Reason to Add Cherries to Your Diet

Complementary and Natural Gout Remedies

Eating tart cherries is just one natural gout remedy that you could try. Discover other alternative therapies used to treat gout.

By Sara Calabro 

Medically reviewed by Lindsey Marcellin, MD, MPH

Gout, a painful form of arthritis that typically affects the feet, ankles, knees or elbows, strikes about three million people in the United States.

The disease is a result of uric acid accumulation in the body following the breakdown of a substance called purines. Purines are a waste product, which comes from old cells in the body, and are also found in certain foods. This uric acid build-up causes crystals to form. When those crystals settle in the joints, they cause pain and inflammation.

Typically, a doctor will prescribe medications like non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) or corticosteroids. But patients who are sensitive to the side effects of these drugs or whose kidneys do not work well — thought to be one of the main causes of uric acid build-up — may wish to explore alternative gout remedies.

Gout Remedies: Cherries

Anthocyanins, extracts found in tart cherries, were long thought to have anti-inflammatory properties, but it wasn’t until 2004 that researchers at Johns Hopkins conducted the first-ever animal studies on anthocyanins and confirmed that the extracts reduce inflammation as effectively as standard-of-care medicines.

“The compounds in cherries block the conversion of antioxidase, which is responsible for breaking down purine into uric acid,” explains Paul Kalnins, ND, assistant professor at the National College of Natural Medicine in Portland, Ore. “So essentially, they decrease the amount of uric acid that’s produced in the body.”

Kalnins says that cherries may be a beneficial gout remedy because they belong to the rose family of plants. “Members of this family are loaded with polythenals [antioxidants] that can protect the arterial walls damaged by high uric acid levels in people with gout,” he explains.

Other anthocyanin-containing fruits that may help lower uric acid levels and reduce inflammation in people with gout include dark-colored berries, such as blueberries and blackberries.

Gout Remedies: Herbs

In Chinese medicine, gout is categorized as a “damp heat condition” for which there is a classic herbal formula: Si Miao San. This remedy, which consists of four different herbs, has been studied in China and shown to be beneficial compared with a placebo and standard gout medications.

Other useful gout remedies include herbs to support kidney function, such as birch leaf and juniper berry. An African herb known as devil’s claw has been looked at for gout and other forms of arthritis because of its anti-inflammatory properties, but so far there has been insufficient evidence showing that it can help.

Because herbs may interact with other medications, it's best to check with your doctor before trying any herbal gout remedies.

Gout Remedies: Folic and Eicosapentaenoic Acids

The B vitamin folic acid is a dietary supplement that is commonly given together with vitamins B6 or B12. Researchers think it may have potential as a gout remedy because of its ability to reduce homocysteine levels. Homocysteine is an amino acid in the blood that has been associated with heart disease and may also be connected to uric acid levels.

“Usually, with high uric acid levels, there is high homocysteine,” says Kalnins. “Folic acid may help break down those levels.”

Eicosapentaenoic acid, commonly known as EPA, is an omega-3 fatty acid and the main constituent found in fish oil. Eicosapentaenoic acid is best acquired through food, but most people do not get enough of it from diet alone, so many take fish oil dietary supplements. These supplements are commonly recommended for a wide variety of conditions, especially those that are inflammatory in nature, including gout. (Although fish itself contains high levels of purines, the oils in these supplements do not.)

Gout Remedies: Dietary Changes

Another natural remedy is simply changing your diet. Gout patients should consider substituting other foods for those that are high in purines, such as meat, certain types of seafood, and high-sugar drinks, as these may worsen gout symptoms; eating them in large quantities can bring on a gout attack. Alcohol and beer in particular can do the same, so people with gout should reduce or stop drinking alcoholic beverages.