Gout Treatments-Part 1 | Pineapples

If you've ever woken up in the middle of the night with gout pain, you know how important it is to have a gout treatments plan that works. The next series of posts are going to be dedicated to specific gout treatments that are known to have beneficial effects on treating gout. First up on the list is pineapples.

How Pineapples Ease Painful Gout Attacks

Pineapples are not usually the first food that comes to mind when it comes to getting rid of gout. So, is pineapple good for gout? Pineapples do have several beneficial properties that can help you when combined with other methods in your gout treatments program. So, what is it that pineapples have to offer that can help you overcome the painful symptoms of gout?

Potassium

Potassium is very crucial when it comes to providing yourself with effective prevention therapies. Potassium helps turn uric acid into a solution your kidneys can get rid of more easily during urination. As stated in an earlier post on gout treatments, the suggested daily intake of potassium according to the government is 3500mg. While pineapples do not have an overwhelming amount of potassium, 115mg, when combined with the other therapeutic remedies pineapples contain, this is a fruit that is definitely worth making part of a gout treatments plan.

Bromelain

One of the biggest gout remedies benefits of using pineapple in treating this painful disease is that it contains bromelain. As a gout treatments remedy, bromelain is first-class. It is an anti-inflammatory enzyme that helps to digest protein molecules.

This enzyme can be purchased as a supplement. It can also be used effectively for arthritis, swelling from minor traumas, and digestive problems. It is sometimes used to aid in healing from post-surgical procedures. Another benefit of bromelain is that is known to be helpful as an anti-coagulant (blood thinner) which would be useful if you are prone to blood clots. Please remember, seek your physician's counsel before taking this supplement or any supplement prior to using as a treatment for any condition.

As with most things, too much of a good thing can pose risks. While studies have found that moderate doses revealed no notable side effects, higher supplementation can lead to possible heart rate increase, plus nausea and vomiting. Another downside is the likelihood of diarrhea at higher doses. It should not be used in conjunction with other blood thinners such as Coumadin (Warfarin) or Aspirin. Overall, bromelain is considered safe in moderation and is one of the best natural gout remedies available.

Vitamin C

Pineapple contains a lot of vitamin C which is very good at getting rid of gout pain. These delicious fruits contain on average 36mg which is 60% of the RDA for vitamin C. How does this vitamin make an efficient gout treatments tool? A study performed by Arthritis and Rheumatism (2005;52:1843–7) showed that 500mg of vitamin C administered over a two month period reduced uric acid levels by an average of 10%. While 36mg is not as potent as 500mg, it is a healthy way to get your vitamin C.

The reason why vitamin C works for gout treatments is it helps the kidneys to excrete greater amounts of uric acid. It also helps prevent purines from breaking down into uric acid. Uric acid in and of itself is not bad for you, in fact, it is very beneficial to your body. The problem arises when the uric acid is not able to be metabolized very well by the body or overwhelms the body. This is where vitamin C can help you in your treatment of gout.

Folic Acid

I just thought I'd mention folic acid is present in pineapple, and it has had a reputation of helping with gout. Folic acid combines with folate to make up the vitamin B9. Folic acid is used by some in their gout treatments profile because folic acid helps repair tissue and DNA. While this is very helpful because uric acid crystallization damages your joints, there is very little scientific proof that folic acid is beneficial in gout. It certainly is not harmful, but I would avoid supplementation strictly for a gout treatments remedy.

Conclusion

As you can see pineapple has quite the combination of elements that help ease gout pain. While some of these elements in and of themselves are not in adequate amounts by eating pineapple itself, when you combine pineapple with other gout treatments, you can have a great weapon in your gout treatments arsenal.

Until later,

Medicman