry Leaf Herbal Tea

Steep 4 to 5 fresh strawberry leaves in one cup of boiling water for 10 to 15 minutes. Strain the strawberry herbal tea, add honey and drink two to three times a day. Alternatively, Jude Todd notes that one folk remedy recommends eating strawberries and nothing else for two days.


Water

One of the easiest remedies for gout treatment is simply water, notes Bill Gottlieb in his book "Alternative Cures," because gout is caused by high levels of uric acid in the body. Once you have had an attack of gout, it is important to flush excess uric acid from the body with water by drinking about a gallon per day. It also dilutes the concentration of uric acid in the body. Water is not only helpful as a stand-alone remedy but also complements other treatments of gout as well.


References

1 "Jude's Herbal Home Remedies: Natural Health, Beauty & Home-Care Secrets;" Jude C. Williams, Jude Todd; 2008
2 "Chinese home remedies: harnessing ancient wisdom for self-healing;" Lihua Wang; 2005
3 "Alternative Cures: More Than 1,000 of the Most Effective Natural Home Remedies;" Bill Gottlieb; 2008

About the author

The Armchair Herbalist is a copywriter, turned insurance agent, turned freelance writer and published author. She has written numerous health- and business-related articles and eBooks for Demand Studios, Suite101, Bright Hub and LovetoKnow. She also writes for www.TopHomeRemedies.com, an alternative health website.
She is a self-professed armchair herbalist, and authored the book: 101 Herbal Tea Remedies: Healing Infusions and Decoctions from Nature's Own Pharmacy.