As we get older, our bodies change. For many, these changes can be either detrimental or beneficial depending on what you eat, how active you are, and what your lifestyle is like. Of course, there are plenty of things that you can do to help prevent complications in the future. However, for some, that future is already here. If a chronic condition like gout plagues your daily life and causes you constant pain, there are several options available both in the conventional and Ayurvedic categories. When you need an all-natural solution to your pain, using basil oil for gout relief is a prime way to get your life back in a way that won’t have any nasty side effects.
What is Gout?
Whether you currently have gout or are hoping to prevent it in the future, it always helps to know exactly what kind of condition you’re dealing with. Gout is a chronic disease that causes severe pain in the joints of smaller bones. These episodes of severe pain are most often in the bones of the foot but can also be found in the hands and knees. Essentially, gout is a form of arthritis, which means that there is no official cure aside from consistent treatments and lifestyle changes. The most common symptoms are swelling, acute pain, and redness in the affected area.
Because it affects over 3 million Americans each year, gout is a problem that needs a solution. While some people turn to strong and addictive painkillers, anti-inflammatories, and narcotics to numb the pain, others have decided that the dangerous side effects of conventional drugs are not worth the results. For those, a natural solution lies in using basil oil for gout relief.
How is Gout Caused?
In order to understand how you can use basil oil for gout, we first need to get to the root of what causes gout in the first place. All cases of gout begin with a metabolic decrease. If your body’s metabolism is defective, then it can’t absorb compounds like uric acid very well, resulting in the formation of uric acid crystalline deposits in your joints. When these needle-like crystals build up, they begin to cause the sharp pain and inflammation that characterizes the disease.
While the source of the disease, a defective metabolism, cannot be cured, there are ways to decrease the amount of uric acid in the body thereby reducing the formation of crystals. To do this, you need to limit the amount of food that you eat containing purines, or organic compounds, that is converted into uric acid in the body.
The foods and drinks that contain high amounts of purines are red meats, organ meats like liver and brains, anchovies, sardines, scallops, herring, mackerel, gravy, beer and other types of alcohol, asparagus, cauliflower, mushrooms, and game meats. Since red meats and beer are a staple for many American males, gout tends to manifest earlier in men.
Here are some lifestyle changes you can make to reduce the symptoms of gout:
- Change your diet to reduce the foods that are high in purines and instead include natural anti-inflammatories like pineapples, cherries, celery, and blueberries. You can also stand to boost your vitamin C intake and start consuming more dairy and moderate amounts of coffee to help flush the system and clear away uric acid.
- In addition to avoiding the specific foods listed above, you should also steer clear of high-sodium foods and high fructose corn syrup.
- If you are overweight, implement a plan to lose weight gradually. Rapid weight loss can also increase the effects of gout.
- Constantly stay hydrated to help increase urination and keep uric acid flowing out of the body.
- Use essential oils like basil oil for gout.
Can Basil Oil Help?
At this point, you may be asking yourself: How can a delicious Italian herb take care of the painful crystals in my joints? Well, basil is far more than just a common cooking ingredient, it’s oil can be extracted to help treat a myriad of ailments, including gout. Also known as the “king of herbs” by the Greeks, basil’s oil can be used in a variety of different ways to not only treat the symptoms of gout but also to fight the root causes.
Anti-inflammatory: Basil oil for gout contains an incredibly effective chemical compound called eugenol which is well-known for blocking the activity of certain enzymes that cause inflammation during gout. It also works to inhibit the signals to the brain that cause inflammation. Because inflammation creates pressure on the uric acid crystals and makes the area painful to the touch, using basil oil for gout to reduce inflammation is a powerful tool in your arsenal.
Natural Anesthetic: That same eugenol that helps reduce inflammation also works as an anesthetic if used topically on the skin. Using basil oil for gout is a great way to replace the sharp, stabbing pains of the condition with the soothing numbness of the essential oil.
Reduce Uric Acid: While the first two properties only treat the symptoms of gout, they fail to treat the root cause. By decreasing the amount of uric acid in the blood, you’ll find that using basil oil for gout is the perfect remedy for this painful condition. Basil oil does this because it is a diuretic. This means that it increases the output of urine, allowing you to flush your kidneys and keep any uric acid from accumulating in the bloodstream and joints.
On top of all these direct effects, using basil oil for gout can help reduce stress, fight free radicals, relieve congestion and stimulate the nervous system. Basically, basil essential oil has a positive impact on several areas of your health regimen. Using it for your gout could also lead to a better overall health.
How to Use Basil Oil for Gout
Now that we know that using basil oil for gout is the perfect natural remedy for this difficult condition, let’s dive into the ways that you can use it.
Anti-inflammatory salve: To use basil oil for gout inflammation relief, mix the following ingredients together:
- Half teaspoon of basil essential oil
- Half ounce of melted beeswax
- 2 tablespoons of olive oil or castor oil
- Quarter teaspoon of vitamin E
Alternatively, you can simply blend a few drops of basil oil with a carrier oil or a moisturizer and apply to affected area for instantaneous pain relief. It is important that you always dilute essential oils before direct application as they tend to be volatile and can cause skin irritation. Do a patch test beforehand to ensure that you are not allergic to basil oil.
Food additive: You can add a few drops to sauces, doughs, or even teas to experience the cleansing effects of basil oil’s diuretic properties. Many people simply use a few drops of basil oil to replace dried basil leaves in a recipe. However, always take caution and consult your doctor before consuming any essential oils. An allergic reaction on the skin can be irritating while an allergic reaction in the esophagus or intestines could cause serious complications.
Aromatherapy: One of the easiest and most passive ways to experience the benefits of basil oil for gout is to inhale it. This can be done either by opening the bottle and breathing in the sweet and spicy aroma or by adding several drops to your diffuser to fill the house with the healing scent. Alternatively, you can add a few drops to a steaming bowl of water and inhale the steam. Doing this will allow you to experience all of the various benefits including de-stressing, clearing congestion, and increasing urine output to reduce uric acid levels.
So rather than reaching immediately for the nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) or colchicine, each of which can carry serious side effects such as gastrointestinal issues, heart failure, or kidney failure, consider using an all-natural remedy both to provide relief by treating the immediate symptoms and to deal with the root cause of gout. As an affordable Ayurvedic alternative medicine that does not require a prescription, using basil oil for gout has never been easier. If you are interested in adding basil essential oil to your gout routine, you can buy it easily in stores or online.
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