What You Need to Know About Gout

Gout has been around for centuries. It was a common condition among the wealthier class, who because little other food was available lived mostly on meat.

Gout is a painful swelling of the joints, and a common form of arthritis. It is generally more common in men, and sometimes occurring in those with a genetic susceptibility. The feeling of thousands of needles that settle in the soft tissues around joints cause inflammation. Most severe pain usually occurs at night with the joints swelling, and skin warm, red, purplish and shiny. These crystals that feel like needles are uric acid combined with sodium. Uric acid, forms as a byproduct of the breakdown of protein digestion. When there is a high uric acid level there can be substantial pain, and swelling in the joints of the feet, ankles, knees, fingers, wrists and elbows.

Provided pantothenic acid is present, uric acid is converted into urea and ammonia, both of which are quickly excreted in the urine. If the body is deficient in pantothenic acid, uric acid is produced in excessive amounts and cannot be eliminated. The buildup is the cause of inflammation and pain.

Most cases of gout are controllable by keeping uric acid levels as low as possible. Low purine diets are the usual recommendation with a lot of fluids to prevent kidney stones. However, there is an anti-stress vitamin formula combined with dietary recommendations that has been effective.

I suggest getting a checkup including a test for metabolic syndrome, as well as checking vitamin levels. Metabolic syndrome is characterized by having at least three of the following symptoms: high blood pressure, high triglycerides, low HDL cholesterol, large waist circumference (greater than 35" for women and greater than 40" in men) or fasting blood sugar greater than 110 mg/dl.

My next recommendation is to examine your stress level. A symptom of any illness is the body's reaction to stress. Adrenal hormones help the body to fight infections by setting up inflammation. The rest of the body is protected from the site containing bacteria and toxic substances. To obtain all nutrients that are necessary for production of adrenal hormones Is vital to dealing with stress. An inadequate diet alone can impose sufficient stress to cause gout. Emotional upsets can bring on attacks of gout. Suppressed anger is more prevalent in men than in women, thus. An assessment of stress and suppressed anger should also be addressed. This is more common in men and often afflicts the extremities more than other parts of the body.

I will address the stress vitamin therapy next. In addition to dietary recommendations combination of vitamins that need to be present in the body include vitamin B2, B5-pantothenic acid, and vitamin C. These vitamins being water soluble are excreted in the urine. These can be taken every three hour with low fat milk. Check vitamin E levels. Persons deficient in this vitamin may form excessive amounts of uric acid. This is a fat soluble vitamin, not excreted in the urine and can be toxic in overdose.

Avoid aspirin (salcylates) can raise uric acid.

Drink ½ your body weight in juices, milk and water daily. This encourages urination, excreting uric acid and preventing kidney stones.

Limit alcohol intake especially beer. Alcohol interferes with the body's ability to clear uric acid, beer being the greatest offender as reported in a Harvard study 2004. Wine is the least offensive but I still recommend limiting consumption.

Two or three reduced fat dairy products including cheese and yogurt daily should be added to your diet.

Maintain a healthy weight. Extra body tissue means extra uric acid production.

I recommend a high intake of fruits, vegetables and juices, particularly orange juice to help keep the uric-acid crystals in solution so they can be excreted. Dietary recommendations include the avoidance of the following purine rich foods. Anchovies, herring, smoked meats, mackerel, scallops, caviar, sardines, sweetbreads, liver, kidney, red meat, poultry, wild game, lentils, dried beans, peas, asparagus, cauliflower, spinach and mushrooms.