Gout

From westonaprice.org:

Finally, it will probably come as no surprise to the readers of Wise Traditions that the specific nutrient that seems to prevent the buildup of uric acid is vitamin A, a fat-soluble vitamin that is particularly associated with the kidney. In fact, gout can be seen as a problem of the kidneys not being able to excrete enough of the uric acid to prevent the buildup, rather than simply a matter of excessive protein intake.
In my years of treating patients with gout, a program of decreasing protein intake along with liberal use of all the usual animal fats (butter from healthy cows, cream, etc) and the regular use of gelatinous stocks has been the key to preventing uric acid buildup and further attacks of gout.
As for other medicines, cherry juice is a virtual specific for preventing uric acid buildup and further attacks of gout. I have patients with gout take 1 teaspoon 2 times per day of cherry juice concentrate (without the sugar), literally for the rest of their lives. I also make sure they take 1 teaspoon per day of high-vitamin cod liver oil to supply the vitamin A [Green Pasture's Blue Ice Fermented Cod Liver Oil--the only brand acceptable], which antagonizes the uric acid buildup and also nourishes the kidneys. Of course, the patient should avoid refined carbohydrates and alcohol (which contributes to syndrome X).
As for medicines, I use arginex from Standard Process at a dose of 1-2 tablets three times per day. Arginex is made from fermented beets and helps stimulate excretion via the kidneys. For acute attacks, I use the antiinflammatory Boswellia comp from Mediherb 1-2 tablets three times per day. Hopefully, with these measures your client will be able to overcome the tendency for these painful attacks.

From me:
Below my note are a bunch of cut and pasted notes from various sources all concerning gout. The things that seem to work are the raw apple cider vinegar (Braggs), Buffered vitamin C with bioflavinoids (3000-5000 a day separated), Celery Seed extract, cod liver oil, digestive enzymes, grape seed extract, vit E, sour unsweetened cherry juice and sour cherries. And putting DMSO on it for pain relief. Cut out all sugar, high fructose corn syrup, fried foods and processed foods, pop (especially diet pop), alcohol and coffee. When one does this it seriously subsides within several hours. If one would do this for two weeks it would go completely away. Eating eggs either over easy, soft boiled or raw is good. If you are going to eat beef make sure it is good quality and cooked rare or raw. Cooked beef is no good for gout. Eat a lot of fruits and vegetables. Strawberries are good too. Eat no margarine, vegetable oils or shortening. The fats that are allowed are butter, extra virgin olive oil, lard (from a good source) and organic coconut oil, raw milk and plain yogurt and kefir (plain). Eat lots of fruits and vegetables. Salads with either the raw apple cider vinegar or fresh lemon juice with olive oil. I would have to say drinking the apple cider vinegar (2 T in a cup of water) a couple times a day (up to 5 times a day) is the most important thing to do. Balance your pH. Chew your food well!

comments from various sources:

I had gouty arthritis last summer and went to earthclinic.com to find a remedy. The number one remedy was raw apple cider vinegar. I used 2 tablespoons in about 12 ounces of water 3 times per day and the pain was gone within hours. The swelling mostly gone in less than one day and all gone in two days. My mother saw my swollen foot and ankle which were huge and could not believe it when it was mostly gone the next day! I had the problem which was worsening day by day for weeks and couldn't believe how quickly it was gone myself. I also noticed how much better I felt on the ACV so still use it twice per day.

While most of the comments are saying that sour cherries or its juice has shown to help, it seems that most do not understand the reason why. Cherries, and to be more specific sour cherries, are an alkaline fruit. The alkalinity helps reduce the acidic effect of our diets and life styles. As stated in my earlier comment, drinking alkaline water does the same thing but with greater efficiency. Kangen Water is water that has had the molecular structure of the water broken down so that it has a greater absorbency factor, thus allowing it to more readily enter your blood stream. I as well as many others I know have had miraculous results from drinking Kangen Water.

I think that saying gout is caused by excessive uric acid not the whole story. The inflammation in gout is triggered by the tissue deposition of uric acid crystals, but why does one have excessive uric acid in the first place. Yes gout is an inflammatory disease and as such is influenced by all major inflammatory triggers like Insulin and prostaglandins - resulting from high glycemic foods, to much arachidonic acid (one of the omega 6 fats) and trans and long chain saturated fats. Obviously leaky gut, ( and thus candida and heavy metal toxicity ) poor digestion (too much cooked food and lack of digestive enzymes) and circulating immune complexis can increase inflammation. An acidic environment will lead to earlier crystallization and poorer excretion, but where does uric acid really come from. In the catabolic pathway DNA is converted (with Xantienoxidase) to Uric acid - a means to make it more water soluble. I believe any catabolic trigger is the real cause of gout and that proper nutrition with all that it entails is your best anticatabolic means. Decrease catabolism and thus formation of uric acid, support the kidneys and excretion of uric acid by taking water and alkalinizing the body. Decrease inflammation. Gerrit Gouws

This is a very old time farm based recipe for gout based on one of the most successful ways of addressing removal of excess uric acid from the body through the use of pure celery juice. and raw cider vinegar...especially if you prefer to enjoy your medicine! Try this really tasty salad and add to your regular diet..... 3-4 stalks of organically raised green celery chopped - add chopped cucumber (skin removed) and chopped or thin sliced onion (yellow), raw cider vinegar and blend well with raw organic honey to sweeten very lightly and be very sparing on seasonings if any at all - 1 clove crushed garlic pieces and/or just a bit of sea salt and pepper is enough - you will be amazed at the results.

Kris sometimes the pain is in the big toe but it can also be any part of the foot. I would add that the real cause of gout is really your kidneys are not functioning correctly. The kidneys are not filtering out the waste ( uric acid). Some of the comments on how people dealt with gout here supports this. It is thought that purine in the diet is causing the problem but I have read doctors will use a high purine diet ie grass fed meats and home made broths to correct the problem. Kidney function is really the root of the problem

I posted this in a previous article regarding HFCS:
Well I have 2 anecdotes for you that (to me at least) proves there are not the same.
1) If I drink typical "corn syrup" Cokes regularly (1+ every day) for an extended time (week or so) I will develop gout in my foot. I can switch imported Cokes (from Mexico) that are sweetened with sugar and the gout will go away.
2) My mother (in her late 50's) was recently diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes (shortly after being treated with major antibiotics for a suspected MRSA infection). She can drink a bottle of US Coke and her blood sugar will spike extremely high (I can't remember the #'s, but 600-900 sticks in my head). If she drinks the Mexican Cokes it is unaffected...
But you can rest assured that there is no difference, because those pushing this crap on us tells us so! (Coke is not recommended)

My husband has gout. The cure for him is Apple Cider Vinegar. Works wonders!
Since gout is like a symptom of kidney failure, those who "died of gout" in reality probably had undiagnosed kidney failure.
Alcohol, HFCS (high fructose corn syrup) , poor food choices contribute to gout.

used celery seed for his gout and many others have. As for the celery seed pills- save your nickels and buy celery seed in bulk at your Health Food Store. Make it in to a tea. don't drink more than 1/2 cup 2x a day, and don't take it indefinitely. Celery Seed is a potent cleanser of the kidneys and used long term can be irritating.
Sour cherry juice.
My brother juices celery for his gout and it works great, but I just buy a gallon of aloe vera juice at Sam's Club for under $6 and it also works great with less fuss. I wonder how much the celery seed pills are?
relieving a potassium deficiency can relieve it somewhat

As we all know, gout is caused by uric acid. Most all of the health problems we have are caused by too much acid in our bodies. Interesting that some of the responses talk about coke and its effect on gout. All soft drinks are very, very, very acidic. What I have found, and have gotten almost 100% relief from, is drinking electrolyzed water that turns ordinary tap water into alkaline hexagonal water. I have Kangen Water machine attached to my tap that changes my tap water to Kangen Water. I have many testimonials from people that are using Kangen Water to relieve symptoms of many various problems such as acid reflux, diabetes, arthritis etc. All of these are the result of to much acid in our systems. Relief could be a glass of water away. You can check it out at www.water4unow.com
I have had the question in my mind for awhile of whether or not excessive coffee drinking could cause gout. As it leeches calcium from the bones, and causes dehydration as well, it makes sense that it would increase uric acid levels.

In another narration by Abu Dharr (A.S.), he said, "The Prophet (PBUH) was given a basket full of figs as a present. He said to us, "Eat!" He ate of it and said: "If I could say that a fruit was sent down from Heaven, it would be this, as the fruit in Heaven has no stones. Eat it, as it cures hemorrhoids and it is useful for treating gout (or arthritis)."

I have had gout for many, many years. During that time, I have taken white willow and MSM to reduce inflammation. I also drank cherry juice. All of these things helped incredibly. Also, chocolate, black tea and coffee seemed to cause it to flare up. We finally bought a water ionizer or alkalizer. In three days, my back pain and leg cramps, which I had also had for years, went away and they never came back! My gout went away a little more gradually, but after a month, it was hardly noticeable. My husband also got rid of heartburn and bloating after twenty years. We bought the Alkalizer and I would highly recommend it to any one as the single most important step you can take to improve your health.

In my chiropractic practice we prescribe tea made from celery seeds. Take two to four cups per day works just about every time. I do agree with staying away from bad fats and sugars, this will inflame the condition every time. Also, EXERCISE(pain free range) and vitamin D.
Thank you for talking about Uric Acid and how it affects the joints when it crystallizes in the joints. This is all because we are over acidic. If you ever drink any soda pop, sports drinks, vitamin water, or even reverse osmosis or distilled water, you are drinking highly acidic around 2.5PH. There are all very toxic.
The key to eliminating gout and any of the arthritic conditions we suffer from is drinking Alkaline, Anti-Oxidant Water. This water is produced in your home by a device that has been used in Japanese hospitals and clinics for nearly 40 years. Good health is as simple as the water you drink.

You can get information on the internet, just look for Whole Life Water. I got one nearly 2 years ago and the arthritis in my hands that I had suffered with for 5 years was gone in less than 24 hours. It works just as well for Gout as it dissolves the Uric acid crystals and flushes them out of your body.

I take a 600 mg tablet of Bromelain on an empty stomach 2 times/day when I feel a twinge of gout (also arthritic twinges). Usually takes care of the problem before the 2nd dose. I did the same thing both times I had a synovial cyst on the back of my hand (from surgical excision of trapezoid, each hand). Surgeon expected to do second surgeries for the cysts but I wiped each one out using Bromelain within 2 days. They never returned. Now he recommends it to his patients (quite a sacrifice for him, income-wise!).
Bromelain seems to consume uric acid (and some other bad proteins) in the joints and surrounding tissue. I'm sure Doc Mercola could expand on Bromelain's uses...

I agree. I have seen much quicker relief from gout by using bromelain than cherries or other diuretics. I like plain bromelain over enzyme combinations with acidic ingredients because it can be taken in very large amounts without stomach upset. I have seen gout cured in a single day with 10 capsules of high potency (2000GDU) and drinking a cup of water every couple of hours.
Uric acid is a byproduct of incomplete protein digestion so using protein digesting enzymes should always stop it from occurring.

I would suggest that anyone who accepts that uric acid is the cause of gout has been misinformed. Dr Mercola in the above article says this:
"Because the REAL underlying problem causing the inflammation, and subsequent damage, is likely due to having chronically elevated blood sugar. (The sugar molecule causes far more damage than any other molecule.) And, your number one way of normalizing your blood sugar and insulin levels is through your diet".
To this, I subscribe. Serendipitously I discovered that the cause of my own gout was indeed diet and principally the high intake of carbohydrates. Immediately those were reduced in the diet the gout disappeared. This problem is not connected to animal protein which, together with saturated fat, is our body's natural food.
The problem, however, and many other health problems, is not always directly related to diet (which, obviously is a contributory factor) but more connected to digestion. It is not easy to distinguish this difference but leptin studies are indicating that the stomach needs longer periods of fasting between meals than traditionally we have allowed. Furthermore, to those who suffer from nocturnal cramp then do two things, stop snacking between meals (which is not as easy as it sounds) and have the last meal of the day at least three hours prior to retiring; it is best to go to sleep on an empty stomach. Nocturnal cramp will then be found to have decreased by 95% and what little one suffers will be of a milder form.
inadequate magnesium can also cause nocturnal cramps. I tell my patients to take 1 tbsp liquid calcium/magnesium and it works within a day or two. even for those with long term muscle cramps.

May I add that blood thinners (taken over a long time) causes gout in some people, such as Plavix and Aspirin.

Thank you, Kerstin, that was my impression from personal experience (the only time that I had gout). And it wasn't only taken over a long time. I was forced to take these drugs in four days and caused horrendous symptoms - gout was one of the adverse reactions.

True Story: I had a heart attack at age 30. My cholesterol had been 250 or higher for 5 consecutive years. My blood pressure was never lower than 135/85. After the mild heart attack I was put on blood pressure, blood thinning, and cholesterol medication. For the next 3 years I was on this medication and I was on a very strict diet and I was running 2 miles a day in 15 minutes (started out 25 minutes). I was also doing strength training 3 days a week for 45 minutes each day. My blood pressure stayed the same and my cholesterol went up over 300. The last 4 months I was on this low fat (no fat) high carb diet I actually grew my own garden. It included corn, okra, purple hull peas, squash, zucchini, tomatoes, cabbage, peppers, and water melon. The garden itself was a major work out because I had no tiller. It required at least an hour of my time every day. My cholesterol went to over 350. I told my doctor what my diet was and that I only ate foods I grew out of my own garden and that I did hard labor at least an hour a day on top of my 2 mile run a day and he called me a liar. Needless to say, I changed doctors. I found a doctor in Little Rock. AR who has a reputation for thinking outside the box. He has a PHD in Bio-Chemistry and Psychology and he has an MD. I told him I would rather die than to continue this unsustainable life style of growing my own foods and working out every day while taking tons of medication. I gave him the whole spill of the medications I was on, the heart attack I had, and the diet I was own and told him I was going to end all of it and go back to eating the foods I love like Ribeye steak!! He told me that was a great idea which totally blew me away. He told me to stop exercising because it maybe aggravating inflammation due to arthritis. He told me to stop eating anything "low fat" and anything containing sugar. Then he said for 2 weeks to limit my total carb intake to 3 grams/day. I immediately felt better. I was able to sleep and much of my pain went away. Within another 2 weeks I went to the local clinic to have my cholesterol checked and to my surprise it was 140. For the first time in 10 years it was normal!! That was 1998. 10 years later, I still don't exercise and I still eat mostly high protein/high fat foods. The highest my cholesterol has been in the last 10 years is 190 (lots of vegetables and so called "health food" contributed to that 190). I continue to amaze myself every 6 months when my cholesterol comes back 120, 135, and sometimes 160. All the joint pain and gout I experienced my entire life is gone. I rarely even have a stiff neck at 43 years of age. There were days when I was 30 that I missed work due to neck and back pain. All this low fat high carb diet the doctors promote is for one thing: to keep you coming back to their office. It's a money making machine. For all you people that are tired of being sick do something different. Buck the system. Tell your doctor to K.Y.A.!!! Guess what? Most diseases are related to chronic inflammation. Medications treat the symptoms and not the causes of the inflammation. Get off the insulin producing foods and your life will change.......
The best rule of thumb is this: If you can make bread or alcohol out of it don't eat it. If it is out of a can or box don't eat it. If it says "LOW FAT" don't eat it. If it says "Contains Alcohol Sugars" don't eat it. If it is green, yellow, orange, or red you can eat it. If it is white or brown don't eat it. You can eat any meat in any quantity you like. Of course, meats high in Omega 3's is best but you have to be concerned about heavy metals. Therefore, stick to beef and preferably GRASS fed beef. Try this for 4 weeks and see if your not able to quit your "anti-inflammatory" drugs.

Every one is different! My husband suffered gout for years, and we tried everything! Best for short term was taking baking soda in water (alkalizes the body). Consuming huge amounts of water and sweating is what works for him. I'm sure a sauna would work too.
... lead toxicity causing gout is interesting...