Gout: Just a bowl of cherries. Part 1
As we approach middle age, men become prone to gout, a form of arthritis. Gout hurts; let me re-emphasize this: GOUT HURTS! It usually starts with the big toe joint and feels as if Old Ned has his pitchfork, glowing red-hot, prying the joint apart. In addition gouty arthritis spreads throughout the body, working on more joints causing an overall feeling of constant pain.
Yes, I have gout. It started all of a sudden when I was 40-ah, so many years ago. This morning I had another attack. The big toe again and I had been discounting the build up of overall body pain, attributing it to old age. Maybe most of us old birds need a checkup for gouty arthritis.
Gout is precipitated by high levels of serum uric acid in the blood stream that the kidneys do not excrete. This uric acid forms “ crystals” in the joints and this is the basis of the pain. There is good news though.
According to L.W. Blau Ph.D. a pioneer researcher in this area that people with high levels of serum uric acid are usually high achievers, and some never have traditional pain. Another report from the Journal of American Medical Association (1966), “higher that average level of uric acid content in the blood…is associated with high levels of intellectual attainment”.
This is small consolation, however, for the pain, but it might allow you to plan on mending your dietary intake and if that does not motivate you-consider that excess uric acid will contribute to heart disease. A lot of this is caused by STRESS; remember stress causes us to seek solace in specific unhealthy fast and processed foods.
PURINE rich foods will increase your gout attacks. A 3oz. serving of the following will contain an average of 40 to 125 mg. of purine: dried beans, fish, lentils, meats, peas, poultry, seafood and spinach.
About 125 to 700mg of purine are found in the following: anchovies, sardines, kidneys, sweetbreads, and liver, meat extracts such as Vienna sausages.
Of course all is proportional to the more you pile on your pizza plate, the more pain. Wait it gets worse.
Coffee (my weakness and current cause of pain) tea, cola drinks (worse yet) will do you in too. Sugar will raise the uric acid levels and boost the caffeine, which goes back to more pain.
Ok, so you are pure and a vegetarian but still have pain. It could be the water you are drinking. Run off over the past 75 years of molybdenum from farm fertilizer can be leaching into shallow wells and cause undue excess in the body. Not only will this mineral contribute to gout but also heart disease and bone disease.
If you suspect this is your problem, or are just health concerned you can consult
the Yellow Pages in the telephone book and order a water test.
Vitamin C reduces molybdenum in body tissues. This invaluable vitamin, possibly taken as a supplement also protects the body from other toxic heavy metals such as: excess fluoride, cadmium, mercury, chromium, cobalt and copper.
Your physician may prescribe: ALLPURINOL, sold under the names of LOPURIN and ZYLOPRIM. These anti-gout medications may have side effects of iron deficiency, kidney stones and gastrointestinal disturbances. Avoid beer; sorry men, but this is a no no. Your physician will give you a list of what is good and bad. Remember, eat less, and loose the beer belly look. Go for walks. Drink lots of clean water.
While I am on the topic of water, we will discuss really good water filters when we talk about well drilling one of these weeks.
Now for the GOOD NEWS! Pie cherries will often reduce or eliminate the symptoms of gout. According to an authority on the subject, Dr. Blau said: “Cherries do not hasten the excretion of uric acid, they simply prevent crystallization.”
Many people claim relief by eating as few as six cherries a day. Considering that frozen cherries, big PIE CHERRIES are best or, from a can labeled Pie Cherries you may be saved pain.
Next week we will continue with an herbal look at gout and arthritis. In the mean time buy up some cans of pie cherries and eat six cherries without the additional sugar. You might consider planting some cherry trees in the front and back yard. Cherries work for me.
Contact me at: back2theland@swva.net
COPYRIGHT: 2008, Back2theLand, Mark Steel
