I Don't Like the Taste of Plain Water. What Can I Add to My Water?
Consider adding fruits and herbs to your plain water. There are plenty of sweet, natural stuff you can add to make it more exciting. Here are some suggestions:
- Fresh mint leaves
- Lemon
- Watermelon
- Cucumbers
- Lime
- Grapefruit
- Rose petals
- Vanilla fruit
- Pomegranate
- Tea
- Pineapple
- Mango
- Cranberry juice
Mix it up with different ingredients every time to enjoy different flavors. Just make sure the ingredients you add are still gout friendly.
Gout-Friendly Foods That Are High in Water Content
If you are not a big water drinker, here are some foods you can eat to supplement your daily water intake.
- Watermelon
- Strawberries
- Cantaloupe
- Pineapple
- Oranges
- Raspberries
- Cucumber
- Celery
- Green peppers
- Spinach
- Radish
- Tomato
- Cauliflower
- Starfruit
- Grapefruit
- Broccoli
- Baby carrots
How Do I Know If I'm Hydrated Enough?
Tracking your water intake throughout the day can be hard.
The easiest way to know if you’re drinking enough is to check the color of your urine. Is it clear or pale yellow? If it’s light-colored, it means your drinking enough.
Soft bowel movements are also a good sign that you’re hydrated. However, darker yellow urine could, and constipation means you are not drinking enough, and therefore, you should increase your water intake.
You can also try checking how frequent you urinate. If you run to the bathroom every two to four hours and release a significant amount of light-colored pee, then you’re good.
However, if you can go without peeing for 7 to 8 hours, that’s a different story. Consider checking your current water intake to see if you are drinking enough.
Can Water Permanently Cure Gout Symptoms?
Water in combination with a couple of lifestyle choices can help cure gout symptoms. If you are serious about treating your gout, consider looking at your water intake.
The Research
A study head by Tuhina Neogi, MD, Ph.D., assistant professor of medicine at Boston University School of Medicine, found dehydration played a role in acute gout attacks. With 534 gout patients participating in the study, they observed whether water intake had something to do with the recurrence of gout attacks. It turns out that it does!
Patients who drank 5 to 8 glasses of water a day experienced a 43 percent decrease risk of gout attacks while those who accomplished the recommended eight glasses a day reduced their risk by 48 percent.
Quite impressive compared to the 18 percent reduced rate of patients who only drank two to four glasses a day.
In Conclusion...
Neogi’s study concluded that adequate water consumption DOES help decrease gout attacks. It serves as a good supplement especially if you are not taking medicine for gout.
Have you tried increasing water intake to manage gout symptoms? How has it worked for you? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
