What Can Lemon Juice Do For Your Gout?

Lemon is a fruit in the citrus family, people like lemon due to its’ distinctive sour taste which consists of lemon juice. It is the citric acid in the lemon juice, which is about 6% which gives it its’ sour taste and its’ pulp is used for cooking and baking. It also serves as a key ingredient in many drinks and foods since the average lemon contains around 3 tablespoons of juice. Being a citrus fruit, it is naturally high in vitamin C, and also has some vitamins from B complex, which may be an effective natural remedy to prevent from gout.

Lemon juice may be helpful as a natural remedy for many ailments that include bleeding gums (by maintaining healthy gums and healing them), throat pain (by clearing mucus and minor antibacterial effect), anaemia (by improving iron absorption), and constipation (by acting as a digestive stimulant). Lemons are available throughout the year but are mostly in season from May to August. Like other fruits, lemons contain unique flavonoids that have a strong antioxidant effect, and animal studies have shown that citrus flavonoids have shown potential anti-cancer effects by reducing oxidative stress, decreasing inflammation, and even slowing the growth of cancer cells.

Studies have shown that consumption of consumption of citrus fruits like oranges, clementines, tangerine and lemons may lower serum urate in people with hyperuricemia or gout due to the higher levels of citric acid that may provide you with relief from a gout attack. A 2017 study reported lower serum uric acid after approximately 30 mL/day of fresh lemon juice for six weeks in people with hyperuricaemia and there were no side effects. It definitely should be included in your gout diet since lemon is also a stimulant to the liver. If your body is too acidic whereby your body’s pH level is too high or < 7.35, a state known as acidosis, uric acid may crystallize and may cause you a gout attack or even worse it may form stones in the kidneys which you definitely don’t want.

One way to improve the body’s acidity and remove it is by alkalinizing the urine and lemon juice contains citric acid, which after metabolism, helps increase urinary pH (making it more alkaline), which helps the body dissolve and excrete excess uric acid.  Many gout sufferers drink freshly squeezed lemon in a glass of water after meals to prevent a gouty attack. It definitely improves the digestive system and did you know that it also reduces heat in your body and is the reason why lemon juice with water is given to you at restaurants in the summertime.

How do I take lemon juice in my gout diet?

How you can add lemon to your gout diet is as simple as taking the lemon juice of 1 or 2 lemons and adding it in your glass of cool water, first thing in the morning on an empty stomach would be best. This may help restore your energy very quickly and help lower uric acid levels.

You can also infuse some slices of lemon inside a cup of hot drinking water twice daily. 100 g (3.5oz) lemon also includes 138 mg of potassium which is also very important for us gout sufferers.

You want to include as much potassium as possible in your gout diet but before that you should consult your doctor because patients with kidney problems should avoid excess potassium. By the way you can also try of any of these recipes with lime as well. I personally use lemons in my diet, I like to add it in my green tea in the wintertime, in my cool glasses of water in the summertime, as well I love to sprinkle it on my broccoli, swiss chard, rapini, spinach and in my salads.

Changes in Diet May Help With Gout

Purine-rich foods, like red meat, organ meat, mussels, and high sugar-containing foods, such as alcoholic beverages and soda, are considered to be major risk factors for the development of gout. Of course, these foods with high sugar content are normally seen as unhealthy anyways. 

That being said, even certain foods that are viewed as healthy foods may raise your uric acid levels. Even vegetables like tomatoes, potatoes, peppers, and eggplant, have been linked to an increased risk of gout. This is due to the presence of a molecule called solanine, which in some persons might induce joint pain.

If you suffer from gout, it is recommended to use these types of foods in moderate quantities in order to minimize the risk of a gout flare-up. Incorporating meals that help to alkalinize your urine’s pH level is also a smart suggestion for the long-term treatment of gout symptoms.

Lemon juice is one of these foods. Although it may appear that an acidic item like a lemon would have the opposite effect, lemon juice has been discovered to neutralize acids in the body such as uric acid.

How lemon juice might help combat gout

In several ways, lemon juice might help with gout attacks. Citric acid, vitamin C, and potassium are the three main properties of lemons that help to reduce gout attacks:

1. Citric acid:
   

   Lemon juice contains citric acid, which acts as a protective antioxidant for the liver and aids in the prevention of kidney stones. Gout is complicated further if kidney stones are formed because of consistently raised uric acid. Kidney stones are not only painful, but they can also cause other health problems.

   Gout attacks occur when there is an excess of uric acid in the body in gout patients. Citrus fruits like lemons, oranges, clementines, and tangerines have been shown in studies to help dissolve uric acid. This is due to the citric acid they contain, which after metabolism, aids in increasing the urinary pH and when the urine is more alkaline, it helps in lowering the amount of uric acid in your body. With a concentration of between 5% and 6%, lemon juice has the highest concentration of citric acid. Lemon juice is the clear winner when it comes to the best citrus fruit to help with gout.

2. Vitamin C:
   Lemon juice, in addition to citric acid, has a high level of vitamin C, with around 95 mg per cup.According to medical studies, the more vitamin C men consumed, the less likely they were to develop gout. This is thought to be due to the fact that vitamin C protects against gout by lowering serum urate and assisting in its removal through the kidneys.However, while vitamin C consumption has been linked to a lower risk of developing gout, but there is less evidence that vitamin C helps people who already have gout. In another related study, vitamin C did not significantly reduce uric acid levels in gout patients.Despite this, studies have shown that the vitamin C in lemon juice may help relieve joint pain. This is due to its ability to heal and maintain the health of blood vessels, tendons, and ligaments.In fact, when used with your regular medication, lemon water may help to alleviate some of the symptoms of arthritis. For example, Vitamin C has been found to help promote collagen synthesis which might aid in repairing damage to tendons. In addition, Vitamin C may play a key role in bolstering the immune system. This has been noticed in the treatment of autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA), which is an autoimmune disease in which your immune system assaults healthy cells, resulting in joint inflammation.Finally, Vitamin C is an antioxidant that protects cells from free radicals, which are unstable molecules that can damage cells. In disorders like arthritis, free radicals are thought to have a beneficial role.
3. Potassium:
   Potassium is also present in lemon juice, with roughly 250 milligrams per cup. Studies have indicated that potassium citrate might help change urine chemistry which helps in prevention of various kinds of kidney stones. Because lemon juice contains organic salts like potassium. These salts help your body expel uric acid through urine, neutralizing it. Potassium (in the form of potassium citrate) also prevents the formation of uric acid crystals and aids in the breakdown of those that have already formed. As a result, the kidneys will work more efficiently, and kidney stones will be less likely to form.

The nutritional properties of lemon

According to the USDA, a cup of lemon water containing one lemon’s juice includes 19 mg of Vitamin C, 11 calories, 10 micrograms of folate (a vitamin that helps prevent anemia), and around 49 mg of potassium.

Aside from pouring lemon juice in water, other parts of the fruit and various ways of using lemons are also beneficial for the treatment of gout.

• Lemon peel:
  
  Vitamin C, calcium, and a little quantity of fiber are all found in the peel. You can add the zest of the lemon to your lemon water for a nice flavor and aroma. Before using the peel, make sure the lemon has been thoroughly washed.
• Lemon extract:
  Lemon extract has a lot of potential health benefits. The peel of the lemon is used to make lemon extract, while the center of the fruit is used to make lemon juice. Citrus peel extract has shown encouraging results in animals with elevated cholesterol levels.
• Lemon Inhalation Aromatherapy:
  Many people believe that using lemon essential oils for aromatherapy makes them feel more concentrated. It was proven to help lower anxiety after orthopedic surgery in a small 2016 research. Another study from 2014 found that inhaling lemon essential oils may help prevent nausea and morning sickness during pregnancy.

Benefits of Lemon Juice for Gout Patients

Whether you have arthritis or gout, it’s vital to stay hydrated, and the best way to do so is to drink plenty of water. Lemon water is a healthier alternative to sodas and sugary drinks, and it has arthritis-fighting properties.

Lemon water isn’t a panacea for arthritis, and it’s not meant to take the place of any medications or treatments you’re currently using. Vitamin C and water, on the other hand, are both necessary for healthy health, whether consumed in combination or separately.