A common question I get from readers is whether a
Paleo-type diet will increase their risk for gout.
Gout is a type of inflammatory arthritis caused by elevated levels of uric acid in the blood, forming crystal deposits in the joints, tendons, and surrounding tissue. Gout typically affects the feet in general and big toe joint specifically, and causes severe pain and swelling. In the past, gout was referred to as a “rich man’s disease”, as it typically affected the upper class and royalty who could afford “rich” foods like meat, sugar, and alcohol.
Uric acid is a byproduct of the metabolism of purines, one of two types of nitrogenous bases that form the basic structure of DNA and RNA. While purines are present in all foods, they are typically higher in many of the foods emphasized on a nutrient-dense Paleo diet, such as red meat, turkey, organ meats, and certain types of fish and seafood. Patients with gout are often advised to reduce or eliminate these purine-rich foods with the goal of preventing excess uric acid production, thereby reducing the symptoms of gout. And research has confirmed the association between high purine intakes and acute gout attacks, suggesting that those diagnosed with gout would benefit from a reduction in purine-rich foods. (1, 2)
So, do we need reconsider recommendations to eat foods like liver, sardines, red meat, mussels, and other traditional foods? Do these nutrient-dense, purine-rich foods really cause gout? Are those of us following a Paleo-style diet putting ourselves at greater risk for this painful, debilitating condition?
Does eating meat and fish increase your risk for gout?
Inflammation as a cause of gout attacks
While high purine intake is associated with gout attacks in those who already have hyperuricemia, or high levels of uric acid in the blood, purine intake alone is not enough to trigger these attacks. (3) In fact, uric acid levels are frequently decreased during gout attacks, sometimes to within the normal range. Another factor associated with gout flares is an increase in C-reactive protein (CRP) and interleukin-6 (IL-6), cytokines produced during numerous inflammatory conditions. (4) These inflammatory cytokines are increased in the joint fluid and serum of patients with acute gouty arthritis. (5, 6)
Therefore, systemic inflammation is likely a key factor affecting the likelihood of developing gout flares, and as we know, diet plays a significant role in inflammation. While foods like grass-fed beef, sardines, and mackerel are high in purines, they are also higher in omega-3 fatty acids and low in omega-6 fatty acids. Since the omega-3 to omega-6 balance in your diet modulates the inflammatory response, a diet with sufficient long-chain omega-3 fats like EPA and DHA will reduce systemic inflammation and may reduce the risk of forming the uric acid crystals that cause joint pain.
Fructose: An important player in the development of gout
While fructose in naturally occurring amounts is relatively benign, research has shown that higher intakes of fructose may mediate many of the abnormalities seen in the metabolic syndrome, including elevated triglycerides, due to increases in uric acid production. (7) A recent study confirmed the uric acid–elevating potential of fructose ingestion, both by producing excess uric acid and reducing its excretion in the urine. (8)
While some uric acid in the blood is normal, providing a level of antioxidant protection, excess uric acid is a pro-oxidant and the major causative factor for gout. Some researchers even suggest that this excess uric acid in the blood is a major factor in the development of insulin resistance and metabolic diseases. (9) So if you’re avoiding excess fructose consumption from high fructose corn syrup and excess sucrose (table sugar), you’ll be at a lower risk for gout that someone who’s washing their burger down with a can of coke.
A word on the epidemiological correlation between meat and gout
A major reason that many conventional physicians and health professionals see red meat consumption as a significant risk factor for gout is that red meat is typically a component of an overall “Western diet pattern”, a pattern that is also high in sugar, vegetable oils, sweetened beverages, refined grains, and processed meats, while being low in fruits and vegetables. (10) It is nearly impossible for epidemiologists to separate meat consumption from this general pattern of eating when studying modern cultures — after all, most “health conscious” eaters in our generation believe that meat is unhealthy and typically eat less of it.
While most epidemiological studies attempt to control for these confounding factors, the truth is that most high consumers of meat are generally prone to other unhealthy habits such as smoking and drinking, and are typically more overweight than low meat consumers in these studies. Of course this doesn’t tell us anything about the active, health-conscious Paleo eater who avoids high fructose corn syrup and omega-6 fatty acids, as well as other inflammatory foods like refined grains, and doesn’t drink heavily or smoke.
Eating a Paleo diet won’t cause gout!
The next time your doctor or best friend says you’ll get gout from a Paleo diet, you can refer him or her to this article. Rest assured that a diet full of nutrient dense foods like grass-fed red meat, liver, shellfish, and fatty ocean fish is not putting you at risk for developing this painful condition. More likely to cause gout are the common American dietary staples such as sugar-sweetened beverages, industrial seed and vegetable oils, refined carbohydrates, and excessive alcohol (beer in particular). The Western diet pattern is a risk factor for gout; a nutrient-dense Paleo diet is not.
Now I’d like to hear from you. Have you experienced concern from a physician or family member over your diet and your risk for gout? Has this article helped calm your fears about your diet-related risk factors for gout? Share in the comments below!
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{ 66 comments… read them below or add one }
I always love that you address that it isn’t the type of food but the quality of the food that is important. Another great article I can utilize the information for my own patients.
The facts for gout are what they are, however the cause of these conditions is a Significant Biological Special program of Nature (SBS = commonly referred to as cancer), called a “refugee or hospital biological conflict”. When there is an unexpected, isolating sudden shock experienced, called a DHS, a ‘lesion’ becomes visible on a brain CT scan in the brain stem. This indicates an active biological conflict in the collecting tubules of the kidneys, designed to diminish the excretion of urine for survival purposes. The uric acid in the blood is being recycled to form protein. So the body is kept from dehydration and starvation until the biological conflict is resolved, at which time the small tumors in the collecting tubules are removed by tuberculosis bacteria, if the individual was fortunate enough to harbor them at the time of the DHS. http://learninggnm.com .
This condition, called a Syndrome, is quite serious, if any other biological conflict happens to be in the healing (resolved) phase.
I am 43 and have had two gout attacks. The doctor put me on Puricos until I discovered the paleo diet when I stopped taking it. I have been on the Paleo diet (albeit a little too loosely for my liking) for about six months now.
In those six months I have almost cut gluten out, cut out chips and French fries and most other things that come in a packet or a box. I have substantially increased my intake of butter, cream and other healthy fats. Unfortunately I have very low cortisol so the results have not been as good as I had hoped, however both my bad cholesterol and my uric acid have dropped in the six month period. SO I would have to agree with your research through self analysis!
I have been eating low carb for 10 months now and am very close to losing 120 lbs. I have been reading about Paleo and have based many of our meals on the recipes I have found on various Paleo eating blogs. I too have been told by my doctor that I have elevated uric acid levels and given a huge list of foods to avoid – including most everything I eat! 2 years ago I did have a debilitating “attack” of some sorts that left me with curled and painful hands and severe joint pain that lasted for almost 2 weeks. He now thinks this may have been gout, although at the time nobody ever tested for it or mentioned it. I was treated with steroid shots. I began eating cleaner last May and have been basically ignored my doctor’s request to decrease eating foods that are high in purines and I am doing well despite. He is pleased with my weight progress but I have to admit going totally paleo has really scared me since his :”advise”. I really do believe that the elimination of grains from my diet has helped with my inflammation and think I will continue on course for now.
I had taken allopurinol for over a decade and still experienced occasional gout flares. In 2011, I eliminated sugar from my diet, stopped taking allopurinol and I stopped having gout symptoms. In 2012, I went full paleo and had no gout issues the entire year! January 2013, I did paleo auto-immune protocol to support my wife’s efforts to further figure out her sensitivities and in week 3 of strict AIP, I had my first gout flare in almost 2 years. I’m not sure why it flared during a more strict approach. I’d love to never have a flare again, but once in 2 years with no meds on a Paleo approach is much better than 6 times a year with meds on a standard American diet.
Rick,
It’s very interesting that you experienced a gout flare during strict AIP. I’ve been “paleo” for over a year, and I just had a flare in January (after not having had one in several years). I was dealing with some stressful situations in January, and as a result I was lacking an appetite and not eating as much as I normally do. During the flare, I started reading as much as I could about the possible causes, and I came to the conclusion that I needed to start eating more, especially carbs. My stressful events have passed, I’ve been eating more regularly, and my gout has resolved. Now that I know what gout is, I realize that I’ve been having these attacks since I was 13 or 14 years old. At that age I was not eating any red meat, but I was anorexic and underweight. I’ve read that sudden weight loss can cause gout, so perhaps my body was metabolizing my own tissues due to lack of proper nourishment, and perhaps the increase in stress hormones was affecting my ability to excrete the excess uric acid. Or something like that. Anyway, that’s just my unsophisticated interpretation. Since the AIP is so restrictive, perhaps you were experiencing something similar?
Hard to say what my trigger was. In the past, my triggers were heavy sugar load, alcohol, shellfish, and asparagus. With AIP, I had none of those things. I definitely wasn’t under much stress and found AIP to be relatively easy to follow through on, although much less convenient than standard paleo. I did drop 9 pounds in the first 2 weeks, back to my pre-holiday weight, then leveled out. I tracked everything I ate over the month and I took in 53% fat, 25% protein, and 22% carbs. Normally, I’m probably running about 30% carbs.
Great article! I’m a Naturopathic and Chinese Medical student and I’ve had the best success with the paleo diet over everything I’ve learned in school. I was researching breast cancer this week and found that omega 3 has been found to be a causative factor in preventing breast cancer. Since that link has been made, it would be appropriate to get a study done on conventionally raised meat vs grassfed meat. What if we could change our agricultural practices through the link of omega 6: omega 3 ratios to breast cancer? We want a ratio of 4:1 or better – conventionally raised meat gets as high as 21:1 and grassfed between 1:1 and 3:1.
Good point about the difference in grass fed red meat and grain fed red meat. There are so many differences in these meats it wouldn’t be surprising if they did all sorts of strange things to the body.
Couldn’t agree more Chris. I’d add that there is a reason why fructose in ”the complete package” is pretty harmless. Tart cherries will alleviate if not completely do away with the gout issue. Furthermore a paleo diet is not a meat heavy diet. One thing has always puzzled me though : why is it that gout so often happens to affect the big toe joints? Surely it cannot be gravity.
So true, James. Even the black cherries, fresh or from the tin or as pure juice work. For health I use a black cherry pure juice, not from concentrate but from 2.5 lbs cherries from Super Store. Also celery water (and seeds) and pineapple juice work in this regard. I remember 3 members of a men’s organisation who were suffering gout and told them about these helpful foods and the suggestion they drink enough water and cut back on sugars and high starches, all being relieved of their pain by next meeting. As Chris suggests it is the processed foods including junk and high starch products that may be at fault. I know that the smell and taste (UT advocates attest to this) of urine is far different when junk, starch and sugar are included in the diet in comparison to pure goods low in carbohydrates.
James to your comment about gravity, I have seen many docs about mine and all of them have told me that it IS gravity. If you look at other comments in the post you will see other folks talk about different areas, but the majority of affliction is in foot and ankle. Me.. I get it every where but MOST severely in my right great toe first knuckle..
My dad has a history of gout and, at 39, I have long felt very minor symptoms similar to gout in one of my big toes. My dad has cautioned me on the paleo diet, though I follow it contrary to him anyways. Having said that, I’ve always been a bit worried. Now I am less so, so thank you.
It makes sense that it’s more the SAD to blame than the meat-component itself — seems like that’s mostly the case with other diet-related issues as well so why not gout?
I eat monster amounts of spinach on Paleo and have had no problem. I’ve seen it as a major contributor to gout.
I also got off BP and statins after adopting Paleo, talk about a trade off for some incremental propensity for gout. I’ll take it.
On the topic of delicious spinach…met an oxalate expert yesterday – a prof at our local agricultural university. He said most of the oxalate in foods is destroyed by boiling. We have a weird little South American pink shiny potatoey thing here in New Zealand, which we call yams and they’re very high in oxalates in the skin. He said baking them unpeeled is the worst thing to do as we love to eat them in this concentrated form. Off-topic but thought I’d pass it on.
Oxalates are found in spinach, swiss chard (very popular here in NZ), rhubarb and the yam thingies. They can cause kidney stones in some folks. All things in moderation and plenty of fluids he says. The worst offenders are the Saudi folk who don’t drink enough for their climate – they get annual practice in Ramadan of going without water in daylight hours after all.
According to another oxalate expert and researcher, Susan Owens, oxalate content in some foods is so high that it cannot be cooked or soaked or boiled out of it to a degree sufficient enough to not cause problems for people who cannot handle oxalates well. She manages a free and open Yahoo group called Trying Low Oxalates where you can find lots of current info on oxalates, including a continually updated searchable spreadsheet of the oxalate content in foods.
My husband has a long history of gout which runs in his family. Since starting paleo two years ago he has not had an attack or needed to take his gout meds. He also had to decrease his blood pressure dosage though that is another post.
I have been 100% paleo for 2 years. I do not drink alcohol, soda, smoke or eat sugary snacks.
Over the Christmas holidays I have a severe case of gout that lasted for about a month. It was in my big toe on one foot and then would move to my ankle on my other foot and then back again. The pain was a 9 out of 10.
What is causing this to happen?
I can sympathise with that 9 out 10 rating. Like walking on your eyeballs!
Gout led me to Paleo, as I really didn’t want to go on meds. Persevered with fairly strict Paleo (with plenty of safe starches) for a year or so, but was still getting mysterious pains in my knees, and regular stiffness in my big toe. Finally gave in and went on the meds. That was about 6 months ago, and knees and toes better than they’ve been in years. I’m sure Paleo doesn’t cause gout, but I’m skeptical now that it alone cure it. Would really like to find a way to get off the meds though. Any suggestions?
I am tweaking my diet to stay off any meds. Reduced bacon intake and eating more chicken. I am beginning to believe that it may be a hormone issue and am pursuing that angle.
How about fructose intake? You didn’t mention this. Some people are very affected by fructose even the smallest amounts. Take a look at the FODMAP diet.
You might like to try alkalized water (you don’t need to buy a electronic water ionizer for this) there are alternatives to getting this kind of water.
I have seen seriously good results from people just drinking this kind of water.
Very little. I only eat fruit occasionally and no sugary drinks of any kind.
I will try out the alk water too. Anything to get my health and active lifestyle back.
Fructose subsets – Fructans & Galactans (Oligosaccharides) are in some vegetables too.
High Content Foods are:
Beetroot, Asparagus,Cabbage,Broccoli,Onion, Garlic, Jerusalem Artichoke
Could be worthwhile taking them out of you diet temporarily and reintroducing them one by one to see if you have a flare up.
After three days of anomalous and excruciating scapular muscle back pain I found some relief through massage. It was so bad I had to sleep sitting up and even that didn’t really help my labored breathing. That was rough enough but on day four, just as the back pain was subsiding, I awoke to find that my ankle was painful and swollen. My kinesiologist immediately sent me to a podiatrist who popped the most surprising question, “do you have gout in your family?” I was shocked. Not only was I not genetically predisposed, I eat cleaner than most (non-neurotic paleo plus grass-fed butter/cheese and occasional corn and rice). Tests for uric acid levels in my blood are pending but all signs point to my first-ever gout flare up. Now I wish we’d checked CRP and IL-6 levels too.
The week prior to the flare-up hadn’t been particularly typical as I never normally consume fruit smoothies, gluten-free goodies, or drink that much. Such was that week. While not off the rails, it wasn’t picture perfect either. Regardless, there’s nothing like the remarkable pain of gout to inspire better habits. I wish I could do that week over just to see how much diet played a role versus the very real stress of back pain.
I’m deeply curious to find out what exactly was the cause and am wondering what might be done beyond my normal good habits to never ever feel that pain again. Does having a gout flare-up make me more vulnerable to having another or can I chalk this up as a one-time deal provided I stay on the paleo path? I’m on the hunt! Are there any stricter paleo folks who have seen gout flare-ups do to pain alone?
Thanks for what you do Chris.
Check out the info from James and moi above, clay, on cherries, black and sour, fresh and tinned.
I started eating Paleo over a year ago to support my diabetic boyfriend. I haven’t had gluten or dairy for over a year, eat only organic veggies and grass fed beef, pork, free range, etc.
I have had severe arthritis in my hands for over years. Cannot eat nightshade plants.
By last summer, the gout flares in my hands and then feet were getting worse and worse. I was eating salmon 4-5 times/week, liver, tongue, tons of spinach and cauliflower as part of my diet. By December, I would cry because the pain was so severe in my hands. I finally went to a “Functional Medicine” doctor who picked up on it immediately. Have limited animal protein considerably and reduced eating other items that were on the list as contributors to “gout”. The severe pain is gone. I can eat the assorted aggrevators on occasion but stick more to chicken and white fish for animal protein. While I still eat beef, it’s once a month instead of once or twice a week. I rarely have major attacks unless I over do the foods that I shouldn’t. So while Paleo is still my eating style, have had to modify to deal with my gout issues.
I must respectfully disagree with the conclusion of this article with my husband’s experience as my proof.
This past January 2nd, we began a nutritional challenge (friendly competition @ our local crossfit) that followed the Whole 30 food plan.
Within a week, my husband’s right toe began to swell and cause discomfort, but we still maintained eating and exercising.
By week 2, he could hardly walk and I demanded that he go to the local quick care. He had severe gout and was given a shot to help reduce inflammation as well as pills to take.
It took him over 2 weeks to completely recover.
All of our meat (except seafood) was from a local farm and was grassfed. That first week, we ate eggs and bacon w/ guacamole and salsa for breakfast, lunch was a variety of crockpot meals ( pork and beef from the farm), and dinner was seafood (shallots, fish, shrimp), cauliflower in some form, asparagus, and other veggies.
I share this with you to say that the meals I provided him literally created the perfect storm. Every item on the list to avoid or limit we ate, and ate them everyday that week. (I buy in bulk.)
In addition to the foods to be careful, he started out overweight and a study led by Dr. Hyon K. Choi, reported in the March 11, 2004 issue mentioned that being overweight and doing a ‘severe diet’ can raise the uric levels in the blood.
So what I’m trying to say is, people considering paleo need to be mindful when creating their meal plans. We have chosen to continue eating paleo and we BELIEVE in eating this way but we have modified what we eat and when. Obese readers need to be careful in their exercise and eating so that they can avoid this very painful affliction.
I would think that if it happened that quickly (w/i 1 week) after starting the Whole30, that your husband likely already had a higher level of uric acid in his blood and the change to a high purine diet triggered the acute gout attack. This would make sense in light of the study Chris referenced about high purine diets being associated with more frequent gout attacks in those with prior gout diagnosis.
I think Chris’s point was that eating high purine foods should not directly CAUSE gout in an otherwise healthy person. But if you’re already at risk for gout symptoms from a past history of hyperuricemia, or have reduced kidney function for a variety of reasons, then a sudden and significant increase in purine containing foods could in fact raise your risk of gout symptoms.
Definitely a good point to be aware of though, especially if you have a history of gout or other risk factors like obesity, metabolic syndrome, etc.
If you’re genetically vulnerable to gout, a Paleo diet high in purines will cause gout. I believe what Chris is saying is that the long-term cause of gout is over fructose consumption. But if you’ve already had gout attacks, are overweight, have high uric acid levelsand cannot excrete uric acid quickly enough, then you can get gout. But I don’t think a Paleo diet will cause gout in those who hasn’t developed it already. Check your uric acid but that’s not everything. I would also check my urine pH: make sure it’s above 6.5 or so. I drink a 1/2 tsp of baking soda everynight which causes my body to become alkaline at night when typically gout attacks occur. I rarely get gout attacks anymore. Two things are need to have gout attacks: (1) high uric acid and (2) acidity. There is plenty of people with one or the other who never get gout attacks. Only 1 in 10 of those with high uric acids have gout. 90% spend their lives not knowing what gout is.
How does the many high oxalate PALEO foods, wherein the oxalates can form crystals and accumulate in tissue, affect this gout discussion?
Would the same logic apply to someone who gets oxalate-containing kidney stones? A good friend has chronic kidney problems and I keep telling him to cut fructose and added sugars while his doctors keep telling him to stay away from basically every nutrient-containing food due to purines.
There may be other relevant factors as well, but I suggest your friend transition slowly to a low oxalate diet. See my comment above for a source for very current info on oxalates.
I thought I had gout last month. I increased my walking and my big toe started hurting and the next day my foot swelled up. I cut way back on my walking and the condition went away in a week. I’m 63 now, so I cannot use the same gradient I use to when younger. Inches instead of yards now. Also I noticed my 3 year old (air-soled) sneakers were flat. So, no gout and just over doing it. I have to mention, I have read (online) the best of the best in alternative or natural health and nutrition over the past few years. There was too many different opinions, so I had to use my gut-instincts and pick a couple of what I thought were the leaders. Even so, there are still too many pieces of the puzzle that are not going together. I feel Chris, that you are starting to put the pieces together somehow, maybe through a mix of experience, intelligence and common sense. I appreciate this unique-perspective you show, so keep up the good work.
Chris,
I believe you are right on here with what you talk about but frankly I believe the culprit is even more deeply rooted in ALL the refined STUFF (beyond fructose) that we have in our diet. I am not a nutritionist nor doctor nor anyone with scientific credentials. I am in fact someone who has better credentials than that. I have been living with this condition for 40 years!! I get it in every lower Joint in my body! I never knew what it was, because one time I’d get it after eating too much Ham, then it was shell fish, then it was soup (ham stock) on and on. About 15 years ago (after I got intimate with Mr Atkins….) I didn’t get the gout in spite of all that purine based stuff. All the meats, all the organ meats, all the shell fish, spinach, mushrooms, none of that caused me ANY trouble. Then I decided to try out my assumption. I spent a week eating all sorts of the white things that are contrary to the (Atkins) Paleo way and by the fourth day I was limping and the 7th day I was in bed looking for something to remove my foot with. BTW this discussion also applies with many friends with Kidney stones…
Since I have had a number of friends who have been on Allopurinol to manage the problem. Some of them have heeded my advice and Lo they have totally quite the drug and most of them have had few if any recurrences. Thanks for addressing this. Nice to know that my personal experience looks exactly what the clinicians suspect.
Thank you so much for putting this all together and giving the bigger picture…which you do so often and so well! It is much appreciated.
I eat Paleo but I do add grass fed and some raw dairy products.
I never had a uric acid test, but I decided to get one a few months ago.
The result was 5.5. I understand that the optimal level is 3-5.5, so I got concerned.
I eased back on liver and sardines and just eat about once a month.
I have no gout symptoms so I would appreciate if someone could put my mind at ease and let me know if these numbers are worrisome.
Also, I don’t eat much fruit, just some berries or a little grapefruit a few times a month.
I would ignore the numbers and go with how you feel! As a NP in emergency dealing with many people presenting in severe distress, uric acid levels don’t often correlate to pain or clinical presentation. They can be normal. If you have inflammation, then avoid the foods that cause it. If you have no pain, never had, then why be bothered by a set of textbook values that have no relation to how you feel? Don’t worry, that just adds needless stress. Just keep eating clean and no sugar!
I believe that it can take more than 3 years to heal the damage. That’s my anecdotal experience.
I seem to have suppressed my alopecia areata and osteo arthritis, but it did take time. I’ve been gluten/gliadin free for 7 years now. Also no industrial oils, only evoo and grass fed butter. My only carbs are basmati rice and potatoes. Never looked back.
Adopting Paleo does not mean that we all somehow have the same genetic dispositions. Everyone will vary and have to navigate what works for them. Starchy rice and potatoes or dairy send me to the moon, but I can eat my weight in spinach. The real answer: pay attention!
I suffered with gout from the age of 24. I had terrible attacks. I remember one left me unable to walk properly for around three months as it just wouldn’t go. Since I have been studying nutrition etc i refused to take a pill for the the rest of my life so set about trying to fix it myself. High sugar, especially fructose is bad, beans and lentils unfortunately seem to trigger gout, especially black beans! Cooked spinach, I seem fine juicing it, alcohol bad, although I still drink from time to time with no problem…. now…. gluten bad. Too much organ meat and is start to feel it, but I think this is because I’m already broken. The most important things for me is, keep well hydrated, taking up juicing is great, lower sugar, lower alcohol especially beer, lower cooked spinach, rhubarb and others hight oxalate foods, and get plenty of naturAl anti inflammatory foods. I also made a concoction that literally made my gout disappear and has never been felt fully since. You can email me for that if you want the recipe
John
Would you kindly email me this “miraculous” concoction? Thanks so much!
Hi John, i’m interested in having your concoction recipe. Please email me. Thanks, very grateful. – Linda
John — I’d like the recipe. Thanks. Limiting alcohol and drinking tons of water has helped me. As well as tart cherry juice. I also supplement with magnesium (for other reasons) and have heard that may break up uric acid crystals.
Ok, sorry for delay. The concoction. now remember that you need to increase fluids in general too (the most simple and important thing i believe helps).
the recipe was one i modified from a guy (Tony Pantalleresco) from Youtube here is the link (not sure i am allowed? but ill try http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bvGD6IvS97E )
But this is what i done….
chopped one whole pineapple, (Tony uses papaya in the video) then covered it in Cinnamon powder, ginger powder and Turmeric (lots of each) in a glass jar and let it sit for 7 to 10 days in the fridge. I then blended it with some aloe juice and enough pure water to get it started (I would use more fresh juiced pineapple/grapefruit when i do it again)
I took it in small doses. I took 5 Serrapeptase tabs and a couple of ounces of this on a Friday night. I the same the next morning. I was unable to put smart shoes on to go out that night and i was going to get a taxi with the g/f because i could not walk. I knocked back my last 5 serrapeptase and the last two ounces or so of that concoction. A couple of hours later I felt a fizzing and and shortly after it was TOTALLY fine. I went out that night, in the tight shoes, walked a couple of miles to the bar and even had some beers to celebrate ( I know I know) and that was three years ago in July. Not had a bout since. Now I have learned some triggers (black beans in particular, and beans/lentils in general if consumed too much,) and the fact i don’t hardly ever eat bread or grains, or any fructose definitely all help. But I promise you I have never felt anything like this drink. I hope it helps even one other person. Now, I will have to make another batch and see if it works for Uveitis!!!! Good Luck
Sometimes I wonder what would happen to any study, if two or three paleo eaters were amongst the participants. Would probably blow up the results
I have high uric acid, off the charts. It increased, nearly doubled, when I switched to low carb/LCHF, but decreased back to “normal” high levels in maybe six months. Never had gout.
However, I have high levels of c-peptid, but low blood sugar (even before low carb). I have no results from blood tests in childhood, but I think my problem with insulin originates from being stressed since childhood.
Great gout reference article Chris. Having just done some reading around gout another aspect to the puzzle I hadn’t considered was sleep apnea. If anyone is interested in the biochemistry link between sleep apnea triggering a gout attack I’d read this and this.
I wish I knew these things while my mom was still alive. She suffered from gout flare ups quite often and always blamed seafood which was probably one of the few healthy things she ate. She ate a lot of sweets and ended up dying from heart and lung failure although she NEVER smoked!
THANKS CHRIS for informing us of this often misunderstood condition! I will forward it to my husbands co-worker who also suffers from gout. Keep up the good work!
Kat, I wish I’d known a lot more when my dad was still alive who died from Parkinson, a disease almost as unnecessary as diabetes M2
Requesting recipie for gout flare ups. Thank you.
I would frequently get gout a lot growing up as a teen. I rarely get it anymore. My diet definitely wasn’t paleo growing up but instead something along the lines of the typical American diet—high in vegetable oils, cereal grains, fast food/school lunches, etc. At the time I did eat a lot of meat though, and I also overate. Now I don’t strictly eat paleo as I consume a lot of dairy and other things like sweet potatoes and seldomly imported European breads that are pasteurized and don’t contain any wheat. I like lemons, and they reduce uric acid, so maybe that’s why I don’t get gout anymore? I’m betting my diet was just too acidic back then.
My husband’s first disabling gout attack with massive swelling and pain that left him hobbling was the year we started buying our beef in bulk from Costco. We were also eating a lot of corn and other GF grains, as we all also live with Celiac disease. I did a ton of online research because I knew that medications to get rid of the symptoms without finding the cause was NOT what either one of us wanted. Even though all his family was telling him to go to the doctor and get on the medications. I found out the connection between inflammation and gout, and so we switched to grass fed beef and went grain free. He has not had another gout attack that severe since then. If he accidentally eats something that has some gluten in it, too much sugar or some grains—he will start to get the beginning pain of another gout attack in his big toe. Inflammation is definitely the MAIN factor in gout, and if you can remove the inflammation triggers, then you remove the gout triggers. Interestingly, though, the chicken we eat in abundance is corn/soy fed and he has not problems whatsoever with gout from that.
I suspect things may be more complicated than “eat this, experience that”. It is know that uric acid levels will climb in hypothyroidism. If your diet is inducing a lowering of your metabolism (most common when we decrease caloric intake), whether paleo, gluten free, vegan, or whathaveyou, then gout is a distinct possibility. This helps to explain why some do great on paleo/etc. while others do not. The most critical thing is the effect on the metabolism. Real food IS good, but when people change their diets and then experience weight loss they are intentionally under eating. While good for weight loss there is risk of damage to the metabolism. The key is to make these changes while preserving metabolic rate (the $64K question). As with everything, YMMV, and the role of your body constitution is critical.
I’ve suffered gout attacks for 20 years, some bad, some minor. I’ve been “paleo” for about three years and have had minor flare-ups since but it was always due to falling off the wagon for a day or two. However, I had a seriously bad attack, the worst ever, during the summer of 2012; I was crippled for seven weeks. I actually had to buy a wheel chair plus I had to get my crutches out of storage. Man, it was bad.
Eating paleo was, I believe, tangential to this attack. I had lost about 20 pounds fairly rapidly, thanks to paleo. When I was doing my initial research into the diet I came across a couple of papers indicating weight loss, or “rapid weight loss” was linked to gout. One study was a group of men having served in WW2 that had been on starvation menus as POWs, and another study was of a mix of adult men. Both studies were halted after some of the subjects suffered gout attacks.
The theory is that rapid weight loss causes all the toxins in the fat cells to be dumped into the system too rapidly and too long for the body’s various filters to keep up with the onslaught. Why gout no one said but this theory makes sense until a better theory comes along.
Very low-carb paleo (restricting all carbs) cured gout and other symptoms, not only in myself, but unrelated others. (Low-carb/high-fat diet, lots of meat and high fat dairy, otherwise all paleo.)
I suspect it may have something to do with insulin resistance, as it responds so well to lowering carbs (and omega 6 fats).
My brother in law has a uric acid problem ( gout) and struggled with it for a couple years with meat substitutes (all grains !!) and medication but finally tried paleo and now is gout free. It worked great for him and he’s still not even very omega 3/6 aware yet.
I have suffered with month gout problems for a couple years. Pop a few indomethacin and go on with life. Since switching to a high protein primal/paleo diet I have not had a flare up in five months. Cheers
My Husband just had a bad episode of Gout that took him to the ER. The Doctor asked if he had been under a lot of stress because that triggers Gout as well. Has anyone else heard this theory? By the way – yes, he had been under a ton of stress, but really?
Great article. I had gout constantly for 7 years from my early 30′s. All the medication I was given by “health experts” only relieved the pain but never got rid of the problem. I have been paleo for 1 year and have had no trace of gout yet I eat more red meat and seafood than I ever have. Paleo Rocks.
my mom in her 70 has had gout & mildly high blood pressure. otherwise, she is in reasonable health.
she is slightly overweight (she looks more motherly than fat)
she is not a big meat eater nor does she eat too much sugary junk or packaged food (compared with SAD), except she probably eats too much wheat (bagels, bread, pasta/noodle) & peanuts. she does not drink soft drink. she has about 2 servings of fruits. so not much fructose.
every time she has thick chicken broth when eating out. it’s guaranteed she would have a severe attack.
she insists it’s chicken. but i suspect it’s something else MSG? flour? HFCS? (i have asked her to try home made clear chicken broth so make sure it’s not chicken. but she does not eat chicken soup anymore)
i suspect she is gluten intolerant & may have leaky gut. i have been trying to convince her to eat less wheat w/ little success.
any idea?
Gout is not normally understood as autoimmune. More likely is she’s genetically susceptible to gout. How high is her uric acid? It may not be all that high; those who’re genetically vulnerable have a problem excreting uric acid so even normal or mildly elevated uric acid could instigate gout. Another possibility is the acidity of what she’s eating. Fructose is not an immediate instigator of gout. Fructose is a long-term cause of gout and it’s usually seen in high uric acid. Like I said, short term, gout is definitely driven by purines and alkaline and acid imbalance in those who’re genetically vulnerable. I’d get her uric acid and pH tested (through urinalysis). If her UA isn’t high, she has no choice but to restrict purines. If her pH is low, she could increase that by eating more fruits and vegetables and possibly supplementing with baking soda / sodium biocarbonate.
I just love the Paleo diet. It gives me exactly what I need to lose weight and maintain a healthy lifestyle. The high protein and fat keeps me full and really for the workouts while the low carb helps me not gain weight. It’s perfect for my not-so-active lifestyle.
http://cooklikeacaveman.com/paleo-cookbook-review/
I’ve suffered from Gout for about 15 years. The frequency of my attacks has little to do with diet — that is to say that eating purine-rich foods do not, in and of themselves, cause an attack. What I HAVE seen is that following a period of major physical/mental stress — usually about a week — and low hydration, certain purine rich foods will act as a trigger to bring on an attack. So, the stress and dehydration are the precursors — probably dropping my resistance so that the purine is not being flushed from my system.
Staying hydrated and focusing on breath will usually ward off an attack.
Thanks for the advice. Kinda the conclusion I’ve been arriving at myself (first attack about 6 yeas ago now). I find having a couple of glasses of wine late at night is the surest way for me to get a stiff big toe the next morning, but I guess that’s probably just dehydration.
I recently came back to a Paleo diet last week. This week I have experienced my first ever bout of gout. The doctor has essentially ordered me to cut all animal protein until my symptoms subside and has all but said my body cannot tolerate animal protein. His belief is that I need to be on meds the rest of my life if I choose to continue eating meat. What I am wondering is whether or not I really need to be reducing my fruit intake?
I don’t want to be on meds and I want to continue to eat meat, but I definitely don’t want to live with gout.
Help.
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