Home Remedies to reduce Uric Acid Levels
If you have read the causes of high uric acid levels above carefully, you must have concluded that home remedies for hyperuricemia include having low purine diet, taking steps to properly excrete the uric acid formed inside the body and to avoid alcoholism, high fructose diet as well as starvation.
Have Cherries
Cherries have the ability to lower uric acid levels. In a study conducted with tart cherries, the participants consumed tart cherry juice concentrate mixed with water. More uric acid was found to have excreted from their bodies as compared to the other group that did not consume cherry juice.
How to have cherries to reduce uric acid levels
- Eat cherries
- Drink cherry juice
- Snack on canned cherries
- If you can’t eat more of them, have cherry fruit extract (about 1000 mg)
Half a pound (about 230 g) of cherries in a day is enough. Also have other berries like blue berries etc.
Eat more Vegetables
According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, fiber rich foods may help lower uric acid levels in blood. When you eat more vegetables, you help you body reduce its acidity. This in turn helps contain uric acid build-up. However, don’t have more of those vegetables that are rich sources of purine. Some of such veggies include spinach, asparagus, peas and cauliflower. If having them, have only very small quantities of these vegetables. These are only few vegetables that you have to exclude. There are so many vegetables available that you won’t miss these few!
Have Potassium rich diet
Potassium can be defined as an electrolyte found in water and many other foods. The potassium present in fruits and vegetables contains organic salts like citrate and malate. These salts can neutralize uric acid in the urine. It also facilitates excretion of uric acid and prevents formation of crystals. Excessive uric acid leads to the formation of small crystals of urate that get deposited in the synovial fluid (lubricating fluid around joints) to cause gout. Having potassium rich diet can help you get rid of high uric acid levels as well as such conditions as gout and kidney stones.
Foods and Drinks rich in Potassium
- Avocado
- Coconut water
- Bananas
- Salmon
- Apricots
- Fruits like cantaloupes, dates, figs, kiwis, mangoes, oranges
- Vegetables like artichokes, squash, beets, carrots, beans, peas, potatoes and tomatoes. Peas are also high in purines so have them in limited quantities.
- Raw cultured dairy
Avoid Foods high in Purines
Purine loaded foods become the cause of high uric acid levels when they produce so much of uric acid that it is difficult for kidneys to excrete it through urine. So, when you test positive for high levels of uric acid in blood, avoid having these foods.
- Seafood like anchovies, herring, sardines, mussels, scallops, trout, haddock, mackerel and tuna.
- Meats such as liver, kidney and sweetbreads
- Vegetables high in purines like asparagus, spinach, peas, cauliflower and mushrooms. However, these veggies have high to moderate amounts of purine and thus can be taken in smaller quantities.
Drink plenty of Water
No prizes to guess why you should drink more water to reduce uric acid levels! Drinking more fluid helps body get rid of excess uric acid by increasing urine output. Not only uric acid, drinking water, in fact, helps your body get detoxified as it epels all the toxins out of your body.
- Have at least 10-12 glasses of water every day
- If you can’t have high amounts of plain water, add mild and natural flavors like lime juice and mint leaves
- Substitute water with healthy drinks like fruit juices, coconut water, lemon water etc. However, even when having healthy substitutes, have some plain water.
- Have watery fruits and veggies
Use Olive oil for cooking
Vegetable oils become rancid fats when you heat them. When you consume such oil, it destroys the vitamin E present in the body. This vitamin is needed to control uric acid levels. Therefore, you must use some oil that will not go rancid and destroy the crucial vitamin E inside your body. Cold pressed olive oil serves the purpose. Olive oil contains monounsaturated fats which stays stable even if you heat the oil.
- Use olive oil in place of vegetable oil, butter or shortening when you cook or bake your dishes.
- Use virgin olive oil for making salad dressings
Apple cider vinegar lowers uric acid levels
Apple cider vinegar (ACV) is high in potassium. It also helps in balancing the acid-alkaline levels of your body in spite of the fact that it contains acetic acid. Your system becomes more alkaline when you drink apple cider vinegar. This is helpful for you because when your body is more alkaline, uric acid cannot buildup inside you.
Get this:
- Apple cider vinegar- 1 tsp
- Water- 1 glass
Do this:
- Add the apple cider vinegar to water and mix well
- Drink it
- Repeat thrice a day.
Drink Lemon juice
Lemon juice is yet another healthy drink that can neutralize uric acid in your body. Lemon juice, like works to promote the production of digestive juices including bicarbonate. This helps neutralize acidity inside the body. Lemon juice also stimulates the production of calcium carbonate in the body, which also helps neutralize uric acid.
Get this:
- Lemon- 1
- Warm water- 1 glass
Do this:
- Squeeze the lemon to extract its juice
- Add this lemon juice to the warm water and mix well
- Have it on an empty stomach in the morning
- You can also have a glass of warm lemon water in the evening.
Baking Soda helps lower high Uric Acid Levels
Just like apple cider vinegar and lemon juice, baking soda also helps in making your body more alkaline. Alkaline environment makes it easier for uric acid to expel itself out of the body. However, if you suffer from high blood pressure, avoid this remedy using baking soda. Also, do not consume baking soda on a regular basis.
Get this:
- Baking soda- 1 tsp
- Water- 1 glass
Do this:
- Add baking soda to water and mix
- Drink the solution
- Repeat 3-4 times a day
- However, do not have baking soda for more than two weeks at a stretch.
Use Cream of Tartar
Cream of tartar is a fine white powder mainly used for various food recipes. It is an acid known as potassium hydrogen tartrate. This acid works in similar ways as apple cider vinegar and lemon juice do. It stimulates the digestive juices including bicarbonate released by the pancreas and helps in making the blood and urine more alkaline.
Get this:
- Cream of Tartar- ¼ to ½ tsp
- Water- 1 glass
Do this:
- Add cream of tartar to water
- Mix and drink
- Have twice a day
Celery seeds help reduce uric acid levels
Celery seeds have been used since ancient times by many traditional medicines to treat water retention, poor digestion, different types of arthritis etc. These days it is mostly used as a diureticto help eliminate water by increasing urine output. It is therefore beneficial in curing inflammation as well as arthritis and gout. Gout, as we know, is a result of high uric acid levels in the body.
Celery seed are available in the form of fresh or dried seeds, tablets, capsules filled with celery seed oil and celery seed extract. You can consult a herbalist when taking celery seed extract. Usually 450 mg of celery seed extract is suggested twice or thrice a day.
Stinging Nettle for Uric Acid
Stinging nettle has diuretic properties. It is a slow-acting nutritive herb which cleanses the body of metabolic wastes. Due to its gentle, stimulating effect on the lymphatic system, stinging nettle promotes the excretion of wastes through kidneys including uric acid. It is traditionally used for treating arthritis and gout, both having their origin in high uric acid levels. This herb promotes elimination of uric acid from joints due to its alkalizing diuretic properties.
Get this:
- Fresh nettle leaves- 1 cup OR dried herb- 1 tsp
- Water- 1-2 cups
- Cinnamon and/or honey (optional)
Do this:
- When using fresh leaves, boil the water and add the leaves to it
- Simmer for 10-15 minutes
- Strain and add honey or cinnamon or both, if using
- When using dried herb, add 1 tsp to 1 cup of hot water
- Cover and let it steep for about 5 minutes
- Strain and add flavors if using.
- Have 2-3 cups of this tea during the day.
Quercetin for Uric Acid
Quercetin is an antioxidant having bioflavonoids found naturally in certain foods. It is also available in supplemental form for medical use such as to relieve gout pain and inflammation. However, quercetin is more easily absorbed and is more effective when it is combined with bromelain, another enzyme explained in the next remedy. Quercetin is found in the following foods.
- Garlic
- Onions
- Leafy greens
- Apples and berries
- Green and black tea
- Red wine
- Cauliflower, cabbage, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, and other Brassica vegetables. Cauliflower, however, is also high in purine so have it carefully.
Quercetin is also available as a supplement. Experts suggest taking a dose of 250mg of quercetin 1 to 4 times a day.
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