Is Garlic Bad for Gout?

Garlic helps treat a wide range of conditions because it contains anti-fungal, anti-bacterial and anti-parasitic properties. It also has other benefits and uses that are not necessarily related to these properties. Seek physician approval before you use garlic or any other herbs and supplements for medicinal purposes.

A man with arthritis holding three bulbs of garlic. (Image: decisiveimages/iStock/Getty Images)

Gout

Gout is a form of arthritis that often causes sudden, severe attacks of pain and stiffness and tenderness of joints. Men are most likely to develop gout, but it can happen to women, especially after menopause. Gout can become so painful that it awakes you out of a dead sleep in the middle of the night. Your joint may feel swollen, hot and feel tender to the touch that even the bed sheet may cause agonizing pain. Gout is a permanent condition, but there are ways to treat it so that it occurs less frequently.

Garlic

Some proponents claim that garlic helps treat arthritis and gout, but there is no refutable scientific evidence to support these claims. While it may not actually cure, treat or prevent gout, it won't worsen the condition. Garlic is not known to cause inflammation, which is a primary culprit to those who suffer from arthritis and various forms of arthritis, such as gout.

Gout Diet

MayoClinic.com recommends that you include certain foods in your diet and avoid others to help improve the symptoms and condition of gout. The gout diet consists of drinking 8 to 16 cups of fluid every day, preferably water, and avoiding alcohol of any kind. Include a moderate amount of protein in your diet from healthy sources such as fat-free dairy or low-fat dairy products, tofu, legumes and beans. Limit the amount of meat that you consume. If you must have meat in your diet on a daily basis, aim for 4 to 6 oz. of lean red meat, fish or poultry.

Considerations

While garlic doesn't seem to cause or aggravate gout, you may want to limit your intake. Consuming too much garlic can cause stomach gas, body odor, bad breath, heartburn and nausea. Garlic can also thin your blood, which makes it harder for your blood to clot should you injure yourself or an accident should occur.