Struggling with high uric acid levels? Giloy can help!

These days, high uric acid levels are a growing health concern. It is essentially a waste product that develops from the digestion of purine-containing foods. For the uninitiated, our kidneys and urine filter this waste. As a result, it’s crucial that the uric acid levels are kept under control. However, if this health metric is high, you should act quickly to control it as failing to do so might lead to more health problems. According to Ayurveda, using giloy for high uric acid levels may be a good idea.

Ayurveda expert Dr Dixa Bhavsar Savaliya took to Instagram to suggest some simple, natural ways to reduce high uric acid levels. She claims that Giloy, an Ayurvedic herb, can effectively control this.

Dr Bhavsar says, “Gout (elevated uric acid levels) is the new normal these days. I see people popping pills for it every single day (just as for blood pressure and diabetes). If you or somebody in your family has this problem, then let me tell you that- it can be cured and you don’t have to be on medication throughout your life.”

Before we get into its cure, let’s begin with the causes of high uric acid levels:

• Low metabolism (poor gut health)
• Sedentary lifestyle (lack of physical activity)
• Consumption of more proteins and less fat
• Heavy dinners
• No regularity in your sleeping and eating time
• Less intake of water
• Kidney dysfunction (elderly patients)
• Eating excessive non-veg

According to Ayurveda, Giloy is the solution for your high uric acid!

The Covid-19 outbreak caused a high demand for the well-known herb giloy, sometimes known as Guduchi. It is used to strengthen immunity, though. According to Dr Bhavsar, “Guduchi is wonderful and the best Ayurvedic herb for gout (there are other herbs too).”

In fact, a 2017 research (Journal of Pharmacognosy and Phytochemistry) on the medical benefits of Giloy reveals that the juice extract from the stem of giloy is quite beneficial for treating gout since it aids in neutralising the elevated uric acid levels in the body.

Here’s how to use Giloy to control high uric acid:

If you have the giloy plant at home, you can use it easily.

• Take fresh leaves and stems of the giloy plant.
• Soak them overnight.
• Crush and boil them in the morning in 1 glass of water until it gets half.
• It’s done. Strain and drink it.

You can also use it in other forms, such as juice, powder, or tablets.

Other tips on how to manage high uric acid condition:

1. Exercise every single day (45 minutes)
2. Drink enough water throughout the day
3. Don’t consume lentils/beans and wheat for dinner (for the time being)
4. Try to have an early and light dinner (before 8 p.m.)
5. Consume sour fruits like amla, berries, etc.
6. Work on metabolism
7. Manage your stress because high stress levels reduce metabolism
8. Have a sound sleep every night. Sleeping better helps improve your digestion and assimilation.

Word of caution

Giloy is a well-known Ayurvedic herb to strengthen immunity and treat many more health issues. But too much of it is also bad for you. So please do not self-medicate. “Always consult a doctor and have the herbs in the dosage suggested by them, as they’ll be able to decide the correct dosage according to your disease and body type,” says Dr Bhavsar.