 |
Natural Gout Treatment – the Results of a Gout Diet That Had a Lot of Success
Author: John Mepham  | Posted: 13-03-2008 | Comments: 0 | Views: 10 | Rating: (50)  (?) 
This is the second article of a series about this diet. Please see Natural Gout Treatment – The Rules Of A Gout Diet That Had A Lot Of Success, for the first article.
This study, based on the Zone diet, did have a positive effect on markers of insulin resistance: triglycerides, total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol ("bad" cholesterol) fell. HDL cholesterol ("good" cholesterol) did not fall. But my purpose in this article is mainly to describe its direct effect on uric acid levels and gout attacks.
After four months on this diet the effects on uric acid levels and gout attacks were quite impressive.
Weight loss and uric acid levels Weight loss over the period was almost 17lbs (7.7kg) i.e. at a rate of about 1lb a week. All but one of the patients lost weight. The median uric acid (UA) fall was 1.7mg/dL.Another very interesting finding was that a more elevated blood uric acid level at the start of the study, meant a large fall of blood uric acid by the end of it. Uric acid levels normalised in 7 of 12 patients who had raised levels of uric acid (UA) before the study.
One participant did not have a raised UA level before the start. It was about 5.9mg/dL. But we already know that gout can occur in people with normal uric acid levels, so this was not unusual.
And gout attacks? Results overall were expressed as a median. Before the study, participants had at least two attacks in the preceding four months. Median monthly attacks before the study were 2.1. After it, attacks fell to 0.6. The fall in the number of gout attacks occurred in all except one patient. The exception participant had shorter and less severe attacks. Eight of the 13 did not have a gout attack during the four month study period, although as mentioned, they had all had at least two in the previous four months and, as noted above, the median was 2.1 a month, or one attack a fortnight, (every two weeks).
AFTER ONE YEAR
About a year later, five of nine patients had no more gout attacks and three had just one attack. So there was a further decrease in attack frequency overall. One patient gained weight after the end of the study. He must have given up on the diet. He suffered three attacks over three months. His blood uric acid levels rose with his weight.
Note especially that the mean uric acid (UA) fall was 1.7mg/dL. In a couple of cases it fell by
2.2 mg/dL and by 2.5mg/dL respectively. Hyperuricemia, (excess uric acid), which may lead to gout, is reckoned to exist if the UA levels exceed 7.2 mg/dL (men), and 6.0 mg/dL (women). The usual UA target in gout treatment is 6.0 mg/dL (somewhat less in women) because at this level the MSU crystals, formed mainly from uric acid may dissolve. (It is the immune system's response to these crystals, which it regards as foreign bodies, which causes the pain and inflammation of gout).
So a fall of 1.7 mg/dL, given these numbers, is quite significant, although you should note that many gout sufferers have UA levels much higher than 7.2 mg/dL, and some gout sufferers do not have excess uric acid.
Were the study patients taking long term medications, such as Allopurinol, for their gout? They were not. They were only taking medications for gout attacks. The study report did not say how much water they drank. Most gout sufferers know that drinking lots of water helps to remove uric acid.
In gout treatment there are always caveats. The study was small. Only 13 male gout sufferers. The study lasted just four months, although there were follow-up results after one year (median).
The researchers noted a connection between weight loss and a fall in uric acid levels in another study and expected the nutrient proportions (40:30:30) contributed to the uric acid fall. They thought that the dietary measures caused the desired improvement in insulin sensitivity.
The results were sufficiently impressive to give hope and encouragement to any gout sufferer who tries this diet as accurately as possible.
The study was conducted in 1999. Unfortunately it has not been followed up by a much larger one designed on the same lines. If conducted, such a study would expand our knowledge of natural gout treatment, perhaps considerably. A natural gout cure is what most gout sufferers want.
The study can be found online if you search "Beneficial effects of weight loss associated with moderate calorie/carbohydrate restriction, and increased proportional intake of protein and unsaturated fat on serum urate and lipoprotein levels in gout: a pilot study." Copy and paste this into a search engine search box and hit enter.
In the study report, uric acid levels were expressed as mmol/l. In this article I have converted these mmol/l numbers to mg/dL, which is a more frequently used measurement.
NB. The contents of this article contain medical information not medical advice. Please always discuss remedies with your doctor or other health care professional before implementing any treatment.
Rate this Article:
Current: 0 / 5 stars - 0 vote(s).
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/alternative-medicine-articles/natural-gout-treatment-the-results-of-a-gout-diet-that-had-a-lot-of-success-358390.html
About the Author:John Mepham has spent much time researching gout. His best tip for curing gout naturally? Get to your ideal weight whatever the sacrifices may be. Learn more about this study and about natural gout treatment at www.gout-smashers-guide.com It's an e-book with a emphasis on natural gout treatment
The Zone diet, and other books by Barry Sears, are available at Official site of The Zone Diet
 The books can be found by clicking on the products tab on the home page.
|
Submitting articles has become one of the most popular means of generating quality backlinks and targeted traffic to your website. Join us today - It's Free! |
|
Related Articles
Natural Gout Treatment – the Rules of a Gout Diet That Had a Lot of Success
By: John Mepham | 13/03/2008 | Alternative Medicine
The widely publicised low purine gout diet is based on the purine theory of the cause
of gout. This theory is not the only gout cause theory. The study explained here was designed to discover whether an anti-insulin resistance diet would be successful against uric acid levels and gout attacks. It did have a lot of success. Insulin resistance is another theory of the cause of gout.
Natural Gout Treatment – How Should You Use Food to Raise Your Body Ph Levels?
By: John Mepham | 05/03/2008 | Alternative Medicine
Raising body pH helps in natural gout treatment because it's likely that when the body is more alkaline, more uric acid will be excreted. So how do you raise your body pH by consuming foods and drinks that are more alkaline? And if you are on a diet, which will be the case to some degree for most gout sufferers, how much attention should also be paid to raising pH from diet?
Natural Gout Remedies. Why You Should Make Strawberries Part of Your Gout Diet
By: John Mepham | 19/06/2008 | Alternative Medicine
Strawberries are not as well known as cherries as a natural remedy for gout partly because they have not been studied as much as cherries. But there are many indications, and some testimonials, that they should be part of a gout diet.
Natural Gout Treatment – Resources for Constructing a Free Gout Diet Plan
By: John Mepham | 28/02/2008 | Alternative Medicine
Natural gout treatment means to a large degree diet. Here are three free resources on the Internet, easily downloaded, that can be part of your gout diet kit. And there are some useful ideas in this article for how a gout sufferer, who is determined to find a cure, can use the free USDA National Nutrient database to find nutrients that aid that cure.
Gout Treatment – Drinking Lots of Water a Day Isn't so Hard
By: John Mepham | 23/11/2007 | Alternative Medicine
Gout sufferers are encouraged to drink a lot of water every day as part of their gout treatment. Although many people would find this a tough task this article explains that some kinds of water based drinks and foods can be counted as part of their daily target.
Keep Gout At Bay With A Low Uric Acid Diet
By: Lisa McDowell | 15/03/2007 | Health
Does a low uric acid diet bring relief from gout symptoms? This question is, like most health questions, answered with both a yes and a no.
However, it is worth noting that it is not a low uric acid diet that will make a difference, but a diet low in...
Water Use in Gout Treatment - it Dissolves More Uric Acid
By: John Mepham | 17/11/2007 | Alternative Medicine
Drinking lots of water every day is an important part of a natural remedy for gout. This article explains why and contains a useful tip for gout sufferers – how to easily record that they drank their daily water target. There's no need to score every glass in a notepad or in any kind of computer.
Reasons To Love Your Gout Prevention Diet
By: Lisa McDowell | 06/05/2007 | Health
The most basic point of any good gout prevention diet is to reduce gout symptoms. This is achieved by lowering the levels of purine rich foods in the diet as these often trigger gout by raising the amount of uric acid in the blood, which in turn makes the pain...
Got a Question? Ask.
Ask the community a question about this article:
Q&A Powered by: 
Latest Alternative Medicine Articles
Remedies for Agitated Nerve Pain | Pain Relief
By: Ray Attebery | 05/09/2008
When nerves suffer damage for any variety of reasons, the pain can be life altering, if not life threatening. Finding ways to live with pain and efforts to make it go away can become an all-consuming activity in your life. Fortunately,
there are medications that can help, no matter the source that triggered your pain.
Insomnia Natural Cures - Frequently Asked Questions
By: John Purfield | 05/09/2008
If you are having trouble falling asleep at night. It may be because you are trying to hard. Read this article to review frequently asked questions when trying to fall asleep using insomnia natural cures.
Safe Alternatives to Botox Poison
By: Steven Walters | 05/09/2008
While botox is a great way to get rid of facial lines and wrinkles, there are safe alternatives to botox treatments that you should know about.
Aquatic Therapy to Cure Back Pain
By: daveclark | 05/09/2008
Special properties of water can do wonders for back pain problem and consequently you can receive excellent results to heal a back injury. Water provides a safe environment where you can effectively work out your muscles as well as stretch the body. In addition, in water you also do not face the constraints imposed by gravitation force.
Treat Regional Enteritis by Herbs
By: wangcan | 05/09/2008
Regional enteritis is a digestive system problem. It's a chronic and extremely discomforting inflammation of the digestive tract. Common symptoms include infected colon and rectum, diarrhea, weight loss, fever and depression, in addition to the pain. The condition is almost always associated with ulcers that form along the gastrointestinal tract. The ulcers often heal, leaving deep scars that narrow the lining of the intestine.
The Usage of Agrimony
By: wangcan | 05/09/2008
For many years, we use the agrimony to cure the wounds. Agrimony, as an invaluable panacea and tonic is acclaimed throughout the history of herbal remedies. In old times it was a very popular herb. There is another name for agrimony, It's often called Egrimoyne, and was used for healing wounds, bites and warts etc by the rural population.
Treat Your Pimples in an Herbal Way
By: wangcan | 05/09/2008
Do you have many pimples on your face? It may turn into black spots. What you are suffering is age spot. How to remove age spots is mostly performed due to aesthetic reasons than any other reason. Age spots might be unsightly but they are pretty harmless. Preventing age spots by using lots of high quality sun block and staying away from the sun is the best way to make sure they don't appear at all.
Use Herbs to Treat a Blood Clot
By: wangcan | 05/09/2008
A blood clot is called thrombosis in the professional medical courses. It slows the flow of blood after an injury. It becomes a serious illness when a blood clot develops inside of a blood vessel. It could lead to a heart attack or stroke because it can block the supply of oxygen to surrounding tissues. The existing blood clots should be treated by a physician.
More from John Mepham
Tophi Gout Treatment Will Improve
By: John Mepham | 27/08/2008 | Medicine
Tophaceous gout, also called tophi gout, can develop in gout sufferers after several of gout attacks. The prospects for gout sufferers who also have tophi, about a quarter of all gout sufferers, are improving. This article explains why.
New Gout Drugs – Pegloticase Continues Its Hopeful Path
By: John Mepham | 19/06/2008 | Medicine
Pegloticase is getting closer to an approval application to the US FDA. This new gout drug is tackling harder-to-treat gout patients and there are good indications that, if approved for certain categories of gout sufferers, it will help a considerable number of them.
Natural Gout Remedies. Why You Should Make Strawberries Part of Your Gout Diet
By: John Mepham | 19/06/2008 | Alternative Medicine
Strawberries are not as well known as cherries as a natural remedy for gout partly because they have not been studied as much as cherries. But there are many indications, and some testimonials, that they should be part of a gout diet.
Natural Gout Treatment – the Rules of a Gout Diet That Had a Lot of Success
By: John Mepham | 13/03/2008 | Alternative Medicine
The widely publicised low purine gout diet is based on the purine theory of the cause
of gout. This theory is not the only gout cause theory. The study explained here was designed to discover whether an anti-insulin resistance diet would be successful against uric acid levels and gout attacks. It did have a lot of success. Insulin resistance is another theory of the cause of gout.
Natural Gout Treatment – How Should You Use Food to Raise Your Body Ph Levels?
By: John Mepham | 05/03/2008 | Alternative Medicine
Raising body pH helps in natural gout treatment because it's likely that when the body is more alkaline, more uric acid will be excreted. So how do you raise your body pH by consuming foods and drinks that are more alkaline? And if you are on a diet, which will be the case to some degree for most gout sufferers, how much attention should also be paid to raising pH from diet?
Natural Gout Treatment – Resources for Constructing a Free Gout Diet Plan
By: John Mepham | 28/02/2008 | Alternative Medicine
Natural gout treatment means to a large degree diet. Here are three free resources on the Internet, easily downloaded, that can be part of your gout diet kit. And there are some useful ideas in this article for how a gout sufferer, who is determined to find a cure, can use the free USDA National Nutrient database to find nutrients that aid that cure.
Natural Gout Treatment – Which Vitamins are Good for Gout?
By: John Mepham | 28/02/2008 | Alternative Medicine
Natural gout treatment involves the use of some vitamins and minerals such as calcium and potassium, fish oils and possibly some others. This article provides an overview of what effects these substances have on gout, both reported and researched.
Vitamin C for Gout Treatment – Just How Easy is it to Get the Required Daily Amount From Food?
By: John Mepham | 03/12/2007 | Alternative Medicine
Vitamin C has been shown in some studies to reduce uric acid levels, and this is thought to be crucial in treating and curing gout. If Vitamin C from fresh foods is the best form, which foods are highest in Vitamin C to help them intake 500 mg of Vitamin C daily? This article explains.
|
|
Health 
