Gout: A Painless Solution to a Painful Condition

Powerful anti-inflammatory support for your body

Below is a reprint of an article I wrote several months. Review this article with open eyes and an open mind. Below you will find some of the things we desperately need to be aware of. I will continue to bring new, reviews and suggestions that not only challenges the status quo but will hopefully bring fresh, meaningful insights in this sound bite world...

If you have watched any television of late you probably saw a commercial for Uloric. Uloric is a new drug designed to relieve gout sufferers of their symptoms. With gout's new found prevalence Uloric is right on time to rake in profits for Big Pharma. Perhaps now is a great time to take a fresh look at gout for what it is and how to eliminate the condition as opposed to masking the symptoms.

Gouts Place in History

Gout is a condition that leads to acute inflammatory arthritis. It is often painful resulting in tender swollen joints that are red and hot. Long regarded as "the disease of kings" gout has a lengthy history dating back to ancient Egypt. Imhotep, a noted Egyptian physician, was treating gout 4600 years ago. The 6th century physician Alexander Tralles used Autumn Crocus (Colchium Autumnal) specifically for gout which was a first at the time. Fast forward to medieval times and one would find that bloodletting was the norm. Gout's position in history was usually reserved for the elite of society. During those times only the affluent could afford rich foods and sedentary lifestyles. Contemporary food production has brought us more meat consumption and processed foods that we tend to overindulge in. Add nutritionally unbalanced diets to the equation and one can understand gout's steady increase in society over time.

Relief

Gout is thought to have multiple origins but a general consensus has formed around increased plasma (blood) acidity mainly due to uric acid. The issue of acidosis is more prevalent in our society so a good start would be to address this issue. The average diet today has 30% of our calories coming from protein. Combined with a diet lacking essential nutrients because of consumption of over-processed foods, the chance of developing gout greatly increases. Here are a few tips to reflect upon:

1. Combat gout by insuring protein consumption does not exceed 10 -15% of calories consumed per day. The proteins should be of high quality derived primarily from vegetables, beans, nuts, and legumes. Proteins from these sources are more readily absorbed.

2. In addition to quality proteins the body needs adequate nutrients, primarily Vitamins B3 and B6 along with Zinc, to properly breakdown and utilize the protein that has been ingested.

3. Decrease or eliminate consumption of acid forming foods, some of which are coffee, sugar, alcohol, vinegar, meat and dairy products. Alcohol is known not only to increase uric acid production, but also to decrease the body's ability to excrete uric acid through the kidneys. Some may find that the elimination of alcohol is all they needed to do to rid themselves of gout.

4. Micheal Murray, N.D. recommends gout sufferers consume 1/2 pound of cherries for relief. Dark red and blue berries are excellent sources of phytonutrients that reduce joint inflammation.

5. If a person with gout is obese emphasis on proper weight reduction is advisable. Weight reduction should be accomplished through a low fat, high fiber diet with an eye towards alkaline forming foods, some of which are aloe vera, wheat grass, alfalfa, parsley, dates, string beans, raisins, prunes, and banana.

6. Avoid refined carbohydrates and saturated fats. These increase blood acidity.

There is no cookie cutter approach to treating the condition of gout but some of the common measures mentioned above are a great place to start. Seek balance and prudence in your diet. Be diligent and discover for yourself or with the help of practitioners how to give gout the boot.

Sources

Alternative Medicine: A Definitive Guide, Deepak Chopra, M.D.

http://sharonporter.hubpages.com/hub/History-of-Gout-Remedies

http://www.fertilefoods.com/healthy-pregnancy/fertility/alkaline-foods-for-conception/

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16820040


Post Script:

In the coming weeks ahead I will be preparing a series of presentations on weight gain, weight loss and weight maintenance. The information provided will not be your "run of the mill" infomercial styled misguidance but actual information that could change your life, your mind and your body. I will post snippets of these presentations on the blog for your perusal. I will also look into conducting webinars to present this information to a wider audience. Stay tuned!

Powerful anti-inflammatory support for your body

The Protein Fallacy and How Best to Utilize Protein in Your Diet

Is there a such thing as too much protein? If you ask most people the answers would range from "I don't know" to "no". The reason for this is because of how protein is presented to us in our everyday lives. There are many products and diet trends that emphasis protein pushed through various mediums relentlessly. So, for the sake of clarity let's take a closer look at protein.

Increased Acidity

Protein is comprised of 25 amino acids which are the building blocks of the body. Protein also serves as an important transporter of materials and is used in the production of antibodies, enzymes and hormones. Protein, in other words, is very important to the body but over-consumption can have detrimental effects on the body. All protein metabolizing increases blood acidity. Increased blood acidity from protein is generally not a problem when it is consumed moderately. When consumed in excess the uric acid produced is high enough to lead to inflammation. If you are already predisposed to pain the increased acidity will only exacerbate it. In addition to increased inflammation and pain, higher blood acidity must be balanced by the body (since the body requires blood to be slightly alkaline for proper functioning). The two ways this is accomplished is through sodium and calcium. Once sodium stores are consumed the body removes calcium from the bones in order to bring blood pH to proper levels. Considering the average mineral and vitamin deficient diets of today the stores of sodium and calcium are depleted quickly. Overtime, bone calcium that has been depleted and not replaced leads to the condition of osteoporosis.

Digestion

Protein, especially animal protein, is notoriously difficult to digest. The primary cause of this difficulty is based on our nutrient deficient diets. Without the proper amount of B Vitamins and Zinc the body is heavily taxed to breakdown proteins its amino acid components and utilize them into efficiently.

Building Muscle

If you have been to a gym or health food store lately you undoubtedly saw many protein products most of which is aimed at people who want to build muscle. You know the ones in huge containers just waiting for pre and post workout consumption. Athletes and body builders have chased protein dreams of greatness mostly unaware of basic biological facts. Consider this point as illustrated in "The New Optimum Nutrition Bible": The body requires less than 2 lbs. of protein per year to gain 9 lbs. of muscle (muscle is approximately 22% protein). That averages to about 2.5 g of protein per day. You can get that much protein from just a few almonds. The inability to build muscle is seldom due to a lack of protein. Most often the lack of essential vitamins and minerals such as B3, B6 and Zinc are to blame.

How Much Protein

The recommended amount of protein consumption is approximately 15% of total calories consumed during the day. That's about 35 g for most people. Another point to consider is the quality of the protein. Quality proteins are more easily digested and assimilated into the body. Typically, protein of higher quality can be found in vegetables, nuts, and legumes. Animal products are not an ideal source of protein due to how taxing uptake can be as mentioned earlier.

Final Thought

The American (and Western) diet is heavily meat oriented. Very often most people exceed the recommended amount of protein on the daily basis. It's no wonder acidosis is becoming more prevalent with each passing day. Have you seen the commercials for a new drug called Uloric? Uloric is a drug a person can take to assist in ridding the body of uric acid which can often result in gout, a painful type of arthritis, and other conditions. It's just one more pill to correct what a well thought out meal plan could help avoid.