FREE Mini-Course on Gout

Hi Everyone,

I’ve put together a FREE step-by-step mini-course, “Gout – What Is It?” to help you get started quickly to understand gout, it’s causes, and how to live a gout free and healthier life.

It’s designed to teach you a lot of the essentials so you can identify if you do, indeed, suffer from gout, some of the symptoms that can result from gout, and how to take action to fix the problem.

In my FREE ‘Mini’ Course, You’ll Learn:

• Gout – What is it?
• What is Hyperuricemia?
• Gout Risk Factors
• Signs of Gout
• How is Gout Diagnosed
• Gout Control – Lifestyle Changes
• Medical Gout Treatment
• And much, much more!

Yes, Renée! I Want to Learn the Secrets to Controlling my Gout

Send Me My Free “Gout – What Is It?” Email Course Today!

“Gout – What Is It?”

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To your health,

Renée

FREE Mini-Course on Gout is a post from: Gout Cures Now - Gout Symptoms and Treatment

Hi everyone,

It’s been a while since I posted here.  I’ve been busy with a new project that I want to share with you because I’m sure anyone who suffers from Gout will benefit.

We all know that being overweight can bring on a gout attack. However, the problem is not only being overweight, but the foods we eat and the exercise we don’t get.

With this in mind, I started a new blog called Losing Body Fat in which I review several of the top weight loss and/or exercise programs online today. Some talk about how to lose abdominal fat because recent studies are showing that it can be harmful in many ways. Other programs teach you how to exercise to burn body fat.

I was VERY picky about which programs I included. They had to be backed up by research I could check out and actually written by a person I could contact with questions.  I met some really nice, honest people along the way!

So you won’t find some of the most popular “how to lose weight quick” programs on my list because I have no confidence in programs written “by committee” or those that don’t have any way for you to contact someone if you have a question.  If they just leave you hanging out to dry after they take your money, they WON’T be on my list!

If you click over to my new blog, Losing Body Fat, you will find a mini-review on the front page and a list of the complete reviews for each program in the right sidebar, as well as a list of some articles you might find interesting. In fact, I am going to include a list of the reviews in the sidebar of this blog also to make it easier for you to see what’s included and to click over to any you want to check out.

The new blog is a work-in-progress so check back often if you don’t find something you like or, better yet, tell me which program you are interested in and I will take a good look at it and give you my honest opinion.

Here’s the link again:   Losing Body Fat

Take care,
Renée

Obesity is the Enemy of Gout Sufferers – Introducing “Losing Body Fat” is a post from: Gout Cures Now - Gout Symptoms and Treatment

Related posts:

1. Recommended Reading for Sufferers of Gout Pain 24 Jan 2010

The following post is from Dr. Joseph Mercola and is based on an interview he had on May 18, 2010 with Dr. Richard J Johnson:

Dr. Richard Johnson is the chief of the division of kidney disease and hypertension at the University of Colorado, and author of  The Sugar Fix, one of the best books on the market on the dangers of fructose.

As one of the physicians on the cutting edge of sugar metabolism research today, his focus is on how the overabundance of sugar in the American diet — particularly fructose — is causing obesity, hypertension, diabetes, and a number of other health problems.

Sources:  Video Transcript

Dr. Mercola’s Comments:

Fructose has become one of my newest health passions for a number of reasons. It is really not well understood how pervasive a negative influence this sugar has on people’s health, but even more importantly, it is something that we can easily change, by influencing  the food industry to replace it with something healthier.

One of the leading researchers in this field is Richard Johnson, MD who the chief of the division of kidney disease and hypertension at the University of Colorado.   I’ve previously interviewed Dr. Johnson about his research into the health dangers of fructose, specifically how fructose causes high blood pressure, obesity, and diabetes.

Here, we continue this discussion, and Dr. Johnson also shares new details of the research he’s been involved with since the last interview.

An interesting aside is that at the end of this interview, I was very pleasantly surprised to learn that I had written some of the articles on fructose that he reviewed when he first decided to researched this topic.

It really gave me great joy to know that all the hard work and effort I have put in over the years really is making a difference, not only getting people healthy, but also motivating high integrity scientists to do the right thing.

Additionally, Dr. Johnson actually endorses Splenda in his book, The Sugar Fix: The High-Fructose Fallout That Is Making You Fat and Sick, which was written prior to us getting to know each other, but I recently sent him my book Sweet Deception: Why Splenda, NutraSweet, and the FDA May Be Hazardous to Your Health, which outlines the many dangers of artificial sweeteners. He’s a true physician and was eager to review the material and update his knowledge on the subject.

There aren’t many doctors out there with this type of integrity. I really like Dr. Johnson and believe he’s an authentically well-intentioned good guy.

It is not often that a health researcher can open up my eyes to a completely novel and new risk factor for health, as he did with uric acid and fructose, and I will always be grateful to him for that and for his willingness to enlighten us in these interviews.

Uric Acid as a Marker for Fructose Toxicity

One of the surprising facts discussed in our first interview was how detrimental the impact of fructose is on your uric acid levels. It appears as though that process is essential to the damage that fructose causes, and it’s actually an excellent marker for toxicity from fructose.

According to the latest research in this area, the safest range of uric acid is between 3 and 5.5 milligrams per deciliter, and there appears to be a steady relationship between uric acid levels and blood pressure and cardiovascular risk, even down to the range of 3 to 4 mg/dl.

Dr. Johnson suggests that the ideal uric acid level is probably around 4 mg/dl for men and 3.5 mg/dl for women. This is actually the only major biochemical marker that I need to optimize at this point in my life, which  most likely suggests that I am particularly sensitive to fructose intake and that it’s best for me to keep my levels as low as possible.

This is most likely due to genetics and would explain why most of my paternal relatives have, or have died from, diabetes. That side of the family is most likely particularly sensitive to fructose.

So I would STRONGLY encourage everyone to have their uric acid level checked to find out how sensitive you are to fructose. (I’ll discuss this strategy further, later in this article.)

As you know, two-thirds of the US population is overweight, and most of these people likely have uric acid levels well above 5.5. Some may even be closer to 10 or above.

Dr. Johnson has developed a program to help people optimize their uric acid levels, and the key step in this program is complete elimination of fructose.

Results of the Latest Clinical Trial

“We’ve just finished a clinical trial where we gave a low fructose diet to overweight and obese adults from Mexico City.” Dr. Johnson says.

“We tried two different low fructose diets, but first, before we go into that, we think that the effects of fructose are independent of its energy intake. So that although sugar — which contains fructose and high fructose corn syrup — although there is a caloric component, we think that the effects of fructose are not specifically related to the calories but rather to its mechanism, of which uric acid is driving part.

… [Uric acid levels] being too high seems to really increase the risk for diabetes and high blood pressure, kidney disease and obesity. And in fact, there are more and more papers coming out showing that connection.”

One of the questions that Dr. Johnson sought to answer in his latest trial was whether or not you need to reduce ALL fructose in your diet, or just reduce the fructose primarily in added sugars like high fructose corn syrup and table sugar.

After comparing the two low fructose diets — one that was strictly low fructose, and the other that had low fructose but allowed natural fruits – they discovered that both diets had remarkable effects in reducing metabolic syndrome.

Both diets improved triglycerides, insulin resistance and blood pressure.

Revisiting Fruit Consumption

So it appears as though whole fruits, even though they contain fructose, may not be nearly as problematic as fructose from added sugars. One of the reasons for this is believed to be because whole fruits contain high amounts of natural antioxidants, as well as other synergistic compounds that may help counter the detrimental effects of fructose.

The key here though is WHOLE fruits.

Fruit juice typically contains very high concentrations of fructose, which will cause your insulin to spike and may counter the benefits of the antioxidants. Previous studies have already clearly demonstrated that drinking large amounts of juice dramatically increases your risk of obesity.

“When I originally wrote my book, I was concerned that if you eat large amounts even of natural fruits you could get into trouble,”Johnson says, “and I have had cases where people were eating very large amounts of natural fruits.

When I cut it out or reduced it, they’ve had dramatic weight loss.

So I’ve had a number of people like this who are eating almost a pure fruit diet, and I don’t think that that’s particularly good, but I think that the normal individual eating two to four natural fruits a day probably is going to be fine.”

I do remain convinced that many people, especially those that have insulin resistance, such as those with:

• Diabetes
• High blood pressure
• High cholesterol
• Overweight

should be particularly careful about limiting their fructose from fruit to 15 grams per day or less.  However the NEW appreciation is that if you have your uric acid level checked and have a level of 4 for men, or 3.5 for women, you probably are at a very low risk for fructose toxicity and can be  more liberal with these limits. The higher your uric acid though, the more you need to limit or even avoid fructose until your uric acid level normalizes.

Fruit Serving Size Grams of Fructose Limes 1 medium 0 Lemons 1 medium 0.6 Cranberries 1 cup 0.7 Passion fruit 1 medium 0.9 Prune 1 medium 1.2 Apricot 1 medium 1.3 Guava 2 medium 2.2 Date (Deglet Noor style) 1 medium 2.6 Cantaloupe 1/8 of med. melon 2.8 Raspberries 1 cup 3.0 Clementine 1 medium 3.4 Kiwifruit 1 medium 3.4 Blackberries 1 cup 3.5 Star fruit 1 medium 3.6 Cherries, sweet 10 3.8 Strawberries 1 cup 3.8 Cherries, sour 1 cup 4.0 Pineapple 1 slice (3.5″ x .75″) 4.0 Grapefruit, pink or red 1/2 medium 4.3

Fruit Serving Size Grams of Fructose Boysenberries 1 cup 4.6 Tangerine/mandarin orange 1 medium 4.8 Nectarine 1 medium 5.4 Peach 1 medium 5.9 Orange (navel) 1 medium 6.1 Papaya 1/2 medium 6.3 Honeydew 1/8 of med. melon 6.7 Banana 1 medium 7.1 Blueberries 1 cup 7.4 Date (Medjool) 1 medium 7.7 Apple (composite) 1 medium 9.5 Persimmon 1 medium 10.6 Watermelon 1/16 med. melon 11.3 Pear 1 medium 11.8 Raisins 1/4 cup 12.3 Grapes, seedless (green or red) 1 cup 12.4 Mango 1/2 medium 16.2 Apricots, dried 1 cup 16.4 Figs, dried 1 cup 23.0

A Novel Idea — Using Uric Acid as a Marker of Susceptibility to Fructose Damage

Going back to the issue of genetic variability, it seems that some people may be able to process fructose more efficiently, and the key to assess this susceptibility to fructose damage  lies in evaluating your uric acid levels.

Dr. Johnson agrees that using uric acid levels as a marker to identify your susceptibility could be a reasonable approach.

So, for example, if you’re passionate about fruit and typically eat large amounts of fruit, but have a uric acid level above 5 (or better yet, 4 if you’re a man, and 3.5 if you’re a woman), then you may want to consider lowering your fruit consumption until you’re able to optimize your uric acid levels.

“We have some evidence from our laboratory that uric acid actually regulates the sensitivity to fructose,” Johnson says. “So the higher your uric acid, the more sensitive you are to the effects of fructose.

… So I agree with you. If you measure your serum uric acid and it’s very significantly high, you probably will get into more trouble with fruit juices and large amounts of fruit than other individuals would.

That seems to be the take home message from our current research.”

It’s important to keep in mind, however, that not all fruit juices are created equal. Most commercial juices contain a minimal amount of actual fruit juice and are comprised mainly of added sugars like high fructose corn syrup and artificial or “natural” flavor additives. These kinds of juices have no redeeming value and are best avoided entirely.

However, if you juice your own fruits, you may also want to keep in mind that different fruits contain varying amounts of fructose and antioxidants.

“For example, pear juice and apple juice is very, very low in vitamin C but very, very high in fructose,” Johnson says, “ and so those particular kinds of juices maybe worse than orange juice or grapefruit juice that have high amount of vitamin C.

Now, apples contain other compounds like quercetin, which is an antioxidant that may block some of fructose’s effects. So, you know, the verdict is still out in terms of which juice is better and which juice is worse.

But in general, apple juice and pear juice, I would be more concerned about those types of juices because they are very, very high in fructose and relatively low in antioxidants.”

Is Glucose a Safer Alternative Sweetener?

Although you cannot buy “glucose” commercially, it’s available under the name of “dextrose.”

It’s relatively inexpensive, priced at about a dollar a pound. It’s not as sweet as table sugar or fructose, but it also doesn’t seem to cause the same health problems – at least for those who are not diabetic or insulin resistant.

Dr. Johnson explains:

“It is absolutely true that if you take a laboratory animal and you feed it glucose or dextrose or starch, it will not get into trouble. It will stay skinny. It will stay healthy.  Rice diets are high in starch and historically have been associated with being lean.

In contrast, if you give sugar or fructose to an animal, they’ll rapidly develop features of metabolic syndrome, obesity, and so forth. And you can pair-feed animals, so one animal gets exactly the same number of calories as the other one, but it’s only the sucrose- or sugar- or fructose-fed animals that develop the features of metabolic syndrome. This makes one believe that starches safe, and this is in fact what I wrote in the book.

Now, as we’ve done more studies, (obviously if you’re a diabetic, glucose is not good because in diabetes you cannot handle glucose metabolism)… one of the things that we’re just discovering in the laboratory — actually it’s been known but we’re trying to figure out how important it is — people who are diabetic, and people who are severely insulin resistant… can make fructose from the glucose through a pathway called “the polyol pathway.”

We are now studying it and we do think that there is an endogenous fructose pathway.

We don’t know how important it is yet, but we do know that you can make fructose from glucose, especially if you’re diabetic or if you’re severely insulin resistant.

Since a lot of people who are very, very overweight and are trying to lose weight, some of them can be insulin resistant. This does throw a new twist into the story… We’re trying to figure out the impact of this.

But certainly if you’re not insulin resistant, dextrose or starch is going to be good.”

According to Dr. Johnson’s data, which he claims is “unequivocal,” starch and dextrose (glucose) does NOT cause obesity or diabetes, whereas fructose does.

Interestingly, animal studies have discovered that if an animal eats lots of fructose, over time they become diabetic. Part of this process, however, is that once they become insulin resistant, they activate the polyol pathway and begin to make fructose from other sources of food as well!

This is quite remarkable, and a strong testament to the need to severely limit your fructose intake.

It’s also offers an explanation for how and why the obesity epidemic has flourished the way it has since the introduction of HFCS into most of our processed foods.

“It’s a little bit more complicated than we had originally thought,” Johnson says, “but the bottom line is: If you’re trying to avoid gaining weight; if you’re trying to avoid becoming obese or diabetic, the best thing you can do is to cut back on foods that raise uric acid, particularly sugar, fructose and high fructose corn syrup (HFCS).

That’s by far the best approach. Starch in general appears to be safe unless you’re severely insulin resistant, in which case perhaps isn’t quite as safe as we had originally thought.”

Defining Insulin Resistance

Ideally you’ll want to have a fasting insulin level below 2. In addition, Dr. Johnson recommends using a simple glucose test to check your fasting glucose.

“The fasting glucose, under 100, suggests that you’re not insulin resistant,” he says. “If your fasting glucose is between 100 and 125 mg/dl, you probably are insulin resistant to a mild extent, or you have impaired glucose tolerance.

You have what we would call mild insulin resistance and slightly elevated glucose levels for what you would expect.”

I agree with Dr. Johnson that this is typically true, however it’s still possible to have low fasting glucose yet have significantly elevated insulin levels.

Dr. Johnson explains: “Yes, if you have hyperinsulinemia, in general what happens is that as you become insulin resistant, your insulin levels go up to help keep your blood sugar down. So if you have a particularly robust insulin response, you could keep your glucose in the normal range for some time.”

So, in this case, you’re essentially pre-diabetic and need to take steps to improve your insulin sensitivity, and the most potent way is to reduce or eliminate fructose.

A Word on Agave

I got a lot of push-back after I published my report on agave, which many health conscious people believe is a safe, all-natural, healthy sweetener. However, agave can contain anywhere between 55 to 90 percent fructose!

Some companies were very upset with our article and refuted the information so much so that we actually purchased three of the most popular “natural” agave products and had them independently tested, at our expense, at a commercial laboratory.

The results came back last week and they support what I said, that they were high in fructose. The range was 59 to 67 percent fructose. I am in the process of writing an entire report on it that should be published in the next few weeks.

Fructose content is also high in honey, which contains about 70 percent .

In addition, most of the commercial supplies of agave are processed in a way that’s not too dissimilar to the processing of high fructose corn syrup.

“We have not done any specific research with agave or with honey,” Johnson says. “But I do believe that those two compounds, because they’re so high in fructose, probably will engage the same pathways that we see when we give fructose or sugar to animals.

So I would not recommend those as sweeteners to use daily.”

Learn More…

I strongly recommend you listen to this interview in its entirety, or read through the TRANSCRIPT. In it, Dr. Johnson also discusses the potential benefits, as well as the risks, of using the drug allopurinol (traditionally used to lower uric acid levels in patients with severe gout) to treat heart disease, diabetes and even obesity.

We also discuss the lifestyle adjustments that can work together synergistically to optimize your health benefits, and delve into two additional studies that Dr. Johnson recently submitted to two prestigious scientific journals.

I have written about the dangers of sugar for a long time, and of course, variables like exercise and calorie intake play a role in obesity, but I am fully convinced that if we can educate the public about the primary role fructose holds in creating obesity, we can actually reverse and eventually eliminate the obesity epidemic.

So please, keep learning, and keep sharing this information with your family and friends. I also highly recommend reading Dr. Johnson’s book, The Sugar Fix: The High-Fructose Fallout That Is Making You Fat and Sick, as it offers a real solution to several devastating health problems. It even includes over 30 different low-fructose recipes to help you get down to business.

The trend will not magically reverse itself – it will require each and every one of you to become educated, savvy consumers, and it will require that you bring back home cooking; using fresh, whole, organic foods.

The Impact of Fructose on Uric Acid Levels is a post from: Gout Cures Now - Gout Symptoms and Treatment

Since before the days of Rome, people have been using Stinging Nettles (Urtica dioica or Urtica urens) for treating gout (also known as “gouty arthritis”), arthritis, and rheumatism. The method they used was called flagellation or urtification. They would take a handful of the plant by the stems and “slap” the painful area repeatedly.

The first time I heard Nettles used as a treatment for gout was by this method.

This method decreases the original pain by reducing the level of inflammatory chemicals in the body and interfers with how the body sends pain signals to the brain.

WHAT ARE STINGING NETTLES?

The Stinging Nettle is a herbaceous shrub that grows worldwide. You may have had a tenacious patch of it in your yard at one time or another!

Stinging Nettles

Each Spring, it is one of the earliest plants to appear.  It grows well in nitrogen-rich soil, blooms between June and September, and can grow up to five feet in height. The stems are upright and rigid, it has heart shaped leaves which are finely toothed and tapered. The flowers  are yellow or pink and the entire plant is covered with tiny stiff hairs which release formic acid when touched, which is a skin irritant. The best time to harvest the young leaves, which are rich in iron, calcium and the Vitamins A and C, is in May or June.

HOW IT CAN HELP GOUT PAIN

• Used in a COMPRESS or CREAM it’s good for treating joint pain;
• Chopped leaves can be applied topically to the painful area;
• INFUSIONS  made with fresh nettle leaves stimulate  circulation and cleanse the system;
• TINCTURES are used in combination with other herbs for joint pain;
  Compresses soaked in diluted tincture can be applied to painful joints;

The TEA has many uses, such as:

• Kidney and urinary system ailments;
• It aids in the discharge of metabolic wastes, such as uric acid crystals, which are a by-product of protein metabolism and, as they build up in the blood, they turn into monosodium urate crystals that lodge in the joints, causing extreme pain and inflammation.  Actually, the inflammation is caused by the body’s own white blood cells that head for the area to “fight” off the crystals.
• It’s a diuretic and flushes the toxins from your body;
• The tea has been used for centuries as a “Spring Tonic” to cleanse the blood, tone and purify the body, and replenish the body with nutrients.

HOW TO USE

• Tea made with nettle tops can be used as a blood cleansing diuretic that also stimulates the formation of red blood cells;
• To prepare the tea,pour 2/3 cup of boiling water over 3 – 4 teaspoons of the dried leaves and steep for 3 – 5 minutes. Drink 3 – 4 cups a day
• It’s great cooked up  like spinach or other leafy greens. It’s flavor is pleasant and earthy flavor;
• An infusion can be made as follows: take 1/2 ounce of fresh nettle leaves to a pint of water. Pour boiling water over leaves a let stand for a short time.
• To make a tincture, add 4 ounces of water and 12 ounces of alcohol to 1-4 ounces of the powdered leaf or root. Let stand for 2 weeks. You may add a teaspoon of glycerin. AFter two weeks, drain off the liquid and put it in a bottle to use as needed.
• After harvesting, wash and cover with hot water for 20 minutes. This reduces their stinging power. Then used the “soak” water as a tea or a base for soup.

AVAILABLE AS:

Stinging nettle is available as dried leaf, freeze-dried leaf, extract, capsules, tinctures, infusions, and powder.  Visit my STINGING NETTLES STORE for a good selection of all the different forms of nettles.

In the Spring, you can harvest the fresh, tender leaves and dry them for use throughout the year.  Watch the video below for pointers on how to harvest the leaves.

HISTORICAL USES

Besides being used by the Romans, the ancient Greeks used nettles to treat arthritis. 1st Century Greek physician, Dioscorides listed many uses for the plant, from the fresh, chopped leaves, to the juice, and cooked leaves.

The Aztecs used it medicinally in Mexico. The Aztec Herbal of 1552 recommended using crushed nettles boiled in water to be used as a poultice for arthritis.

Native Americans have long used it for urinary tract disorders.

HOW TO HARVEST STINGING NETTLES

Treating Gout with Stinging Nettles is a post from: Gout Cures Now - Gout Symptoms and Treatment

Related posts:

1. Treating Gout with Essential Oils & Aromatherapy, Part 1

A preliminary study in 1950 proposed that eating cherries each day was helpful in relieving gout attacks and gout pain. Patients who consumed cherries, or cherry juice, had reduced levels of uric acid in their blood, and the inflammation around the joint improved.

As we know, when the uric acid level in the blood becomes too high, it turns to monosodium urate crystals and settles around a joint. The body’s white blood cells then attack the crystals, causing extreme pain and inflammation. So including tart cherries in your gout diet can be a good remedy for gout. Watch the video below for some tips for treating gout with cherries:

Have you had any experience treating your gout pain and inflammation with cherries? If so, share your experiences below. . .

Treating Gout With Cherries is a post from: Gout Cures Now - Gout Symptoms and Treatment

Related posts:

1. Treating Gout with Stinging Nettles

PART 3 – Treating gout – the Third Two Weeks

A six-week program for treating gout using diet, essential oils, and aromatherapy

This post will be the third of three that outlines how you can greatly improve your problems with gout. The program is in 2-week segments and we will cover the third two weeks in this post. If you missed the first two parts, you will find them here: Treating Gout with Essential Oils and Aromatherapy, Part 1 and Treating Gout with Essential Oils and Aromatherapy, Part 2.

A Recap – What are Essential Oils?

Essential oils are the concentrated essences of flowers, fruits, herbs, and plants, and have been proven to be extremely potent when used medicinally, and is one of the holistic remedies for gout.

For hundreds of years, all around the world, essential oils and aromatherapy have been used successfully in the treatment of many adverse conditions, and gout pain relief is one of them. Gout and aromatherapy have been companions for many years.

photo credit: Ozchin

The essential oils we will be using during the third two weeks are Lavender, Ginger, Rosemary, and Geranium, all of which are very helpful in treating gout.

Here is a brief explanation of what each of these oils does:

Lavender

Lavender is my favorite essential oil. It’s fantastic for stress relief. Just take a sniff from the bottle and instantly relax. It’s the only essential oil you can put undiluted directly on your skin. Here are the properties that help with gout:

• Analgesic – helps deaden pain
• Antidepressant – reduces or prevents depression
• Anti-inflammatory – reduces swelling and inflammation
• Antirheumatic – prevents and/or relieves rheumatic pain and swelling. Remember, gout is a form of arthritis called “gouty arthritis.”
• Antinfectious – helps detoxify the body
• Tonic – helps to strengthen the entire body or specific organs

Ginger

Gout, or any form of rheumatism or arthritis,  can be worse in damp weather.  Ginger has warming properties that add a spicy, warming, soothing sensation that is so necessary during cold and damp weather, and also stimulates the circulation in the areas where this is needed.

Here are the features of Ginger that can help with gout:

• Analgesic - numbs pain, which helps during a gout attack;
• Anti-inflammatory - alleviates swelling and inflammation through circulatory action, and offers gout pain relief;
• Antiseptic - fights germs and infections;
• Antispasmodic - relieves spasms and cramps and benefits relaxation and calmness;
• Tonic - helps to strengthen the entire body or specific organs;
• Diaphoretic - promotes perspiration, helping skin eliminate waste;
• Warming.

Rosemary

Rosemary creates circulation and warmth,  soothing sore muscles,  aches and pains.

Here are the ways Rosemary can help you in treating gout:

• Analgesic – numbs pain, which helps during a gout attack;
• Anti-inflammatory – alleviates swelling and inflammation through circulatory action, and offers gout pain relief;
• Anti rheumatic – prevents and/or relieves rheumatic pain and swelling. Gout has been associated with rheumatic arthritis and is often called “gouty arthritis”;
• Antiseptic – fights germs and infections;
• Restorative, Tonic – helps to strengthen the entire body or specific organs;
• Stimulant – induces temporary improvements in physical function.  For example, a stimulant can promote enhanced alertness, wakefulness, and locomotion.

I always find that putting a couple of drops of Rosemary in my shampoo makes my hair stronger.  This doesn’t have anything to do with gout, but I’m passing it along for the ladies!

Geranium

Geranium is a lovely essential oil that has the following properties to help with gout pain, and to prevent a gout attack:

• Antidepressant – aids in alleviating and preventing depression;
• Antiseptic – fights germs and infections;
• Anti-inflammatory – alleviates swelling and inflammation through circulatory action, and offers gout pain relief;
• Antispasmodic – relieves spasms and cramps and benefits relaxation and calmness;
• Bactericidal – destructive to bacteria;
• Diuretic – aids in the elimination of toxins in the body by increasing urine flow.  This helps flush the uric acid and monosodium urate crystals out of your system;
• Cicatrisant – cell-regenerative for skin, healing for scars;
• Tonic – helps to strengthen the entire body or specific organs.

Again, we will be using Sweet Almond Oil and Jojoba Oil as the carrier oils for massaging.

Sweet Almond Oil is made from the kernel and contains glucosides, minerals, and vitamins, and is rich in protein. It relieves soreness and inflammation.

Jojoba Oil is really a wax and never becomes rancid. It contains protein, minerals, and a substance that mimics collagen. It is excellent on inflamed skins and is very penetrative, so it gets the essential oils to the joint quickly.

The Third Two Weeks, What to Do:

The first step is to continue to follow the diet outlined in Part 1.   Here is a recap:

1. Eliminate these foods from your diet because they can bring on an attack of gout:

• Alcohol, especially beer because it contains YEAST
• Caffein drinks
• Chocolate
• Red Meat
• Port
• Lamb
• Processed meats, such as bacon and hot dogs
• Shellfish/seafood
• Anything made with yeast, such as bread

2. If you are subject to gout attacks (even if you’re not!) drink adequate amounts of water each day. This helps flush the uric acid from your system.

3. Take the following vitamins in addition to a Multi-Vitamin Supplement:

• 1,000 mg of Vitamin C
• 250 mg of Vitamin E
• B-Complex Supplement
• Beta-Carotene
• Fish Oil Capsules

Here’s the treatment plan for this two weeks:

4. Make a blend of these three essential oils as follows. Put the blend in a separate bottle and keep it in a dark place:

• Ginger………………8 drops
• Rosemary…………15 drops
• Geranium…………..5 drops

5. During this two weeks, you will alternate between the above blend, and the blend from Part 2. Each day take a warm bath to which you’ve added four (4) drops of your Essential Oil Blend for that day. You do not add the Epsom Salts to your baths any longer.

6. Massage your whole body each morning and evening with the following Essential Oils mixed with 2 tablespoons Sweet Almond Oil and 2 teaspoons Jojoba Oil:

• Rosemary…………………..8 drops
• Lavender……………………7 drops
• Geranium…………………..10 drops
• Ginger……………………….3 drops

Follow this plan for the next two weeks.

For maintenance, after the six weeks, make a blend of any combination of the essential oils you have used during this program and use 4 drops each day in a warm bath. At any time you feel it is necessary, you can repeat the complete 6-week program.

I have put together a list with the items you will need for the third two weeks from amazon.com. I have found that their prices are better than at a Health Food Store. Click Essential Oils for Weeks 5 & 6 to purchase these items. As before, you have the option of purchasing them individually so, if you already have some, it is not necessary to buy them again!

That’s it for Part 3. As always, if you have any questions about this method of treating gout, please visit my Contact Page and contact me. Or, leave a comment below with your thoughts and how you are doing with your gout and Essential Oils and Aromatherapy.

Treating Gout with Essential Oils & Aromatherapy, Part 3 is a post from: Gout Cures Now - Gout Symptoms and Treatment

Related posts:

1. Treating Gout with Essential Oils & Aromatherapy, Part 2
2. Treating Gout with Essential Oils & Aromatherapy, Part 1

If you’re looking for a good way to lose weight to stop or prevent gout attacks, the Mediterranean Diet is a good choice for treating gout.  It benefits your health in  many ways, including reducing the chance of stroke. –Renee

Mediterranean Diet for Healthy Brain

by Kirsten Whittaker, Daily Health Bulletin Editor

Eating a diet that’s high in healthy fats, limits dairy and meats isn’t just good for your heart, some new research suggests it might also be very good for your mind.

Following a Mediterranean style diet helps lower the risk of developing small areas of dead tissue that have been linked to thinking problems. Doctor’s call these brain infarcts, and cite them as involved in vascular dementia, the second most common form of disease after Alzheimer’s disease. The Mayo Clinic puts the numbers with vascular dementia at between 1-4% of those over 65.

The risks for vascular disease are similar to Alzheimer’s disease and include high blood pressure, a high fat diet, type 2 diabetes and low folate intake. In this latest study the subjects had never had a clinical stroke, but might have had smaller, unnoticed ones. MRI brain scans can detect such small strokes.

The study ties diet to stroke, and will be presented at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Neurology in April 2010. The subjects were 712 New Yorkers over the age of 65 who were asked about their diet and then six years later underwent an MRI. Dr. Nikolaos Scarmeas, a neurologist at Columbia University Medical Center, says that dietary patterns tend to remain consistent for at least seven to eight years.

Researchers found that those who most closely followed a Mediterranean style diet were 36% less likely to have areas of brain damage, compared with those whose eating habits were least like the diet.

When the researchers controlled for high blood pressure, the Mediterranean diet was still tied to a lower risk of brain damage. It could be this way of eating helps to protect the brain vessels themselves, without regard to other problems like hypertension Scarmeas says.

The researchers also looked at the individual components of the Mediterranean diet to see if one could be identified as especially beneficial. They found a stronger association between eating the whole diet and brain damage prevention than with any single food in the diet. It might just be that the combination of all the elements, including fish oil, may be producing the positive effect on the brain.

When it came to strokes, the subjects who followed the diet plan the least had an increased risk of strokes that was similar to those with high blood pressure. Those who stuck to the Mediterranean diet regimen had a level of protection that was similar to those who didn’t have hypertension. Other studies have suggested that this eating style might help in preventing a second heart attack, stopping the need for diabetes drugs and lowering cancer risk.

It’s important to understand that the results of the work show association, not causation, which tells us that there could be other factors linking the Mediterranean diet to resistance to this type of brain damage. Other research has shown that the more subjects stick to the diet, the better protection against hypertension they get, and this is also associated with these brain problems.

The Mediterranean diet isn’t so much a diet plan as a way of eating for life, and is nothing like the typical American diet. The Mediterranean diet is:

• Very low in red meat and poultry
• Uses olive oil as the main fat source
• Very high in fruits, nuts, legumes, vegetables and cereals
• High in fish
• Permits low to moderate intake of wine

Future work will need to confirm whether subjects must follow the entire Mediterranean diet, or if there are parts that bring about the positive effects. Identifying specific foods might make changing the way we eat easier – adjustments could be centered on adding one or two elements to our current diet, rather than trying to reshape a lifetime pattern of eating.

Still, no matter what the experts end up concluding; we are seeing clearly that what you put into your body (good or bad) does indeed have an impact on both body and mind.

Click on My Mediterranean Store! for a selection of books and cookbooks about the Mediterranean Diet and other healthy eating plans for treating gout.

Treating Gout with the Mediterranean Diet is a post from: Gout Cures Now - Gout Symptoms and Treatment

photo credit: steveb_ohio

There are many prescription drugs used in the treatment for gout.  Here is a chart with the most common ones:

Here are some other things to keep in mind when taking prescription drugs:

• Read the leaflet that comes with your medication. If you have any questions, ask the pharmacist or your doctor;
• Take the medication at the same time each day;
• If your condition worsens or persists, contact your doct
• IMPORTANT: Be aware of the signs of an allergic reaction. These are: RASH, itching or swelling (especially of the face, tongue, or throat), severe dizziness; trouble breathing;
• Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are allergic to the prescription drug or to any other drugs;
• Tell your doctor or pharmacist of any other prescriptions you are taking, any non-prescription medications, or any herbal, homeopathic, Ayurvedic, Chinese medicine medications or treatments you are taking.

This is just a partial list of things you should watch out for and/or discuss with your doctor or pharmacist. There are many good websites online that can give you more comprehensive information about any prescription drugs your doctor may prescribe for you, such as Web MD

Remember, it’s YOUR health. You are “hiring” your doctor and other healthcare professionals to help you. Don’t be afraid to ask questions. You have a right to know everything that has to do with your health.

Treatment for Gout – Prescription Drugs is a post from: Gout Cures Now - Gout Symptoms and Treatment

Here is some information I wanted to pass along to you on gout health risks for women and foods that cause gout —Renee

Women with gout more likely to
have heart attack than men

February 8th, 2010

WASHINGTON - Women with gout are more likely to have a heart attack than their male counterparts with the disease, say experts.

Researchers based their study on more than 9500 gout patients and 48, 000 people without the disease, aged 65 and older.

Boffins followed the cardiovascular health of all the participants for an average of seven years during which as many as 3268 fatal and non-fatal heart attacks took place.

The team found women with gout were 39 percent more likely to have a heart attack of any kind when compared with women without the condition while men with gout were only 11 percent more likely to have a fatal or non-fatal heart attack than those without the disease.

The study was published ahead of print in the Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases. (ANI)

And from the BBC:

Sugary drinks have been blamed for a surge in cases of the painful joint disease gout

Men who consume two or more sugary soft drinks a day have an 85% higher risk of gout compared with those who drink less than one a month, a study suggests.

Cases in the US have doubled in recent decades and it seems fructose, a type of sugar, may be to blame, the British Medical Journal study reports.

UK experts said those with gout would be advised to cut out sugary drinks.

About 1.5% of the UK population currently suffers from gout and there has been an increase in numbers over the last 30 years – although the condition is more associated with Victorian times.

I will certainly change my advice to patients and I suspect the number drinking fructose is quite large Dr Andrew Bamji

The symptoms of painful, swollen joints, mainly in the lower limbs, are caused when uric acid crystallises out of the blood into the joints.

US and Canadian researchers said the increase in cases had coincided with a substantial rise in the consumption of soft drinks.

Previous research had also shown that fructose increases levels of uric acid in the bloodstream.

Diet

To look in more detail, the team carried out a 12-year study of 46,000 men aged 40 years and over with no history of gout, asking them regular questionnaires about their diet.

Over the period, 755 newly diagnosed cases of gout were reported.

The risk of developing the condition was significantly increased with an intake level of five to six servings of sugary soft drink per week.

This link was independent of other risk factors for gout such as body mass index, age, high blood pressure and alcohol intake.

Diet soft drinks did not increase the risk of gout but fruit juice and fructose rich fruits (apples and oranges) were associated with a higher risk, the researchers said.

But this finding needs to be balanced against the benefit of fruit and vegetables in preventing other chronic disorders like heart disease and stroke.

Dr Hyon Choi, from the University of British Columbia, in Vancouver said dietary advice for gout had focused on restricting purine-rich foods, such as red meat and beer.

He said practitioners should advise patients with gout to reduce their fructose intake.

“I can think of some situations, for example in severe treatment failure gout, where reducing sweet fruits, such as oranges and apples could help,” he added.

Dr Andrew Bamji, president of the British Society for Rheumatology, said anecdotally cases of gout appeared to be rising.

“When you think about it, it makes a lot of sense in that fructose inhibits the excretion of uric acid.

“I will certainly change my advice to patients and I suspect the number drinking fructose is quite large.”

Gout Causes & Gout Health Risks is a post from: Gout Cures Now - Gout Symptoms and Treatment

PART 2 – Treating Gout – The Second Two Weeks

A six-week program for treating gout suffering using diet, essential oils and aromatherapy

This post will be the second of three that outline how you can greatly improve your problems with gout. The program is in 2-week segments and we will cover the second two weeks in this post.  If you missed the first two weeks, you will find them here: Treating Gout with Essential Oils and Aromatherapy, Part One.

A Recap – What are Essential Oils?

Essential oils are the concentrated essences of flowers, fruits, herbs, and plants, and have been proven to be extremely potent when used medicinally.
For hundreds of years, all around the world, essential oils and aromatherapy have been used successfully in the treatment of many adverse conditions, and gout pain relief is one of them.  Gout and aromatherapy have been companions for many years.

The essential oils we will be using during the second two weeks are Lavender, Roman Chamomile, Lemon Eucalyptus, and Peppermint, all of which are very helpful in treating gout.
photo credit: Juan Barrio

Here is a brief explanation of what each of these oils does:

Lavender

Lavender is my favorite essential oil.  It’s fantastic for stress relief.  Just take a sniff from the bottle and instantly relax.  It’s the only essential oil you can put undiluted directly on your skin.  Here are the properties that help with gout:

• Analgesic – helps deaden pain
• Antidepressant – reduces or prevents depression
• Anti-inflammatory – reduces swelling and inflammation
• Antirheumatic – prevents and/or relieves rheumatic pain and swelling.  Remember, gout is a form of arthritis called “gouty arthritis.”
• Antinfectious – helps detoxify the body
• Tonic – helps to strengthen the entire body or specific organs

Roman Chamomile

Roman Chamomile has the follow qualities:

• Antispasmodic – relief from spasms and cramps
• Analgesic – helps deaden pain
• Anti-inflammatory – reduces swelling and inflammation
• Tonic – helps to strengthen the entire body or specific organs

Lemon Eucalyptus

This delightful, lemon scented essential oil aids gout in the following ways:

• Antimicrobial – aids the body in strengthening resistance to infective organisms
• Antiseptic – fights germs/infections
• Anti-inflammatory – reduces swelling and inflammation
• Bactericidal – destroys bacteria

Peppermint

This essential oil is amazing for all the things it can help with in treating gout.  And, it smells just wonderful!  Put 8 drops in 2 cups of water in a sprayer and use it to refresh your home!

Here are the benefits for gout:

• Analgesic – helps deaden pain
• Anti-inflammatory – reduces swelling and inflammation
• Antiseptic – fights germs/infections
• Antispasmodic – relief from spasms and cramps
• Tonic – helps to strengthen the entire body or specific organs
• Febrifuge – reduces fever
• Immune Stimulant – stimulates the circulatory system
• Protects the Liver

We will also be using Sweet Almond Oil and Jojoba Oil as the carrier oils for massaging.

Sweet Almond Oil is made from the kernel and contains glucosides, minerals, and vitamins, and is rich in protein.  It relieves soreness and inflammation.

Jojoba Oil is really a wax and never becomes rancid.  It contains protein, minerals, and a substance that mimics collagen.  It is excellent on inflammed skins and is very penetrative, so it gets the essential oils to the joint quickly.

The Second Two Weeks, What to Do:

The first step is to continue to follow the diet outlined in Part 1.  Here is a recap:

1.  Eliminate these foodsd from your diet because they can bring on an attack of gout:

• Alcohol, especially beer because it contains YEAST
• Caffein drinks
• Chocolate
• Red Meat
• Port
• Lamb
• Processed meats, such as bacon and hot dogs
• Shellfish/seafood
• Anything made with yeast, such as bread

2.  If you are subject to gout attacks (even if you’re not!) drink adequate amounts of water each day.  This helps flush the uric acid from your system.

3.  Take the following vitamins in addition to a Multi-Vitamin Supplement:

• 1,000 mg of Vitamin C
• 250 mg of Vitamin E
• B-Complex Supplement
• Beta-Carotene
• Fish Oil Capsules

Here’s the treatment plan for this two weeks:

4.  Make a blend of the three essential oils as follows.  Put the blend in a separate bottle and keep it in a dark place:

• Lavender………………10 drops
• Lemon Eucalyptus….30 drops
• Roman Chamomile….16 drops

5.  Each day take a warm bath to which you’ve added one cup of Epsom Salts and four (4) drops of your Essential Oil Blend.

6.  Massage your whole body each morning and evening with the following Essential Oils mixed with 2 tablespoons Sweet Almond Oil and 2 teaspoons Jojoba Oil:

• Roman Chamomile…………..8 drops
• Lavender………………………10 drops
• Peppermint…………………….2 drops
• Lemon Eucalyptus…………..8 drops

Follow this plan for the next two weeks.  In the next post I will give you the steps and oils for the third, and final, two weeks, and  a Maintenance Plan.

I have put together a list with the items you will need for the second two weeks from amazon.com.  I have found that their prices are better than at a Health Food Store. Click Essential Oils for Weeks 3 & 4 to purchase these items.  As before, you have the option of purchasing them individually so, if you already have some, it is not necessary to buy them again!

That’s it for Part 2.  As always, if you have any questions about this method of treating gout, please visit my Contact Page and contact me.  Or, leave a comment below with your thoughts and how you are doing treating your gout with Essential Oils and Aromatherapy.

Treating Gout with Essential Oils & Aromatherapy, Part 2 is a post from: Gout Cures Now - Gout Symptoms and Treatment

Related posts:

1. Treating Gout with Essential Oils & Aromatherapy, Part 1
2. Treating Gout with Essential Oils & Aromatherapy, Part 3

Here’s an article I wrote earlier this month for Scribd. Turmeric is such an important remedy for treating gout, I wanted to repeat it here so you wouldn’t miss out on this information. —Renee

What is Turmeric?

Turmeric (curcuma langa), a native of tropical South Asia, is a spice obtained from the root of a perennial plant, and is a member of the Ginger family.

It is one of the main ingredients for curry in India. In fact, India is the largest producer and user of Turmeric. Other uses are as a colorant in American Mustard,  cheese, and butter.

Turmeric

Turmeric has been used for over 4,000 years to treat illnesses, and  for centuries in Ayurvedic and Chinese medicine for treating arthritis.   Many cultures have used Turmeric as a gout natural remedy because of it’s anti-inflammatory and pain relieving properties.

How does it help gout?

Gout is a form of arthritis, called “gouty arthritis” and is closely related to rheumatoid arthritis. An ingredient in Turmeric called curcumin is the active ingredient that aids in gout pain relief, inflammation, and swelling.

Here are some of the things curcumin can do:

• Curcumin inhibits the production of prostaglandins which are related to pain.
• It is a potent anti-inflammatory and offers natural gout pain relief.
• It is a powerful antioxidant and reduces two inflammatory enzymes called COX-2 and LOX.  The inflammation that occurs when our white blood cells filght the monosodium oxate crystals is what leads to an attack of gout.
• A 2006 study UA College of Medicine stated that curcumin works as an anti-arthritic, and completely inhibited the onset of rheumatoid arthritis in laboratory mice.
• In another study at the University of Arizona, symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis were created in lab mice. They were treated with curcumin which was found to be an effective treatment in preventing joint inflammation and reducing joint swelling.
• Curcumin causes the body’s adrenal gland to produce more of the body’s own cortisone, a powerful reliever of inflammation and pain, two of the worse symtoms during a gout attack.

How can I take Turmeric?

Turmeric can be purchased in health food stores as a fluid extract, capsules, or a tincture. A lot of blends include Bromelain which aids in absorption and also has an anti-inflammatory effect.

Be sure buy a product with high levels of curcuminoids.

You can buy the powder as a spice in your local grocery store and use it in your cooking. A half teaspoon added to an egg white omelette colors it nicely and you don’t even miss the egg yolks. A pinch added to egg salad also renders a nice color. Of course, most curry recipe use Turmeric. You can easily find recipes online and start incorporating Turmeric into your diet.

Two Recipes for Delicious Tea

These recipes are my favorites.  I drink one or the other each day.   One uses Turmeric alone and the other uses Turmeric and Ginger. Both are good for detoxification and they taste wonderful.

Both recipes follow the same procedure, so I’ve only listed the instructions after the second recipe.

Recipe #1

2 cups of water
1/2 teaspoon powder Turmeric
1/2 teaspoon powdered Ginger
1 Tablespoon Maple Syrup or Honey
Juice of 1/2 Lemon

Recipe #2

4 cups of water
1 Tablespoon of powdered Turmeric
Lemon (optional)
Honey (optional)

Instructions for both recipes:

1. Bring the water to a boil.
2. Reduce heat and add the Turmeric (and Ginger).
3. Simmer for 10 minutes.
4. Strain the tea with a mesh strainer or cheesecloth.
5. Add the Honey or Maple Syrup and lemon.
6. Stir and enjoy!

Precautions:

The only people who shouldn’t use Turmeric are people with gallstones, people with bile duct obstruction, people taking a blood thinner such as coumadin, people taking drugs to reduce stomach acid, and pregnant women.

How much should I take?

If you’re taking one of the supplements, such as the capsules, take 400-600 mg three times a day; for the fluid extract, take 30-90 drops each day; for the tincture, take 15-30 drops four times each day.

If  you have any questions about turmeric, or gout, send me an email on the Contact Us page.  If you have used turmeric in your treatment of gout, leave a comment below so others can benefit from your experiences.

Gout Natural Remedies – Turmeric is a post from: Gout Cures Now - Gout Symptoms and Treatment

A six-week program to relieve gout suffering using diet, essential oils and aromatherapy

Part 1 – The First Two Weeks

This post will be the first of three that outline how you can greatly improve your problems with gout.  The program is in 2-week segements and we will cover the first two weeks in this post.

What are Essential Oils?

Essential oils are the concentrated essences of flowers, fruits, herbs, and plants, and have been proven to be extremely potent when used medicinally.

For hundreds of years, all around the world, essential oils and aromatherapy have been used successfully in the treatment of many adverse conditions, and gout pain relief is one of them.

What Oils Will We Use?

The essential oils we’ll be using during the first two weeks are Fennel, Cypress, and Juniper, and are great for treating gout.

Here is a brief explanation of what each of the oils does:

Fennel

Fennel has a long list of properties that benefit the health.  The properties that help with gout are as follows:

• Anti-inflammatory – reduces swelling and inflammation.
• Depurative – a detoxification alterative which purifies the blood. Most alteratives also promote cleaning action of the spleen, liver, kidneys, and bowels.  Alteratives typically produce a gradual, beneficial change in the body, and restore the body to normal functioning.
• Diuretic – aids in the elimination of toxins in the body by increasing urine flow. This helps flush the uric acid and monosodium urate crystals out of your system.
• Stimulant – induces temporary improvements in physial function. For example, a stimulant  can promote enhanced alertness, wakefulness, and locomotion.
• Tonic – helps to strengthen the entire body or specific organs.

Cypress

Cypress has the following properties:

• Anti-inflammatory – reduces swelling and inflammation
• Anti-rheumatic – prevents and/or relieves chronic rheumatic pain and swelling. Gout has been associated with rheumatic arthritis and is often called “gouty arthritis.”
• Diuretic – aids in the elimination of toxins in the body by increasing urine flow. This helps flush the uric acid and monosodium urate crystals out of your system.
• Tonic – helps to strengthen the entire body or specific organs.

Juniper

Juniper essential oil promotes elimination of uric acid, and helps cleanse the blood.  It’s properties are:

• Anti-inflammatory – reduces swelling and inflammation
• Anti rheumatic – prevents and/or relieves chronic rheumatic pain and swelling. Gout has been associated with rheumatic arthritis and is often called “gouty arthritis.”
• Diuretic – aids in the elimination of toxins in the body by increasing urine flow. This helps flush the uric acid and monosodium urate crystals out of your system.
• Tonic- helps to strengthen the entire body or specific organs.

These are the three essential oils we will be using during the first two weeks.

The First Two Weeks

The focus for the first two weeks is detoxifying your body and flushing out the excess uric acid and monosodium urate crystals which are responsible for your gout pain.

These are the steps:

1.  The first thing you must do is eliminate the foods from your diet that are prone to bring on an attack of gout.  These include:

• Alcohol, especially beer
• Caffein drinks
• Chocolate
• Red meat
• Pork
• Lamb
• Processed meats, such as bacon and hot dogs
• Shellfish/seafood
• Anything made with yeast, such as bread

2.  It’s always wise, if you are subject to gout attacks, to drink adequate amounts of water each day.  This helps flush the uric acid from your system and may prevent a gout attack.  So, make sure you drink a lot of water each day.  It’s really not that hard.  If you ask yourself, “Can I drink 1/2 a cup of water every hour of the day?”, the answer will be “Yes, I can do that.”

3.  Take the following vitamins, in additional to a Multi-Vitamin Supplement:

• 1,000 mg of Vitamin C
• 250 mg of Vitamin E
• B-Complex Supplement
• Beta-Carotene
• Fish Oil Capsules.

4. Make a blend of the three essential oils as follows:

• Fennel…..30 drops
• Cypress..16 drops
• Juniper…10 drops

You can usually buy a small, brown glass bottle that has a dropper, or a plug like the one in the essential oil bottle,from the pharmacist.  If you can’t find one, you should be able to find one of those empty plastic bottles that people buy to put shampoo in when they travel.  They usually have a plug in the top that would allow you to dispense the essential oil blend drop by drop.  If you do use the plastic bottle, keep it wrapped in a dark cloth or bag so it doesn’t get exposed to the sun.

5.  Each day take a warm bath to which you’ve added one cup of Epsom Salts, and four (4) drops of your essential oil blend.

Follow this routine for the full two weeks.  The next post will have the steps for the second two weeks.

I have put together a list with the items you will need for the first two weeks from amazon.com.  I have found their prices to be better than those at a health food store.  Click Essential Oils For Weeks 1 & 2 to purchase the items.  You have the option of purchasing them individually so, if you already have some, it is not necessary to buy them again!

That should do it for now.  If you have any questions at all about this method of treating gout, please visit my Contact Page and contact me. Or leave a message below.

Treating Gout with Essential Oils & Aromatherapy, Part 1 is a post from: Gout Cures Now - Gout Symptoms and Treatment

Related posts:

1. Treating Gout with Essential Oils & Aromatherapy, Part 2
2. Treating Gout with Essential Oils & Aromatherapy, Part 3
3. Treating Gout with Stinging Nettles

The holistic approach to treating gout doesn’t just concentrate on the pain in your big toe. It endeavors to bring wellness to your whole being. By this I mean, not only to your physical body, but to your emotions, mental health, and spiritual health as well.

Holism maintains that your health is your responsibility based on choices you make each day. You are living a (w)holistic life if you balance the physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual parts of your life, and you will enjoy optimum health.

How can we do this?

• To balance your physical needs, you must eat a healthy diet, maintain your ideal weight, exercise at least three times a week for 30 minutes (if possible), and get enough sleep. All of these things are good for treating gout. Avoid the foods that are high in fat and purines. Learn which foods are part of a good diet for gout sufferers.
• Your emotional needs can be met by being loved and loving others, forgiving and accepting forgiveness, being happy and laughing (laughter is still the best medicine), and having relationships that are happy and full of joy, not only with others, but with yourself as well. If you stay relaxed and happy, you will have a life with much less stress.
• Your mental needs start with self-esteem. You must accept that you are a worthy person, which you are! You need to cultivate positive “self talk”, and look on the positive side of any situation positively. If you do this, you will want to take the steps to wellness and a better, healthier life, free of gout pain.
• Your spiritual needs include periods of contemplation, perhaps meditation if you like to meditate, being open to your special creativity, and trusting implicitly to your intuitiveness. Listen to your body and your mind. They can tell you what you need.

Your wholeness and wellness depends on your being in balance in all of these different parts of you. By letting one part become unbalanced, such as being angry (emotional), you can end up having a bad headache (physical). To have complete wellness, all four aspects must be in harmony. We all know that stress is one of the main causes of gout. Learn relaxation techniques to handle your stress and you may be able to relieve or stop a gout attack from happening.

How can you improve your health by living a holistic life:

• Pay attention to how your body feels. How do you feel when you eat certain foods? Good? Bad? Listen to your body and respond to what it tells you.
• Pay attention to your emotions. What makes you happy, sad, loving, angry, afraid, depressed, connected. Chose to focus on the situations that bring you positive emotions.
• What do you think about? Are your thougts and “self talk” negative, brooding about the things that happened in the past, worrying about the future? Or do you have happy thoughts of joy? Learn to live in the moment and focus on joyful things.
• How is your spiritual life. Do you take time out each day to sit quietly and contemplate the positive things in your life? Do you listen to your intuition? Intuition can be a very powerful tool to give you guidance for what’s best in your life, and to allow your creativity to become strong. Listen to your intuition. Be aware of the things that bring you joy, a sense of rightness in the world, and inner peace.

If you follow these steps and start to make choices that will bring you wellness, you will see a big change in your life and well-being.

If you would like more information about living a holistic life for optimum health and wellness, you can get a FREE eBook from the American Holistic Health Association by filling out the form in the right sidebar.  It is full of information on how you can become healthy and well.

Gout Remedies – Holistic Healing is a post from: Gout Cures Now - Gout Symptoms and Treatment

Guest Post by Gary La Fave from Kangen Water

Many of us are trying to be healthier. Do you want your retirement activities to be a calendar full of doctor’s appointments? Do you want a handful of meds to keep track of, or do you want to be proactive and preventative when it comes to your health.

I worked in a Health food store and also as a Rep for a scooter Company and my eyes were open to how severe our nutritional state is. I bet 75 % of all people who read this rely on at least one medication or more. A wise choice is Kangen Water, read the rest and you can learn why.

The name Kangen is derived from a Japanese word, which means “Return to Origin”. Kangen is also used to describe pure, healthy, alkaline water rich in minerals. Kangen water becomes an awesome antioxidant because of the extra hydrogen ions obtained through electrolysis. Antioxidants which can repair cells and neutralize free radicals. This process slows down the aging process.

Water is very important to our well-being and our everyday functions. We are 70% to 75% water. The quality of the water we take in is extremely important in the maintaining of pH balance, temperature regulation and elimination.

Our organs can function normally when the acid and alkaline levels are maintained properly.  When they aren’t,  “Acidosis” occurs and is the main reason of almost all disease. Most diseases are caused from inflammation. The body can properly function when it is restored and balanced by drinking alkaline water.

Some other benefits of Kangen Water are:

Helps skin be healthy by hydration

Mental and physical performance (Yankees, Lakers and Rockets drink Kangen Water)

Supports Metabolism and aids weight reduction

Kidneys, brain, joints and back can function properly

Waste and toxin removal are assisted

pH levels are regulated and maintained

Reduces Fat Deposits Tones and trims

The digestion and assimilation of nutrients is stepped up

Energy Levels are improved

Excretion process is regulated

Headaches and dizziness are decreased due to hydration

This should help you understand Kangen Water and its Benefits.

For more information about Kangen Water, click here: Kangen Water Information

What the Heck is Kangen Water? is a post from: Gout Cures Now - Gout Symptoms and Treatment

Hi everyone. I’ve been reading a lot about using WD40 for treating gout pain  and thought I would share this article with you. It’s about arthritis, but gout is known as “gouty arthritis” so I thought it was appropriate.  If you have any thoughts about this, or have used it, please leave a message below.

WD-40 for Arthritis?

By Janet Martin

A popular lubricant developed in 1953 is making waves as an arthritis “treatment” even though there is no scientific evidence behind this claim.

Thousands of people around the world swear that WD-40 (short for water displacement – 40th attempt), a rust-prevention product created by chemist Norm Larsen, has helped them cope with arthritis pain and stiffness. Users claim the household lubricant works miracles if sprayed on stiff knees, hips, and wrists.

Golfer Eric McKaig is one of them. The 70-year-old retired sales manager and former professional football player said the product has put an end to years of suffering. He got arthritis seven years ago and has tried a lot of painkillers and supplements for quick relief but to no avail.

His 78-year-old friend Ron Andrew told McKaig about his secret. Since then, the two claim they have found instant relief.

“It’s been an absolute godsend for me. WD-40 has given me a hell of a lot of relief. A few weeks ago, I was even running around the garden with my grandson. I haven’t been able to do that for about three years,” McKaig said.

“There was a slope at my local golf course that used to really hurt my knees. But within a few days of spraying WD-40 it didn’t hurt nearly as much. I only sprayed it three or four times and I’ve been fine since. It was unbelievable,” Andrew added.

Although WD-40 has thousands of uses such as protecting tools from rust, silencing squeaky hinges, and removing crayon marks from most surfaces, the manufacturer stressed that it is a household product not a miracle cure for arthritis. In response to queries from users, it issued this statement:

“WD-40 is not a medical product. We would never recommend to people that they spray WD-40 onto the skin. Our recommendation is to see your GP (general practitioner) for expert advice on alleviating arthritis.”

Doctors say the reason why people think WD-40 works is because of the placebo effect – meaning if you sincerely believe something will work, sometimes it does but only temporarily. That positive effect may be reinforced by the cooling effect of WD-40 that is similar to other topical painkillers or due to improved blood circulation when users massage the product into their skin.

Arthritis expert Professor Robert Moots from Liverpool University said a lubricant similar to WD-40 is used to treat stiff joints. Unlike WD-40, however, the treatment is injected into the joints not merely sprayed.

“By spraying the outside of the knee with WD-40 I doubt if any would actually get into the joint. I’ve no doubt people who use it do feel better but it’s probably only a simple placebo effect,” Moots explained.

To top it off, arthritis is characterized by flare-ups and remissions. A remission is the absence of symptoms that occur for no known reason in 30 percent of arthritis patients. Thus, people who feel better after using WD-40 may actually be experiencing a remission.

“To date, no credible scientific studies have shown any benefit from the use of WD-40 for arthritis. In fact, there may be cumulative harmful effects. The manufacturer’s warning indicates that contact with skin and vapors should be avoided. WD-40 contains petroleum distillates, as do gasoline and oil. Problems ranging from mild skin rash to severe allergic reactions have been reported. Prolonged exposure can cause cancer and other serious health problems,” warned Dr. Katherine Poelhmann, author of “Rheumatoid Arthritis: The Infection Connection.”

If you have arthritis, don’t waste time on questionable remedies. While there is no cure for the disease, painful symptoms can be controlled with the right medication. One popular product is Flexcerin that helps soothe inflamed joints, relieves swelling, and restores flexibility and mobility. Check out http://www.flexcerin.com for details.

Janet Martin is an avid health and fitness enthusiast and published author. Many of her insightful articles can be found at the premiere online news magazine http://www.thearticleinsiders.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Janet_Martin
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Treating Gout Pain with WD40? is a post from: Gout Cures Now - Gout Symptoms and Treatment

WHAT DOES IT DO?

Burdock Root for Herbal Gout

Burdock originated in Eurasia and Europe and was introduced to the United States by European Settlers. It is now widespread throughout the US, especially in the  northeast.

It is a member of the thistle family (arctium Lappa), and can grow as tall as nine feet during its second year.  The flowers are purple, and the plant usually blooms between the months of June and October. The deep roots are brownish-green, and are the most important part of the plant used for medicinal purposes.

Burdock roots and leaves have been used for years to help heal many conditions, among them gout.  Some of its beneficial properties are as follows –   it is diaphoretic (makes you sweat), diuretic (increases the flow of urine because of action on the kidneys),  an alterative (promotes gradual change to the organs it helps),  an aperient (laxative), and a depurative (detoxifies and purifies the system, especially the blood).

It has antibacterial and antifungal properties,  is anti-inflammatory,  and helps get rid of free radicals.

In one study, burdock root was found to protect the liver cells from damage from taking acetaminophen.  Acetaminophen is one of the main over-the-counter pain relievers suggested for gout sufferers.

Another  study reported that burdock root can inhibit the enzyme xanthine oxidase, which is the enzyme that produces uric acid.  This is the same method that medications, such as allupurinol and febuxostat reduce uric acid levels in the body.

WHAT DOES IT CONTAIN THAT HELPS GOUT?

One of the active components of burdock is sesquiterpene lactones, which are biologically active plant chemicals found in the essential oils of burdock, and have antibacterial and antifungal properties. Burdock also contains high amounts of the carbohydrate inulin (or fructosan), which is believed to correct irregularities of the immune system and reduces inflammation.

WHO RECOMMENDS IT?

Native American healers used burdock as a medicinal plant as a tonic and blood purifier, and as a treatment for gout.

Herbalist, both American and English, acclaim burdock as an anti-inflammatory, blood purifier, and pain reliever, and have done so for over 200 years.  These three factors alone can aide in gout pain relief.

English herbalists, during the Middle Ages, preferred burdock root to sarsaparilla for treating rheumatism.

HOW DOES IT WORK FOR GOUT?

Here is a summary of the ways burdock root can help gout sufferers:

• It helps flush uric acid from the system, shortening a gout attack
• It stimulates the liver
• It promotes persperation
• It acts as a blood purifier
• It helps the kidneys and liver eliminate waste
• It is believed to stimulate the gall bladder and encourage liver cells to regenerate
• It detoxifies the kidneys

HOW SHOULD I TAKE IT?

Joseph E. Meyers, in his book, The Herbalist, suggested preparing a tea with a teaspoon of the root to a cup of boiling water, and drinking one or two cups throughout day, cold, a mouthful at a time.

It is also available in capsules from most health foods stores.

BUT DON’T DO THIS!!

A folk remedy for treating gout, written about by Michael Weiner in his book, Weiner’s Herbal, goes like this:

“Boil the [burdock] leaves in urine and bran until the liquid is almost gone; apply the sodden remains to the affected area.”

CAUTIONS:

The only cautions to using burdock are as follows:

Since it is a diuretic, make sure to drink plenty of water when you use burdock. Keep your body hydrated.

The lactones in burdock leaves can be irritating to the skin, so if you are harvesting fresh burdock, try not to handle the leaves.

Women who are pregnant or nursing shouldn’t take burdock because it can stimulate your uterus and cause a miscarriage.

Diabetics should talk to their doctor before using burdock as it can cause hypoglycemia.

Burdock leaves for herbal gout

Burdock Root – an Herbal Gout Remedy is a post from: Gout Cures Now - Gout Symptoms and Treatment

Here is a list of some news items I found interesting and wanted to share with you:

• Community column: Doing the best we can: Being prepared helps - The Salinas Californian
  Published: January 24, 2010
  Source: gout - Google News
  My Note: A lesson on how important it is to always be prepared by having any gout medications you need handy in case of an emergency.
  Community column: Doing the best we can: Being prepared helpsThe Salinas CalifornianShe was having a gout attack. Auntie has had gout flare-ups in the past, but not this bad. She also has chronic back pain, stands less than 5 feet in height ...
• Ardea Biosciences rises on gout drug study results - BusinessWeek
  Published: January 24, 2010
  Source: gout - Google News
  My Note: Maybe this is progress
  Ardea Biosciences rises on gout drug study resultsBusinessWeekArdea Biosciences Inc. reported positive study results for its experimental gout drug Thursday, sending its shares higher. Gout is a painful type of ...Ardea gets positive gout data; ZymoGenetics raises $75M; Prometheus Labs gains ...Fie...
• Wales' alcohol culture leads to more gout in young men - WalesOnline
  Published: January 24, 2010
  Source: gout - Google News
  My Note: This is interesting! Alcohol (Gin) used to be considered a CURE for gout!
  Wales' alcohol culture leads to more gout in young menWalesOnlineBut a leading Welsh AE consultant has said cases of gout are becoming increasingly common in men in their early 20s – because of binge drinking. ...Gout rising among young men in WalesUPI.comall 3 news articles »
• See all shared items
• Plugin by C. Murray Consulting

Recommended Reading for Sufferers of Gout Pain 24 Jan 2010 is a post from: Gout Cures Now - Gout Symptoms and Treatment

How Does Heredity Cause Gout?

The hereditary factors of gout can be explained by the way our bodies metabolize the foods we eat.  Enzymes in our cells turn food molecules from one substance to another (for example, sugar to fat).  For example, a string of different enzymes will change a sugar molecule into a fat molecule.  The molecule passes down the “pathway” of enzymes, each with their own part in the process, until it is converted at the other end.

How each enzyme is made is controlled by specific genes.  In one out of every 100 live births, a defective enzyme gene is produced, and the enzyme doesn’t do its job.

The Problems:

This can lead to two problems.  The first problem is that the original molecule (sugar in this case) will become backed up because the process cannot continue past the defective enzyme.  Secondly, the fat molecule that was going to be produced by the enzymes never gets made, resulting in a scarcity of that molecule.

Either situation leads to metabolic disease, which is inherited and present from birth although it may not show up until later in life.

The Role Purines Play in Causing Gout

BBQ Can Cause Gout

photo credit: Wesley Fryer

Purines are chemicals found in high protein foods.  When they break down, they turn into uric acid.

Purine metabolic disease is caused by a defective gene, which leads to a defective enzyme gene and this is what causes the uric acid to back up in our systems. This excess is either excreted in the urine or turned into the crystals which lead to a gout attack.

What You Should Do

Many people with high uric acid levels in their blood never have a problem with gout.  But if your family has a history of gout, and you suspect that you might have purine metabolic disease, it would be a good idea to alter your lifestyle in an effort to prevent a session with gout and the subsequent pain.

Hereditary Gout Causes and Purine Metabolic Disease is a post from: Gout Cures Now - Gout Symptoms and Treatment

Related posts:

1. What are Some Gout Causes?

So, you want to know what causes your gout attacks? Gout attacks can be hereditary or non-hereditary. Either way, the main cause is a build up of uric acid in your system. The uric acid either doesn’t get filtered through the kidneys and excreted in the urine efficiently, or you just produce too much!

When the excess uric acid builds up, it turns into monosodium urate crystals and settles in the joint and the fluid surrounding the joint. As we mentioned in the Gout Attack post, the agonizing pain is then caused by your bodies own white blood cells, which are sent to the site to fight the crystals. Your immune system is working perfectly well!

Heredity and Gout

Heredity comes into play if your family has a history of gout, as well as other health problems, such as diabetes, hypertension, and being overweight. I found some good research on purine metabolic disease, which explains the hereditary causes of gout, and I will be doing another post on this later.

Foods That Cause Gout

One of the main causes of gout is your diet. Eating foods rich in purines, which produce uric acid, can lead to problems. Some of these foods are:

• Alcohol, especially beer
• Caffein drinks
• Chocolate
• Red meat
• Pork
• Lamb
• Processed meats, such as bacon and hot dogs
• Shellfish/seafood
• Foods, such as bread, made with yeast

Other Gout Causes

Other situations that may cause a gout attack are:

• Stressful events or an illness
• Dehydration
• Injury to a joint
• Fever
• Surgery
• Chemotherapy

Medications That Can Cause a Gout Attack

Some medications that can cause problems are:

• Aspirin
• Niacin (nicotinic acid)
• Diuretics (thiazide)
• Cyclosporine
• Medications for tuberculosis

In Conclusion

So the causes of gout aren’t simple. Keep in mind also that gout can cause serious health problems, such as kidney stones, permanent damage to your joints, and painful deposits of tophi which can become infected

If you have a gout attack, it’s a good idea to see your doctor to discover what the underlying problem is and get it under control.

What are Some Gout Causes? is a post from: Gout Cures Now - Gout Symptoms and Treatment

Related posts:

1. Hereditary Gout Causes and Purine Metabolic Disease

Relief from Gout Pain – Quick!

When a gout attack strikes, you want immediate relief from this excruciating pain!  The pain has been described as being like ground glass grinding in your inflammed joint, and can be debilitating.

The cause of the pain is quite simple. The uric acid level in your body has increased to more than your body can handle and, as a result, urate crystals have gathered around your painful joint and it’s connective tissue. White blood cells have been sent to the area to combat the crystals. This is what causes the inflammation and pain.

Stopain Pain Spray for Gout Pain Relief

A topical pain spray, such as Stopain®, is the quickest way to get relief to the swollen, red, hot, tender joint. You don’t have to touch the painful area. Just spray on the spray. The formulation of the spray causes it to penetrate deeply and get to the problem quickly. It is also available in a cream that you can use when the pain has lessened a little and you can actually touch the inflammed area.

The next thing to do is take some acetaminophen, commonly sold as Tylenol, which is available as a tablet, capsule, liquid, effervescent tablet, or a rectal suppository. There are also other over-the-counter painkillers that can be recommended by your doctor.

The Importance of Water

It is important that you start flushing the excess uric acid from your body by drinking a lot of water. This will shorten the amount of time your  attack and pain last.

Dark, Red  Lucious Cherries and Cherry Juice Can Help

One natural pain relief technique to eliminate uric acid from your body is to drink cherry juice extract made from dark red cherries. The cherry juice flavonoids are anti-inflammatory and have been shown to lower the uric acid level in the blood. Be careful not to drink the highly sugared cherry juice for gout, because the sugar can increase the uric acid in your blood.

Burdock Root – a Native American Treatment

Burdock root is another popular, natural substance for relief from gout pain that seems to help with the reduction of uric acid levels in the blood. A study has shown that burdock root is a somewhat strong xanthine oxidase inhibitor, oxidase being the enzyme in your body that makes uric acid. Some medications prescribed to lower uric acid in the blood are based on this principal of blocking oxidase.

You can brew burdock tea with the root, or you can take burdock capsules. Whatever way you take the burdock root, start slow, and drink extra water, as burdock root is a diuretic.

Make a Plan to Prevent Future Pain

Hopefully these suggestions will get you through this  attack and you can then start following a new routine to learn how to prevent gout attacks and to bring you relief from this terrible pain as the search for gout cures continues.

Cherry Juice -- To YOUR Good Health!

photo credit: paper or plastic?

Gout Pain Relief is a post from: Gout Cures Now - Gout Symptoms and Treatment

An Attack of Gout

A gout attack usually occurs at night and is most common in the joint at the base of the big toe, popularly characterized as “gout big toe.” What can you do to stop the pain and prevent another gout attack?

Gout attack in big toe

Victims of acute gout attacks report that they cannot even have a light sheet or blanket touch the inflammed joint and it is impossible to put on shoes or stockings if the joint attacked is the big toe.

An attack of gout can cause severe pain, heat, swelling, redness,  and stiffness. Symptoms similar to an infection can occur, such as a low grade fever and chills.

Uric Acid – the Culprit!

A gout attack is brought on by an excess of uric acid in the body which leads to the deposit of urate crystals in the fluid and joint lining of the affected joint. The body sends white blood cells to the affected area to combat the build up of the urate crystals and this is what causes the extreme gout pain.

Many people can have elevated levels of uric acid in their blood for several years before they have a gout attack. Some people never have a gout attack even if their uric acid level is high. On the other hand, some people who do not have elevated levels of uric acid in their blood are vicitims of acute gout attacks.

Other Causes

Stress, alcohol or drugs, illnesses, eating foods high in purines are just some of the factors that can lead to a gout attack.  Attacks can last from just a few hours to many weeks, but the typical attack lasts from three to ten days. Some people will experience attacks of gout several times during their lifetimes and other people may have only one or two attacks.

An Ancient Attack Described – from 1683

History has recorded gout attacks more often than any other illness. Gout used to be referred to as the “rich man’s disease” because it seemed to occur more in men who were well fed and who drank a lot of alcoholic beverages. Over the centuries, many different gout cures have been tried, but the best cure is learning how to prevent gout attacks from starting.

Here is a description of a gout attack written by Dr. Thomas Sydenham in 1683. Dr. Sydenham was a victim of gout:

“The victim goes to bed and sleeps in good health. About 2 o’clock in the morning, he is awakened by a severe pain in the great toe; more rarely in the heel, ankle or instep. This pain is like that of a dislocation, and yet the parts feel as if cold water were poured over them. Then follows chills and shiver and a little fever. The pain which at first moderate becomes more intense. With its intensity the chills and shivers increase. After a time this comes to a full height, accommodating itself to the bones and ligaments of the tarsus and metatarsus. Now it is a violent stretching and tearing of the ligaments– now it is a gnawing pain and now a pressure and tightening. So exquisite and lively meanwhile is the feeling of the part affected, that it cannot bear the weight of bedclothes nor the jar of a person walking in the room.”

Who is at risk?

Nine times more men than women are affected by gout. Women aren’t usually victims of gout until after menopause.

People who are at high risk of becoming victims of gout – those who are overweight and/or who eat foods high in purines, or who consume an excess of alcoholic beverages, or people who have a family history of gout – should take steps early on to change their lifestyles to reduce the chances of a gout attack occurring later in life.

Gout Attack is a post from: Gout Cures Now - Gout Symptoms and Treatment

Related posts:

1. Gout Cures – Is There Such A Thing?

GOUT?   What Is It??

Gout is a form of inflammatory arthritis (gouty arthritis) characterised by pain and swelling of the joints, specifically the “gout big toe.”

Gout pain and inflammation occur because of the buildup of uric acid in the blood. Normally, excessive uric acid filters through the kidneys and is passed in the urine. This might happen if the body itself produces excess uric acid (hereditary) or fails to eliminate the excess uric acid caused by eating the wrong types of food, specifically those high in purines. As a rule, This causes crystals of sodium urate to become concentrated in the joints and tendons, causing swelling, pressure, and extreme pain.

Who is Most Likely to Have an Attack?

Men, especially those who carry excess weight or suffer from hypertension, are more likely to begin having attacks of gout between the ages of 30 and 50, whereas women usually don’t suffer from gout until after menopause. Children and young adults rarely suffer from gout.

Historic Gout Cures

Gout cures have ranged over the years from blood-letting to doing a toxic cleanse by drinking asses’ milk. Now they say gout and alcohol don’t mix, and restricting alcohol consumption is advised but, at one time, Gin was thought to be one of many gout cures that, over time, have proved ineffective.

A Brief Timeline of Gout

The characteristics of gout were first described by Acharya Charaka circa 3000 BC as the disease Vata Rakta and likened the gout pain to slowly spreading rat poison, starting with the toes. His text, Charaka Samhita is one of three major classics of Ayurveda, and deals with medicine and non-surgical methods of Ayurvedic treatment.

Gouty arthritis of the big toe was mentioned by the Egyptians in 2600 BC.

from Works of Hippocrates Constantinople, ca. 1338. Commissioned by Alexios Apokaukos

Hippocrates, the esteemed Greek physician, also talked about gout and, in 30 AD, Aulus Cornelius Celsus, one of the greatest Roman medical writers, and author of de medicina, linked gout causes with urinary solute, late onset in women, a connection to alcohol consumption, and the aforementioned gout cure using asses’ milk.

Galen, the Roman gladiatorial surgeon, in approximately 200 AD, described gout as the unbalanced discharge of the four humors of the body into the joints.

The actual term “gout” is from the Latin word “gutta” which means “a drop”, usually of liquid, and was first called thus by Randolphus of Bocking in 1200 AD.

The microscopic urate crystals were described by Dutch scientist Antonie van Leeuwenhoek in 1679 and by 1848, English physician Alfred Baring Garrod came to the conclusion that an excess of uric acid in the blood caused gout.

Even the Dinosaurs?

If you suffer from gout, and are searching for gout cures, be comforted by the fact that the Tyrannosaurus rex specimen known as “Sue” appears to have suffered from gout also.

Gout Cures – Is There Such A Thing? is a post from: Gout Cures Now - Gout Symptoms and Treatment