Real Health Talk ©
With Craig Stellpflug NDC, Health Coach, Neuro Development Consultant

"It's your health we are talking about!"

                             About the Gout:
                                      Craig Stellpflug NDC, Neuro Development Consultant, Nutritional Coach, Healing Pathways Medical Clinic, Scottsdale, AZ
                                        Copyright 2012 Craig Stellpflug© Permission is hereby granted to copy and distribute this article but only in its entirety.
                                                                                                                             Not to be construed as medical advice

Gout is a very painful form of arthritis that attacks mostly the big toe. But gout is not limited to the big toe and can spread to or even isolate in the insteps, ankles, heels, knees, wrists, fingers or elbows. Gout occurs when an excessive buildup of uric acid in the body forms painful crystals in the body. These crystals are monosodium urate or uric acid crystals deposited in the articular cartilage of joints, tendons and surrounding tissues provoking an inflammatory reaction of these tissues. This buildup of uric acid can lead to: Sharp uric acid crystal deposits in joints; Deposits of uric acid lumps under the skin called tophi; Kidney stones from uric acid crystals in the kidneys.

For many people, gout is a chronic condition and the first gout attack most often occurs in the big toe making it very sore, red, warm, and swollen.

Uric acid comes from the breakdown of substances called purines which are found in all of your body's tissues. Purines also occur naturally in some foods, such as liver, dried beans and peas, and anchovies.
Normally, uric acid dissipates in the blood and passes through the kidneys and out through the urine. Uric acid can build up in the blood when: The kidneys are compromised; The person eats excessive purine rich foods; The body increases the amount of uric acid it makes through protein breakdown.

Animal proteins found in poultry, seafood, eggs and red meat contain more purines than vegetable proteins. Purines increase uric acid levels in the blood and consequently increase uric acid deposits in the joints leading to gout. While protein is very important, it becomes a problem when consumed in amounts that exceed nutritional demands. Joint pain, gout and arthritis are rare in countries where meat is eaten in small quantities such as New Zealand, China, Japan and Africa. When people from these cultures migrate to areas where a heavy meat protein diet is consumed the rates of joint pain increase dramatically to match levels typical in Americans.

High uric acid levels in the blood is a condition called hyperuricemia. Hyperuricemia does not automatically develop into gout until excess uric acid crystals form in the body. The trouble with gout is that there is a great deal of uric acid accumulation in the blood for years without any warning or symptoms being produced until an attack is triggered off by some precipitating factor like liver congestion, kidney compromise, alcoholism or protein metabolization problems.

Gluten from wheat, barley and rye grains are complex proteins that compromise the gut and ultimately inflame the liver. When your liver becomes inflamed or is stressed, uric acid production can increase to very high levels, setting the stage for the development of gout. High fructose corn syrup (HFCS) is metabolized almost exclusively in the liver and causes liver congestion, fatty liver and liver inflammation; all precursors to gout. Corn fructose is 10 times sweeter than sugar and less expensive for manufacturers but corn fructose itself is a major contributor to insulin resistance, obesity, elevated blood pressure, elevated triglycerides and elevated LDL, depletion of vitamins and minerals, cardiovascular disease, liver disease, cancer, arthritis and even gout.

Solutions: Long-term prevention should be the main goal for gout prevention and aside from the obvious preventative diet changes to avoid gluten, HFCS, and purine rich foods, there are many natural adjuncts that bring relief to symptoms of gout.

Probably the best solution for natural treatments for gout is to take 3 tablespoons of Apple Cider Vinegar (with mother) and ¾ teaspoon of baking soda (aluminum free) and mix it with 2 ounces of water and a teaspoon of raw honey. Drink this 3 times a day until complete relief is achieved and then once or twice a week for maintenance.

The substance bromelane, found in pineapple, is the supplement of choice to be used during an acute gout attack. Either buy a supplemental bromelaine or take a whole pineapple, core and all, and juicing it will deliver a large dose of bromelane along with other beneficial micronutrients and enzymes. 

Other good supplements for gout are cherry extract, nettle and 4-6,000 mg of vitamin C daily. Beet juice is alkaline and helps stave off acidosis and also stimulates liver cells to cleanse and protect bile ducts. Whole beets help relieve the kidneys and help cure gout while relieving constipation. Eating strawberries, which are rich in nitrate, can increase the flow of blood & oxygen to the muscles and other tissues by 7%. Not only does this help prevent gout, but this prevents muscle fatigue, making exercise easier. Test subjects who ate strawberries before exercising actually burned 100 more calories than those who did not.

Himalayan salt or Celtic Sea Salt carry just under 100 microminerals which help the body stave off gout and fight crystalline buildup of gallstones, liver, kidney and bladder stones. It is the over processed table salt that is bad for you and can raise blood pressure while trapping toxins in the organs and other body tissues leading to gout.

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