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Natural Gout Remedy

Gout is one of the many varieties of arthritis. The disease is often sudden and comes with severe pain, heat, and swelling of the joints, but most of the time affects the big toe. Gout attacks tend to last between 5 and 10 days.

Waste Product

Gout is caused by high levels of uric acid in your system. This waste product forms crystals around the joints. It is these crystals that cause the pain. Uric acid is produced as the body breaks down the substance known as purines. Purines are found in many foods, for instance organ meats, anchovies, herring, mushrooms, and asparagus.

There are many popular alternative remedies for gout, though it's recommended that you use these to complement rather than to replace traditional medical care. As of this moment, there just isn't enough evidence to support using natural remedies alone. But it can't hurt to give traditional medicine a boost by trying what Mother Nature has on offer.

Two Months

There has been one study regarding the use of Vitamin C supplements for the reduction of uric acid levels. For the purposes of this study, 184 participants took either 500 milligrams of the vitamin per day, or were treated with a placebo. At the end of two months, a significant reduction in uric acid levels was seen in those taking Vitamin C as opposed to those given the placebo. The results of this study suggest that Vitamin C may help to prevent or even treat gout, though much more research needs to be done before scientists can arrive at a definitive conclusion.

Some Contraindications

There are some contraindications to taking large doses of Vitamin C, so please consult your health care provider before you embark on a course of Vitamin C therapy for gout. Vitamin C increases your ability to absorb iron from food, so people with the condition called hemochromatosis should not take such supplements. Very large doses of the vitamin, over 2,000 milligrams a day, can cause digestive upset, for instance diarrhea and gas, or may even interfere with the absorption of Vitamin B12.

Vitamin C supplements have also been known to raise the blood levels of both acetaminophen and aspirin. Rare reports have implicated Vitamin C as interfering with the blood-thinning properties of warfarin (Coumadin). Vitamin C sometimes increases the effects of furosemide, a loop diuretic, as well as the antibiotic tetracycline. The high blood pressure and heart condition medication known as propranolol is sometimes less well-absorbed when taken with Vitamin C. If you take a regular medication, it's a good idea to discuss whether your medication can be taken in conjunction with Vitamin C supplements.