Gout Treated with Natural Medicine

Fresh Earth :

A philosophy of eating, like vegetarianism, has to be understood in the context of the motivation for doing it. The reason for adopting a vegetarian or vegan way of life may be: ethical, animal welfare, environmental, health, economic, world hunger issues or religious beliefs.

In the broadest sense, a vegetarian is a person who does not eat meat, fowl or fish or products containing these foods. However within this broad term, there are a number of sub-groups of vegetarianism. Some of these include:

Demi-vegetarian – the only restriction is red meat

Partial vegetarian – eat fish and poultry

Octo-lacto-vegetarian – eat animal products such as egg and dairy

Lacto-vegetarian – only dairy products are eaten

Vegans – eat no animal products at all. These are the most dedicated vegetarians.

Vegans eat no animal meat or by products of animals, and avoid making use of animal derivatives (like leather shoes) and animal tested products (like cosmetics) in their lifestyle. Many people who have chosen a vegan lifestyle have done so for ethical reasons, especially the cruelty and exploitation involved in the making of animal products.

Vegetarianism -The health benefits of a plant-based diet

There is little disputing that an appropriately planned vegetarian diet has a wide range of health benefits. Vegetarians are reported to have a lower body mass index than non-vegetarians. They experience lower rates of death from ischaemic heart disease, show lower blood cholesterol, lower blood pressure, and lower rates of hypertension, type II diabetes and prostate and colon cancer. These are some of the adverse effects of animal products eaten in excess over a lifetime.

A vegetarian diet offers a variety of nutritional benefits. It is a diet low in saturated fat, cholesterol, and animal protein, whilst being higher in carbohydrates, fibre, magnesium, potassium, folate, boron and the antioxidants vitamins C and E, and cancer-preventing phytochemicals, or plant chemicals. Due to the emphasis on fresh fruits and vegetables, this diet tends to be more alkaline unlike the acidity produced by eating animal proteins. Acidity in the body causes calcium to leach from the bones to act as a buffer, thereby contributing to bone demineralisation. Poor quality animal proteins can contain hormones and antibiotics, adversely affecting our health.

Vegetarianism -Nutrient deficiencies to watch out for in a vegan/ vegetarian diet

Whilst a vegetarian based diet has many advantages, it can also contain low amounts of certain essential nutrients, if it is not sufficiently balanced:

Vitamin B12

It has been argued that vegans are no more vulnerable to vitamin B12 deficiency than meat eaters. This is because vegans have a more favourable balance of gut flora that produces sufficient B12.

Sources – Occurs naturally only in animal products. Can obtain it from dairy foods and eggs. Soil is a rich source of vitamin B12, and it is thought that lightly washed, freshly harvested vegetables were a viable source. However modern food practices and the sterile nature of food and the environment do not make this a viable source.

Required for -DNA synthesis, red blood cell production, energy production, insulation of nerve cells, homocysteine metabolism, fat burning, bone building, neurotransmitter and hormone production

Deficiencies – pernicious anaemia, can raise homocysteine levels, increasing the risk of heart disease

Vegetarian sources – fortified foods, yeast extract, fortified soya milk. Micro-algae (spirulina, chlorella and blue-green algae) is thought to be an excellent source of B12 although there is debate as to whether it is in a bio-available form to the body.

Vitamin D

Infants, children and older adults synthesize vitamin D less efficiently

Sources – primarily comes from the action of sunlight on the skin. Normally present in animal sources – butter, eggs, oily fish, milk, liver. Also present in some fortified margarine.

Required for – bone formation – maintenance of plasma calcium levels. It is important in the prevention of osteoporosis.

Deficiencies – rickets (in children), osteoporosis, diarrhoea, insomnia, nervousness and muscle twitches

Vegetarian sources – sunshine, supplement with a daily multivitamin

Vitamin A

Preformed vitamin A is only found in animal foods. Vegetarians rely on vitamin A from consumption and conversion of dietary beta carotene. The inclusion of 3 servings per day of yellow/ orange fruit and vegetables or dark green leafy vegetables is thought to be sufficient to meet Vitamin A requirements.

Vitamin B2

Animal meat is a good source of vitamin B2 and non-meat eaters might have a deficiency of this vitamin. Non meat sources of vitamin B2 include: almonds, mushrooms, asparagus, bananas, beans, broccoli, figs, kale, lentils, peas, sesame seeds, sweet potatoes, tofu, tempeh and wheat germ.

Calcium

Calcium is a mineral vital for nerve transmission and muscular contraction and healthy teeth and bones. A strict vegan diet can be deficient in this mineral, if a wide-enough range of calcium-rich greens, vegetables, nuts and beans are not consumed. Boron, a mineral which is effective in reducing calcium loss, is found mainly in fruits, vegetables and nuts. Higher intake of potassium and vitamin K amongst vegetarians is a benefit in safeguarding against bone loss.

Vegetarian sources of calcium- broccoli, collards, kale, bok choy, turnip greens, okra, nuts, seeds, pulses, fortified soya products, tofu, figs, blackstrap molasses. A number of these foods are also excellent sources of magnesium which is needed for calcium absorption.

Iron

Haem-iron found in animal blood, especially red meat, is absorbed five times more efficiently than plant sources which contain only non-haeme iron. However, excess haem iron can act as a pro-oxidant. This possibly explains the link between arterial damage and colorectal cancer seen in meat eaters.

The main inhibitor of iron absorption in a vegetarian diet, is phytates found in wheat. However, vitamin C which is typically higher in a plant based diet, consumed at the same time as iron, can help to improve absorption.

Vegetarian sources – tofu, kidney beans, lentils, pumpkin seeds, quinoa, watercress, parsley, mushrooms, dried fruits, potato skin, asparagus, beetroots, oatmeal, blackstrap molasses

Zinc

Animal protein is believed to enhance the absorption of zinc, whereas phytates (in wheat products) bind to and excretes zinc. It is thought that zinc is likely to be lower in a vegetarian diet.

Vegetarian sources – aduki beans, navy beans, cashew nuts, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, ginger root, Brazil nuts

Iodine

Studies suggest that vegans who do not consume iodise salt or sea vegetables are at risk of iodine deficiency. The fact that vegan diets are also often high in goitrogens (foods which inhibit thyroid function), such as soya products and cruciferous vegetables, suggests a possible issue in relation to thyroid insufficiency.

Vegetarian sources – kelp, sea vegetables and iodised salt

Omega 3 EFA’s

Vegetarian diets can be low in Omega 3 fatty acids and their derivative EPA and DHA, sourced directly from fish oils. It is therefore recommended that vegetarians include good sources of Omega 3 sources such as flaxseed, pumpkin and walnut in their diets. Zinc is one of the co-factors required for the conversion of omega 3 fatty acids to DHA and EPA. If there is a deficiency of zinc in the body, it is now possible to obtain vegan sources of DHA, derived from micro-algae.

Protein

There is absolutely no reason why a vegan diet cannot satisfy the protein needs of the body. Vegan sources of protein include beans and pulses, soya based products, nuts and seeds and grains. Some vegan foods such as quinoa are a good source of all eight essential amino acids. A combination of a complex carbohydrate and a plant protein (i.e. brown rice and beans) at the same meal, or eaten over the course of the day, will create a complete protein.

A well-planned vegan or vegetarian lifestyle has many benefits and can be suitable for all stages of life. However, it is important to ensure a balanced diet that supplies all the nutrients needed to stay healthy. Blood tests can be done to assess mineral levels if deficiencies are suspected. Good quality, suitable supplements can be taken to address any nutrients that may be lacking.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Ashwell M et al (2004) Lamberts: The Practitioners Guide to Supplements. Second Edition. London. The Reader’s Digest Association Ltd.

Holford P (2004) New Optimum Nutrition Bible. London: Piatkus

Matten, G. (2004) BCNH: YR2 -Practitioner Certificate. Superfoods, Raw Foods, Water, Veganism & Vegetarianism, Food Combining, Macrobiotics. London: BCNH

Alvin Hopkinson :


If you have been diagnosed with gout you are likely seeking remedies to alleviate the pain you feel during an attack. Among the many tips you have probably read or heard you might be wondering about the connection between cherries and gout, and if there really is any connection.

The best thing you can do to minimize your symptoms and bouts with gout is to modify your diet to one that does not include high purine foods and alcohol. However, you can also incorporate cherries into your diet to limit your symptoms. You can also drink cherry juice for the same outcome.

Research and studies have revealed a drastic decrease in the amount of uric acid production in individuals that consumed a single serving of cherries or cherry juice daily. It is suggested that the decrease in uric acid can be up to 15%. The way you consume the cherry is not as important as consuming it!

Would you like to know the secret behind the cherry and cherry juice? Here it is.

Anthocyanins, this is what gives the cherries the color and are what is believed to be the key fighter against gout pain, well actually it fights against the swelling.

Apparently, the anthocyanins that are in the cherries actually are the cause for the lowering of the levels of blood urates. This is actually what is the cause for the relief of gout symptoms. Drinking or eating the cherries on a daily basis also is thought to be a preventative measure for cancer.

Several individuals have reported feeling a difference on their symptoms only days after including cherries into their diet. On the other hand some individuals have reported no change in their gout for a few weeks. Either way, there are benefits to including cherries in your diet as well as lowering your intake of purines.

Cherries and cherry juice have been used for years upon years as an aid with gout. Although it has just become a popular alternative treatment over the past few years. Even if you are not quite sure if this is a treatment that will work for you, you should still consider trying it out.

Give yourself a few months of using cherries to treat your gout before you make a final decision as to whether or not you should use it indefinitely or not. After all, what do you really have to lose… the pain? Cherries and gout, sound like a treatment to me.

John Mepham :


This is the second article of a series about this diet. Please see Natural Gout Treatment – The Rules Of A Gout Diet That Had A Lot Of Success, for the first article.

This study, based on the Zone diet, did have a positive effect on markers of insulin resistance: triglycerides, total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol (“bad” cholesterol) fell. HDL cholesterol (“good” cholesterol) did not fall. But my purpose in this article is mainly to describe its direct effect on uric acid levels and gout attacks.

After four months on this diet the effects on uric acid levels and gout attacks were quite impressive.

Weight loss and uric acid levels Weight loss over the period was almost 17lbs (7.7kg) i.e. at a rate of about 1lb a week. All but one of the patients lost weight. The median uric acid (UA) fall was 1.7mg/dL.Another very interesting finding was that a more elevated blood uric acid level at the start of the study, meant a large fall of blood uric acid by the end of it. Uric acid levels normalised in 7 of 12 patients who had raised levels of uric acid (UA) before the study.

One participant did not have a raised UA level before the start. It was about 5.9mg/dL. But we already know that gout can occur in people with normal uric acid levels, so this was not unusual.

And gout attacks? Results overall were expressed as a median. Before the study, participants had at least two attacks in the preceding four months. Median monthly attacks before the study were 2.1. After it, attacks fell to 0.6. The fall in the number of gout attacks occurred in all except one patient. The exception participant had shorter and less severe attacks. Eight of the 13 did not have a gout attack during the four month study period, although as mentioned, they had all had at least two in the previous four months and, as noted above, the median was 2.1 a month, or one attack a fortnight, (every two weeks).

AFTER ONE YEAR

About a year later, five of nine patients had no more gout attacks and three had just one attack. So there was a further decrease in attack frequency overall. One patient gained weight after the end of the study. He must have given up on the diet. He suffered three attacks over three months. His blood uric acid levels rose with his weight.

Note especially that the mean uric acid (UA) fall was 1.7mg/dL. In a couple of cases it fell by

2.2 mg/dL and by 2.5mg/dL respectively. Hyperuricemia, (excess uric acid), which may lead to gout, is reckoned to exist if the UA levels exceed 7.2 mg/dL (men), and 6.0 mg/dL (women). The usual UA target in gout treatment is 6.0 mg/dL (somewhat less in women) because at this level the MSU crystals, formed mainly from uric acid may dissolve. (It is the immune system’s response to these crystals, which it regards as foreign bodies, which causes the pain and inflammation of gout).

So a fall of 1.7 mg/dL, given these numbers, is quite significant, although you should note that many gout sufferers have UA levels much higher than 7.2 mg/dL, and some gout sufferers do not have excess uric acid.

Were the study patients taking long term medications, such as Allopurinol, for their gout? They were not. They were only taking medications for gout attacks. The study report did not say how much water they drank. Most gout sufferers know that drinking lots of water helps to remove uric acid.

In gout treatment there are always caveats. The study was small. Only 13 male gout sufferers. The study lasted just four months, although there were follow-up results after one year (median).

The researchers noted a connection between weight loss and a fall in uric acid levels in another study and expected the nutrient proportions (40:30:30) contributed to the uric acid fall. They thought that the dietary measures caused the desired improvement in insulin sensitivity.

The results were sufficiently impressive to give hope and encouragement to any gout sufferer who tries this diet as accurately as possible.

The study was conducted in 1999. Unfortunately it has not been followed up by a much larger one designed on the same lines. If conducted, such a study would expand our knowledge of natural gout treatment, perhaps considerably. A natural gout cure is what most gout sufferers want.

The study can be found online if you search “Beneficial effects of weight loss associated with moderate calorie/carbohydrate restriction, and increased proportional intake of protein and unsaturated fat on serum urate and lipoprotein levels in gout: a pilot study.” Copy and paste this into a search engine search box and hit enter.

In the study report, uric acid levels were expressed as mmol/l. In this article I have converted these mmol/l numbers to mg/dL, which is a more frequently used measurement.

NB. The contents of this article contain medical information not medical advice. Please always discuss remedies with your doctor or other health care professional before implementing any treatment.