Tag: gout

Oh no! Santa has the Gout…..

How to survive the Christmas and Holiday Season if you suffer with Gout

A beacon has been sent out from the North Pole summonsing a doctor to come and see what could possibly be wrong with Santa. He can barely move his foot without pure agony. The weight of his bed cover alone is sending him through the roof in pain. Mrs. Claus is distraught. Mr. Claus is running a fever, he has the chills, and his big toe is as red and shiny as Rudolph’s nose.

The doc arrives:

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What is Refractory Gout?

Gout is the most common form of chronic, progressive, inflammatory arthritis. Its prevalence continues to increase worldwide. This condition seems to baffle several fields of medicine who deal with patients suffering with the relentless disease, including podiatrists, chiropractors, rheumatologists, and general practitioners alike.


The deposits of MSU, monosodium urate, crystals into the synovial fluid and other tissues take place when the serum uric acid concentration exceeds its solubility. As this progresses, these deposits can occur just about anywhere in the body and lead to chronic pain, bone erosions, tophi, and general joint deformities. This condition can become downright debilitating, and rather difficult to treat. Continue reading “What is Refractory Gout?”

Is the Keto diet safe for Gout Sufferers?

Contrary to popular belief, the Keto diet is not protein focused. Rather, this diet focuses on a high fat and low carb diet to shock the body into ketosis. Ketosis is a metabolic process where the body is able to focus on burning fat with carbs mostly out of the picture. The body doesn’t have to work hard trying to burn the carbohydrates for energy, therefore, blood sugar is lowered and fat burning becomes the main focus.

Is this good for the Gout sufferer? Continue reading “Is the Keto diet safe for Gout Sufferers?”

Can you repair Gout and Arthritis on your own?

All natural healing is guaranteed with patience and understanding. Having a better understanding of your condition can pave the path to lifelong success in controlling it for good.  Knowledge of your disorder, and all the contributing factors in your life having led up to your very current ailment(s), can make for a better understanding of the necessary approach and commitment to resolving it. 

Inflammatory diseases are not an overnight occurrence.  Some of you may be approaching natural healing as your first form of treatment, while many of you have suffered for years upon years, and the prescription drugs are no longer helping you.  Natural healing may not be a “quick-fix”, but it also avoids the common “band-aid” for your symptoms like many modern-day prescription drugs. Instead of treating your symptoms, natural healing aims to repair the problem that is causing your symptoms in the first place.

Do you feel like you’ve already tried everything to heal on your own, without long-term success? 


Things we hear often:

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Gout, Arthritis, Inflammation: The relation to the diet

This may be one of the most complex areas to understand, and we are gaining new knowledge all the time. For far too long we have remained focused on certain food triggers rather than the source and the reasoning behind our reaction. Food selection is very important. The larger, and often overlooked, picture would be the lack of pH balance to each meal, general unhealthy food choices for far too long, high-heat cooking methods, and an overabundance of processed and now genetically modified selections in the typical diet.

Questions to consider:

  • Is red meat the enemy OR is it the grain fed caged source vs. grass fed and free to roam source?
  • Is the inflammatory inducing acid of the protein the problem OR are we not providing enough alkaline food sources in the same meal to buffer the acids and still benefit from the good it has to offer?
  • What is the true source behind the body’s inflammatory reaction?

You will continue to find conflicting information on what is considered to be a ‘healthy diet,’ rendering you helpless in making concrete decisions on your approach for change.

Here is what we do know:

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Important tips regarding Gout and other Inflammatory Conditions

Eating too much causes inflammation-

We know that overeating promotes the inflammatory response and suppresses the immune system. Tests performed by the National Institute on Aging revealed that when animals were fed 50 percent fewer calories per day, their immune response improved, the number of inflammatory cytokines in circulation was reduced, thymus size was maintained and inflammation-fighting T-cell function improved. This study looked at higher and lower calorie consumption; it did not distinguish among the types of calories consumed. Heavy, red-meat-based diets or lots of sugar-laden foods would definitely have a negative impact on immune function and promote inflammation, whereas calories in the form of fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts and seeds would improve immunity. No matter what the food choices, moderation is the key in terms of both total daily quantity and amounts consumed at one time. Generally, five or six small meals (of the right foods) throughout the day are considered to be healthier than consuming fewer large ones. [4]

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Traditional Gout Medications

Most commonly prescribed Gout medication options include:

Xanthine Inhibitors: These actually block the enzyme, (xanthine oxidase) necessary for the conversion of purines to uric acid. As of result, blood serum levels are lowered and used to prevent chronic gout, stones, and hyperuricemia. It is not actually a treatment for an acute attack, and can even exacerbate an attack if used while it’s running its course. This treatment sounds good in theory, however, un-naturally stopping a very natural and necessary production such as uric acid must take its toll on the body somehow? After all, uric acid is a potent antioxidant vital to the human body. Attempting to halt its production could be detrimental to its important role as the protector of our DNA. As a result, it is necessary to monitor the liver, kidneys, and blood during its use.

Possible side effects include:

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INFLAMMATION: WHEN A GOOD THING GOES BAD

Inflammation is a natural, thriving mechanism of the immune system. Acute inflammatory response is a way to fire at and ward off disease and infection, as well as to fuel cellular regeneration. We all require a healthy measure of inflammation in order to survive. What happens when the body feels as though it is constantly under an attack of some sort? What if the inflammatory response persists and you are plagued with an incessant slow burning fire inside of you? This is precisely when a good thing, goes bad.

The body is amazingly resilient, but relies solely upon communication between the major systems within the body (the endocrine, digestive, respiratory/cardiovascular, and the central nervous system) in order to function and heal properly. When chronic inflammation is present, these systems can no longer communicate, and disease is

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Gout and Kidney Stones

Kidney Stones

Kidney Stones (renal calculi) are formed as a result of a buildup of dissolved minerals on the inner lining of the kidneys. Once they make their way into the urinary tract severe pain in the groin, stomach, or flank area can ensue. A decrease in urination coupled with a large amount of stone-forming substances can cause these types of stones to appear. These stones can be formed by the mixture of calcium with oxalate or phosphate; and/or the combination of uric acid and amino acid cysteine.

Much like Gout, Kidney stones are being diagnosed more and more in recent years. The same type of stones can develop in the bladder as well, but are much more uncommon and have remained relatively low and unchanged by comparison. Over the span of almost 30 years, the Mayo Clinic observed a significant rise in the incidences of kidney stones; particularly in adult women. With more accurate CT scans our ability to monitor and diagnose stones are partly behind a good portion of this rise in cases, but also goes hand in hand with the rise in Obesity and Diabetes Type 2. Diets high in sugar, unhealthy fats, and salt have been to blame for stones and this type of diet certainly fits the profile for all of these conditions.

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Understanding Uric Acid

Uric Acid

Purines perform multiple important functions within our cells, including regulating energy metabolism and signaling the energy conversion from one to another.  Purines are essentially the building blocks for all living things as a necessity for the growth, proliferation and survival of all cells.  The two purine bases, adenine and guanine, create bonds that form the DNA ladder. Humans breakdown purines and convert them into uric acid.

Uric acid happens to be a potent DNA protector.  All other mammals possess an enzyme known as uricase.  Uricase converts uric acid into allantoin, which can easily travel through the bloodstream and readily eliminated through the urine.  Humans do not possess this enzyme, therefore, we cannot oxidize uric acid into the more soluble compound of allantoin.  Our liver and kidneys are left to do the all-important jobs of purine breakdown and uric acid disposal, conducted respectively.

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