Nearly 8 million people are affected by gout. Gout is a form of arthritis and is commonly called gouty arthritis. With greater than 50% of gout cases being located in the joint of the big toe, it can also be found in ankles and fingers. Gouty arthritis is characterized by painful swelling and redness found at the joint. Inflammation of the affected joint can happen suddenly and often during the night. The affected joint can be very tender to the touch making things like putting on socks painful. Acute forms of gout will typically last about a week before the person begins to feel relief.

Gout is caused by excessive uric acid in the bloodstream. The uric acid forms crystals in the joints which is what causes the excruciating pain. The purpose of the kidneys is to eliminate excess uric acid, but if they fail to do so, the body will experience higher than normal uric acid levels. The type of foods being eaten, being overweight, alcohol, and being a diabetic are some of the reasons for the slower reduction of the acid. Men are three times more likely to develop gout than women. If there is a family history of gout, the likelihood of developing gout is greatly increased. Luckily, there are some foods that help to keep gout in check and help to remediate the effects quickly. The more well-known gout aiding foods are celery seed extract, tart cherry juice, carrot/beet/cucumber juice, limes, bananas, and pinto beans. Here’s how they alleviate gout symptoms:

1. Celery seed extract
A natural anti-inflammatory that acts as a diuretic in the body. Celery seed extract helps to trigger the kidneys to flush out the excess uric acid in the body.

2. Tart cherry juice
Cherries contain anthocyanins which help to reduce uric acid in the body. Anthocyanins also have an anti-inflammatory property.

3. Carrot, beet and cucumber juice
This combination of vegetables helps to cleanse the body of toxins and help adjust the pH in the blood and reduces inflammation.

4. Limes
Limes contain citric acid, which helps to dissolve uric acid. They help to keep the uric acid levels lower in the body if consumed daily.

5. Bananas
These are alkaline, pH greater than 7, and because uric acid has a pH less than 7, the bananas help to neutralize the effect of the acid.

5. Pinto beans
These beans are rich in antioxidants. They also help to lower uric acid.