What is gout?
A form of arthritis that occurs when crystals of uric acid accumulate in a joint, leading to severe pain and inflammation.
Uric acid is the final product when compounds called purines are broken down in the body. Uric acid levels in the body depend on the balance of the following three factors:
- Purine synthesis in the body,
- Amount of purines in the diet, and
- Elimination of urate by the kidneys and intestines.
Aggravating factors:
Being overweight & hyperlipidaemia (including high cholesterol)
High blood pressure.
High alcohol intake (especially beer).
High protein diet.
Diabetes.
Dietary changes that might be helpful:
Restrict intake of foods that contain purines, like:
Red meat, especially organs like liver, kidneys, etc. as well as pork.
Shellfish, sardines, anchovies.
Sweetbreads and all yeasts (bakers and brewers), as well as yeast products, like Marmite.
Dried legumes (most beans).
Spinach.
Refined sugars – this doesn't only mean white sugar, but also products produced from it, like sweets, fizzy drinks, cookies, etc.
A diet consisting of about 75% vegetables, and 25% protein and starches should be the goal.
Alcohol – especially beer which contains large amounts of purines.
Other facts:
Acute attacks might also be brought about by sudden changes which the body might experience as traumatic, such as operations. Changes in medication can do the same, especially diuretic drugs.
Weight loss should not be too rapid, because restriction of calories can increase uric acid levels in the blood temporarily which might aggravate the condition. BUT this will pass!
Helpful supplements:
Folic acid (not really proven)
Vitamin C
Flavonoids (like quercetin) which is present in most colorful fruits and veggies, especially the dark reds, yellows and orange-coloured foods.
Cherries – don't know why, but studies have shown relief with a lot of cherries in the diet, especially the darker ones – and NO... not the glazed sugar-laden ones!!!!
Drink lots of water, the kidneys have to be flushed to help the body to get rid of the uric acid.
msn emoticon (224)
What about alkalising the system ??? simple remedy ... dolomite( natural source of calcium and magnesium ) from Vital .. not just swallowed .. but gently introduced via placing under the tongue and dissolved slowly ??? sublingual works so much differently to ingesting via stomach ... and of course lots of water.. I have found even Vogel alkalising salts too hectic on my system .. but then I'm one of those eat and immediately bowel work folk .. pretty much like a dog does .. so anything too hectic just increases the pace .. another thing would be biochemical tissue salts ... they have formulations designed for various situations ... i used to ues a lot while ( well yes semi seriously involved in cycling ) they helped endurance under the adverse conditions I created ( partying and smoking ) and helped recovery afterwards .... i always ahd a bottle of 12 salts dissolved in water waiting in my car ... did the trick ..
Yes, Sandy. Under the tongue (if the medication is absorbed that way) is much more efficient, because the meds is taken up into the blood stream directly - bypassing the GI tract and therefore not metabolized or changed by the liver. And you're right, alkalide forming foods is good, that's why most veggies are good because they do this.
Regarding tissue salts - good if you know what you're taking and why, as many so-called brands are available which I don't trust very much, and wrong doses and combinations could have the opposite effect from what you actually want.
Thanks for that Bertie, the truth, to which I tried so hard to hide from all this time........ abouttime
I have spoken to numerous gout victims in my time, and although the basis of the causes of gout attacks remain relatively the same, I have to conclude, different things for different folks cause these attacks!
@ Bertie ... A White homeopathic chemist in Plein St have full range plus combinations that they make up .. and a handy booklet to go ... so one can read up ... and of course one has the friendy man behind the counter for advice ...
Thanx Sandy, I'll go check it out. I also hear there's some nice old second-hand bookstores around there as well which I want to go visit. I'm looking for old books, especially herbal/folklore/pharmacopias. I have more than enough scientific books, but I would like to see why certain old remedies/combinations worked for hundreds of years. These days we understand how and why the medicine (plant constituents) work and what they actually are, but the old folk never had that advantage.
Mike, don't know if you're aware - even the "colchicine" which is usually prescribed for acute gout attacks is of plant origin - "Colchisum autumnale" = the Autumn crocus, or Meadow saffron.
A White have been around forever ..
Ja Bertie, I did ...alll those mornings when I could'nt sleep I would spend online researching this stuff........
So how ye managing, Mike? Thinking of you!
Ja, well I just came back from a braai with the in laws...... nice meat, Braai'd that Kalahari lamb that Dalene brought me...nice...... out of the 10 adults there, 4 are retiring and leaving Omund...... so quite a serious affair.... I think I might spoil meself with a whisky and water or two on new years eve though.......
Didn't you read Mike?
whiskey with lemon. Cause of vitamin C.
ha ha
3d smiles(281)
Cigarettes, whiskey and wild wild women
They'll drive you crazy, they'll drive you insane;
Cigarettes, whiskey and wild wild women
They'll drive you crazy, they'll drive you insane;
image201
Hey! That's an Irish song, ye Scotsman ye! bar(1)
I bet your dad can sing it, word for word......
hahah...
Wait till I join in. It's just, I have to take care of the whiskey. He doesn't drink much anymore.
image203 quickdop
At 400 bucks a bottle, I don't blame him.....
That's expensive. High tax?? Okay, it depends on the product, sure.
The cheapest whiskey costs about 10 Euro and tastes cuqui . Mostley Irish or bourbon. if you want something good you'll be investing 20 or 25 upward. My favorite is Glenmourangie 10 years old. 0,7 litres cast you about 35 Euro.
Ups. I hope Rhona is not around. rooster
image14 The wee leprechaun is always around Jnr image203
750ml J&B
?
Nah Mike! It's only the bottle that's green. image14 It's the content we're talking about.... image203