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Strawberries for Natural Gout Treatment

Ningthoujam Sandhyarani
The benefits of strawberries for natural gout treatment are attributed to presence of vitamin C and flavonoids in high percentage. To reap strawberry nutrients, patients afflicted with gouty arthritis can enjoy it fresh, make salads with other fruits, or just have it with low-fat yogurt.
Gout or gouty arthritis is a chronic ailment, characterized by onset of painful attacks and presence of uric acid crystals in the joints. The formation of urate crystals is triggered with intake of high purine foods, like seafood and meat items.
Classic symptoms of gout are localized redness, pain and heat in the affected areas. Making changes in the diet is a reliable strategy for treating gout the natural way. Here, we will focus on consuming strawberries for naturally curing gout.

Strawberries and Gout Treatment

In order to understand the connection between strawberries and gout treatment, first let's look into what causes gouty arthritis. The underlying cause of this progressive ailment is faulty uric acid metabolism, which causes elevated levels of uric acid in the blood.
The urate crystals get deposited in the joints (tophi), particularly that of the big toe, and cause inflammatory symptoms. Afflicted patients are expected to follow a gout diet plan with lots of anti-inflammatory foods (particularly fresh fruits and vegetables), while eliminating high purine foods.
The best anti-gout diet foods are berries, cereals, leafy vegetables and healthy fluids. It won't be wrong to say that strawberries, pineapples and dark cherries are integral fruits in the gout diet menu. But, what is so beneficial about strawberries that they are used in anti-gout diet?
Well, these juicy berries (pineapple and cherries) are rich sources of vitamin C (yield 24.5 mg in 50 g serving amount) and flavonoids. Studies reveal that consuming citrus fruits and other foods rich in vitamin C has a direct effect in lowering uric acid levels. In addition, ascorbic acid is effectual to repair cell damage, caused due to gout.
An added benefit of strawberries when it comes to curing gout is the presence of flavonoids. These are basically plant pigments, which possess strong anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. In simpler words, they help in fighting against the inflammatory responses of the body.
As far as purine content is concerned, strawberries and other berries contain negligible amounts of this organic base. Last but not the least, more than 90 percent of strawberries is water. This is again another plus point, considering that gout afflicted patients require lots of water for getting rid of urate crystals.

Consuming Strawberries for Gout Relief

While men are more likely to get afflicted by gouty arthritis, women do develop this condition too. Without prompt treatment, this inflammatory condition may progress and cause painful attacks frequently. But, can strawberries cure gout? Frankly speaking, medical researches are not able to find a reliable cure for gouty arthritis.
So, consuming strawberries and their preserves is aimed at preventing recurrent flare-ups. In this aspect, strawberries do help in combating painful symptoms of gouty attacks.
Although strawberries are appreciated for reducing painful gout symptoms, the effectiveness of strawberry diet for gout treatment is doubtful. This is because, by solely relying on these berries, the body is getting deprived of other essential nutrients. Such a case will trigger other medical problems, and worsen the patient's existing condition.
Thus, a well-balanced, healthy gout diet with low purine foods, cereals having complex carbohydrates, fresh fruits and vegetables should be planned for reducing frequents bouts of gout. Know more on why is diet important if you have gout.
Employment of strawberries for natural gout treatment is indeed a prompt approach, and is found to reduce inflammatory responses rather fast. Also, when compared with long-term recommendation of anti-gout medications, natural gout treatment with strawberries is always preferred by patients.
After all, these juicy fruits are natural, and there are virtually no side effects of consuming strawberries. So, eat lots of strawberries and follow gout diet plans stringently, as directed by the concerned doctor. Within a few months, patients will experience significant reduction in gout pain and accompanied inflammatory symptoms.