Got Gout?

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Got Gout?

Written By: Denice Moffat, Dr.
7-30-2007
Categorized in: Arthritis

Gout is a form of arthritis that affects the big toe, other peripheral joints, tendons and kidneys. The first sign of an attack of gout is acute needle-like pain caused from uric acid crystals poking into the surrounding tissues which turns the joint bright red. Generalized fever may result. Gout happens from either overproduction or under-processing of uric acid, which allows it to build up in the blood, tissues, and urine. Uric acid is a waste by-product of protein breakdown. In most cases the digestive tract is not producing enough uricase, a digestive enzyme responsible for the breakdown (oxidation) of uric acid.

Statistics, Symptoms and Triggers:

Ninety percent of gout cases occur in overweight men over the age of 35. Gout, often called "rich man's disease", usually runs in the family. It may also be associated with improper digestion, toxic bowels, kidney stones, atherosclerosis, overeating of rich and fatty foods, drinking too much alcohol, crash diets, stress, certain medications (blood pressure, chemotherapy and antibiotics), yeast infections, surgery or injury to the joints.

Diagnosis:

Gout is diagnosed in the medical profession by symptom and/or by inserting a needle into the joint to extract a small amount of joint fluid, which is then examined microscopically for the uric acid crystals.

Avoid These Foods:

During an active bout of gout, dissolve and process uric acid crystals by avoiding the following high purine-containing foods*:

Alcohol (except rum/vodka)	Kidney
Anchovies	Liver
Apples	Lobster
Apple Cider	Meat Stock
Aspirin (causes crystals)	Organ Meats (All types)
Beef	Peanuts
Beer	Pies
Brains	Pop (Fruit-flavored)
Brewer's Yeast	Raisins
Chocolate	Rhubarb
Crab	Sardines
Cranberry Juice	Squab
Dark Grapes	Tomatoes(fresh/can/juice)
Fresh Fruit (Except those listed in Eat More Of table)	Turkey
Glycine supplements**	Veal
Hot Dogs	Whole Wheat Cereals
Jams/Jellies	Whole Wheat Bread

*Purine is one of four basic building blocks that combine in various ways and amounts to make up amino acids which are the building blocks of protein.
**Glycine supplements convert to Uric Acid.

Use These Foods in Moderation:

Asparagus	Mushrooms
Broccoli	Onions
Brussels Sprouts	Peas
Dried Beans	Radishes
Lentils	Spinach
Lima Beans

Eat More of These Foods:

Apricots	Ham (Lean)
Bacon, fried crisp	Iced Tea
Bananas	Jell-O (No Strawberry)
Beef (2x/week only)	Kava Coffee
Bread (White or Rye)	Lemonade
Chicken	Lettuce
Buttermilk	Nuts (No Peanuts)
Cantaloupe	Oranges
Carrots	Peaches
Celery/Celery Juice	Pears
Cereals, Not Wh. Wheat	Pineapple (Canned only)
Cheese	Plums, any color
Cherries (juice or eating)	Pop (except fruit flavors)
Chicken Soup	Pork
Comfrey Tea	Postum (Barley Drink)
Corn	Potatoes (white or sweet)
Cottage Cheese	Rice
Custard	Rum
Eggs	Sanalac (Beverage)
Fish	Strawberries
Grapefruit	Vodka
Green Beans	Watermelon
Green Grapes

In general:

*Most cases of gout can be treated with diet alone.
*Do not add extra salt to food at this time.
*Drink lots of distilled water.
*Eat 75% raw whole foods for one month to balance uric acid formation.
*Eat high potassium foods to put acid crystals back into solution so they can be eliminated.
*Reduce sugars, rich gravies, caffeine, fried foods and saturated fats.
*Start a weight loss program (not a crash diet).
*Apply plantain, ginger, fresh comfrey or a poultice of cayenne and wintergreen oil to the inflamed area to help alleviate pain.

Chronic gout leads to deposition of urates into a chalky mass known as a "tophus." Such tophi can destroy the joint and adjacent bone

Note: Acupuncture and Honeybee venom therapy (called apitherapy) have been known to give good results. Bee venom stimulates the immune system and acts as an anti-inflammatory.

Supplements used to treat gouty arthritis:

A-C Carbamide(Std. Proc.)	Homeopathics:
Alfalfa	Arnica
Aloe Vera	Pulsatilla
Autumn Crocus (1)	Urtica
Bilberry Extract	Colchicum
Birch	Ledum
Black Cherry Juice	Juniper Berry
Buchu (Green) Tea	Kelp
Burdock	Pantothenic Acid
Cayenne	Potassium Broth (3)
Cherries (1/2 pound/day)	Pychnogenol, Grape or Pine
Chromium Picolinate	Quercetin (4)
Devil's Claw	SOD (5)
DMSO	Vitamin A
Essential Fatty Acids	Vitamin B Complex
Flax Seed Oil	Vitamin C (6)
Germanium (2)	Vitamin E
Glucosamine Sulfate	Wintergreen Oil
Hawthorne Extract	Zinc (7)
Hyssop

(1) Autumn Crocus (Colchicum autumnale is the herb which the drug colchicine was originally isolated from)
(2) Germanium (to reduce pain/swelling)
(3) Potassium broth (See broth recipe below)
(4) Quercetin (inhibits the enzyme xanthine oxidase which makes uric acid, also an anti-inflammatory)
(5) SOD (antioxidant and free radical destroyer),
(6) Vitamin C (increases urinary excretion of uric acid.),
(7) Zinc (important in protein metabolism and tissue repair.)

Potassium Broth
(essential for alkalizing the body)

2 large potatoes, chopped or sliced to approx. 1/2 inch pieces
1 cup carrots, shredded or sliced
1 cup celery, chopped or shredded, leaves and all
1 cup any other available vegetables (beet tops, kale, turnip tops, parsley, onion, zucchini, etc.)
Add some fresh herbs such as sage, rosemary, thyme, garlic, etc.
And a touch of cayenne or a couple beef bullion cubes for flavor.
1 1/2 quarts water

Cover and cook slowly for about 1/2 hour. Strain, cool until just warm and serve. If not used immediately, keep in refrigerator and warm up before serving. Compost the vegetables or give them to your pets. Great for alkalizing your body and is super mineral rich.

Drink 8 oz. broth as a hot drink two times daily. Makes about 3 servings.

Resources: Here is a great site with lots of information on gout:
http://arthritis.about.com/od/goutdiag/

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