Once More With Feeling about Gout and Atkins!

Okay, dear readers, once more the ugly face of gout has come up with the DH of one of our readers. I have read tons of info on this subject, and most dieticians and some doctors would have you believe that Atkins causes gout or at the very least exacerbates it. Once more, this is just not so!  I cannot possibly quote all of the content of my research so I am listing it here for you to reference (at the bottom of this post.)


A couple of facts stand out with gout- gout and obesity go hand in hand, sugar and gout go hand in hand, and gout attacks are more likely to happen with dehydration. I have copied and pasted a fairly short article for you to read on water consumption and gout. We already know that water is vital for out WOE, but it is even more vital for the gout sufferer for the kidneys to flush out the build-up of uric acid crystals. So, have a read here and then read the references listed.

Best Home Remedies For Gout: Water

Of all home remedies for gout, water is the cheapest, and often the most effective.

Maintaining adequate hydration helps reduce uric acid concentration, which helps prevent gout attacks. Drinking lots of water also helps most other gout treatments – medical or alternative.

The kidneys play a vital role in gout management. Drinking plenty of water helps the kidneys flush uric acid from the body. Even if you take allopurinol to inhibit uric acid production, you still need water. It helps the kidneys get rid of the by-products of allopurinol. All medical or home remedies for gout that reduce uric acid will work better if you drink plenty of water.
One of the most common triggers for gout attacks is dehydration. As the body loses water, the concentration of uric acid rises in the blood. Once this reaches a critical point, uric acid crystals will form. You can easily prevent this by including water as your home remedy for gout.

Water as a Home Remedy for Gout

To use water as a home remedy for gout you need to drink at least 12 8-ounce glasses per day (5 UK pints, or almost 3 liters). This can take some getting used to, but if you persevere for a week or two, you soon get used to it. I try to drink about 25% more than that, and only seem to get gout attacks when I lose the water drinking habit. You need to increase this during hot weather or exercise.
Treat water as a medicine. Take a regular dose – sip from your glass or bottle regularly rather than guzzling a large volume each hour. You’re not likely to overdose – you have to drink over a gallon an hour to risk adverse effects. You do need to take care that there are no impurities in the water. If your supply is not clean opt for bottled or properly filtered water.
Water is best taken pure, but milk, juices etc are also effective. Most fluids can be included as part of your water intake, including the water content of food. Some drinks contain caffeine or other diuretics, however the amount of caffeine in normal cups of tea and coffee is not significant ^[1]. In fact, coffee has shown to have a beneficial effect on gout for many people.
Alcohol, particularly spirits and fortified wines, can have a diuretic effect, and so you must strive to drink plenty of water after you have taken alcohol.

Home Remedies For Gout: Next Steps

Now that you can see how good water is for gout, it’s time to assess your fluid intake.
Also check the other natural gout remedies in this section. For the latest discoveries in non-pharmaceutical gout treatments, see the Gout Home Remedy Research pages.
2011 Update: There is emerging evidence that orange juice may rank higher in gout natural remedies than water.

Home Remedies For Gout References

1. Caffeine ingestion and fluid balance: a review. Maughan RJ, Griffin J. J Hum Nutr Diet. 2003 Dec;16(6):411-20.

   From the abstract:
   The aim of this review is to evaluate the available literature concerning the effect of caffeine ingestion on fluid balance and to formulate targeted and evidence-based advice on caffeinated beverages in the context of optimum hydration. [...] no support for the suggestion that consumption of caffeine-containing beverages as part of a normal lifestyle leads to fluid loss in excess of the volume ingested or is associated with poor hydration status. Therefore, there would appear to be no clear basis for refraining from caffeine containing drinks in situations where fluid balance might be compromised.

   
   

In Dana Carpender's low carb blog:  Hold the Toast!-    http://holdthetoast.com/node/388


From why-low-carb-diets-work.com: 

http://www.why-low-carb-diets-work.com/diets-for-gout.html

On this site, follow other links for more info. As usual, Americans are being duped by so-called experts and the pharmaceutical industry!