Gout

Several people have walked into our office complaining of pain in their big toe. Sometimes it is nothing more than a fixation in the joint, it could also be osteoarthritis from sports or other activities, but it could be gout. Gout usually starts in the big toe but I have seen it in the knee, foot, and other areas of the leg. Gout happens when the body has trouble metabolizing uric acid. It is possible to have high uric acid levels and not have gout. Gout is made worse by eating foods high in purine. Organ meats, scallops, muscles, and some fish are high in purine. There are also vegetables such as dried beans and asparagus that are moderately high in purine. Heavy alcohol use, kidney disease, obesity, high blood pressure, and some drugs can interfere with uric acid elimination. Because of the kidney problems associated with gout, I often suggest reducing foods high in oxalic acid. For a list of these foods, click on the following link. http://oxalicacidinfo.com/
Also see www.nutritioncaremanual.org
In managing gout, you should first get a medical exam with labs. Second, modify your diet and lifestyle. Third, although there is no cure for gout, there are supplements that make it much easier to live with. They include Phosfood liquid, AC Carbomide, Arginex, Renatrophin, Celery Seed, and Valerian root. There is also nutritional support for abnormal levels of uric acid when a patient does not have gout.

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