Study links gout to meat, not enough dairy

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 6/4/2004 8:10:14 PM Eastern Daylight Time,

cherylhcmba@... writes:

My uric acid actually dropped from 5.4 to 5.1 over the last year.

I too eat a lot of protein and have no gout problem. I've been on the BTD

for 6+ years. Even Atkins discusses the Uric acid issue and says it occurs in a

very few cases. As a completely unqualified person, my opinion is that the

more physically out of balance a person is when they start Atkins or the BTD

the more problems they may have at the beginning. After having been beating at

deaths door, to me, there is no question that for my health the BTD is the

only diet and with a very few modifications the Atkins diet is the BTD with

rapid

weight loss.

[Guest guest]

Hi Everybody, A friend from another group is having

trouble with gout. I found an article from the Cleveland Plain

Dealer newspaper dated 5-31-04. Thought it was a good article but

the part that I found real interesting was this:

" Trying to lose weight too fast spews vast amounts of purines into

the blod, resulting in high blood levels of uric acid. "

Oh, then there's another lady who I was working with when I was

subbing and this lady had trouble with gout. My neighbor next door

knows her better and she said " she goes on alot of crazy fad diets " .

Heard her gout is better but now she's having anemia problems.

Hope you enjoy the article.

Hugs, Janice from Ohio

STUDY LINKS GOUT TO MEAT, NOT ENOUGH DAIRY

You might think of gout as a disease that afflicts wealthy,

overweight middle-age men who are prone to overindulgence. But the

risk of developing this excruciating ailment is not limited to those

who treat themselves as royalty. About 2.1 million Americans have

it. And a recent study of 47,150 male health professionals shows

that its sufferers include dentists, optometrist, osteopaths,

pharmacists, podiatrists and veterinarians.

The researchers, led by Dr. Hyon Choi, a rheumatologist at

Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, documented the development

of gout in 730 of thse initially healthy professionals over 12

years. The purpose of the study, published in the March 11 issue of

the New England Journal of Medicine, was to test longstanding

assumptions about the relationship between the consumption of certain

foods rich in the amino acids called purines and the risk of

developing gout.

Gout, an inflammatory form of arthritis, results from a buildup of

uric acid in the blood to a point where it no longer can remain in

solution and instead forms crystals that lodge within the joints--

most often in the big toe, but sometimes in the ankles, knees,

wrists, fingers and elbows.

The crippling pain occurs suddenly, often overnight, followed by

warmth, swelling, reddish or purplish discoloration and extreme

tenderness of the affected joint. The pain can be so severe that a

blanket, clothing or even a breeze across the inflamed joint can seem

unbearable,. Attacks typically last for horus or days, with or

without treatment, although some people suffer for weeks.

Uric acid normally is formed in the body when purines are

metabolized. Purines are found in large amounts in high-protein

foods such as red meat, especially organ meats, and seafood,

especially sardines, anchovies and other oily fish and shellfish, as

well as in some vegetables such as aspargus.

Purines also occur naturally as part of the DNA in cells; when cells

die and break down, the released purines has to be processed.

Gout is many times more common in men then it is in women, who until

menopause are protected by estrogen, which stimulates the excretion

of uric acid in urine. Gout was also once rare amohng non-Western

immigrants to the U.S., African blacks and black Americans. But the

adoption of Western diets has changed all this; now gout is more

common among blacks in the U.S. than among whites.

The Boston team studying health professionals repeatedly assessed the

particpants' diets and found that susceptibility to gout was clearly

linked to higher levels of consumption of meat and seafood and low

levels of dairy products, especially those low in fat.

A high intake of vegetable protein was protective, but dairy protein

was most protective, cutting the risk of gout nearly in half, on

average.

Anyone who has had an attack of gout is susceptible to a recurance.

Factors that can precipitate an attack include excessive consumption

of alcohol, high intakes of red meat or seafood, surgery, joint

surgery, chemotheraphy, a sudden severe illness and fasting. Trying

to lose weight too fast spews vast amounts of purines into the bllod,

resulting in high blood levels of uric acid.

In the presence of any of these risk factors, it is especially

important to stay well hydrated by drinking lots of fluids--10 to 12

8-ounce glasses of a nonalcoholic beverage each day.

Gout cannot be cured, but acute attacks can be treated with pain

relievers such as naproxen or indomethacin, which have fewer side

effects than the older remedy,colchicine.

ARTICLE BY JANE E BRODY FROM THE NEW YORK TIMES

[Guest guest]

Ha, like us O's are going to start eating dairy, just to get rid of gout ? No

way, '. Of course pork or potatoes aren't mentioned at all, just " red

meat " .. ..one size doesn't fit all.

[Guest guest]

Dr. D'Adamo actually recommends a high purine diet for O's. I was

considering a low purine diet just before starting BTD. Although

obese the only thing in my blood work that could have used

improvement was uric acid. It wasn't high but at the high end of

normal. From an old Eat to Win book, lowering uric acid was a goal.

My uric acid actually dropped from 5.4 to 5.1 over the last year.

The last 6 mo. or so have been on BTD. I went from virtually no beef

to 6 times a week and from dairy, mainly cheese several times a day

to maybe 2 or 3 times a week and not full servings then. The

reference range was 6.8 on one report and 8.2 on the other for the

high end. I wanted to get mine in the 3 to 4 range although I'm not

sure there's evidence of any benefit to that. So far I've seen

nothing in my health or test results to show that BTD is not working

for me. I do think it's prudent to monitor these things. There are

probably a few individuals that are exceptions as with everything.

Actually my HDL could be a little higher. It's around 60. But I'm

not eating as much oil as I should. That would probably help.

I know, get with the program, Cheryl

> Hi Everybody, A friend from another group is having

> trouble with gout. I found an article from the Cleveland Plain

> Dealer newspaper dated 5-31-04. Thought it was a good article but

> the part that I found real interesting was this:

>

> " Trying to lose weight too fast spews vast amounts of purines into

> the blod, resulting in high blood levels of uric acid. "

>

> Oh, then there's another lady who I was working with when I was

> subbing and this lady had trouble with gout. My neighbor next door

> knows her better and she said " she goes on alot of crazy fad diets " .

> Heard her gout is better but now she's having anemia problems.

>

> Hope you enjoy the article.

>

> Hugs, Janice from Ohio

>

>

> STUDY LINKS GOUT TO MEAT, NOT ENOUGH DAIRY

>

> You might think of gout as a disease that afflicts wealthy,

> overweight middle-age men who are prone to overindulgence. But the

> risk of developing this excruciating ailment is not limited to those

> who treat themselves as royalty. About 2.1 million Americans have

> it. And a recent study of 47,150 male health professionals shows

> that its sufferers include dentists, optometrist, osteopaths,

> pharmacists, podiatrists and veterinarians.

>

> The researchers, led by Dr. Hyon Choi, a rheumatologist at

> Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, documented the development

> of gout in 730 of thse initially healthy professionals over 12

> years. The purpose of the study, published in the March 11 issue of

> the New England Journal of Medicine, was to test longstanding

> assumptions about the relationship between the consumption of

certain

> foods rich in the amino acids called purines and the risk of

> developing gout.

>

> Gout, an inflammatory form of arthritis, results from a buildup of

> uric acid in the blood to a point where it no longer can remain in

> solution and instead forms crystals that lodge within the joints--

> most often in the big toe, but sometimes in the ankles, knees,

> wrists, fingers and elbows.

>

> The crippling pain occurs suddenly, often overnight, followed by

> warmth, swelling, reddish or purplish discoloration and extreme

> tenderness of the affected joint. The pain can be so severe that a

> blanket, clothing or even a breeze across the inflamed joint can

seem

> unbearable,. Attacks typically last for horus or days, with or

> without treatment, although some people suffer for weeks.

>

> Uric acid normally is formed in the body when purines are

> metabolized. Purines are found in large amounts in high-protein

> foods such as red meat, especially organ meats, and seafood,

> especially sardines, anchovies and other oily fish and shellfish, as

> well as in some vegetables such as aspargus.

>

> Purines also occur naturally as part of the DNA in cells; when cells

> die and break down, the released purines has to be processed.

>

> Gout is many times more common in men then it is in women, who until

> menopause are protected by estrogen, which stimulates the excretion

> of uric acid in urine. Gout was also once rare amohng non-Western

> immigrants to the U.S., African blacks and black Americans. But the

> adoption of Western diets has changed all this; now gout is more

> common among blacks in the U.S. than among whites.

>

> The Boston team studying health professionals repeatedly assessed

the

> particpants' diets and found that susceptibility to gout was clearly

> linked to higher levels of consumption of meat and seafood and low

> levels of dairy products, especially those low in fat.

>

> A high intake of vegetable protein was protective, but dairy protein

> was most protective, cutting the risk of gout nearly in half, on

> average.

>

> Anyone who has had an attack of gout is susceptible to a recurance.

> Factors that can precipitate an attack include excessive consumption

> of alcohol, high intakes of red meat or seafood, surgery, joint

> surgery, chemotheraphy, a sudden severe illness and fasting. Trying

> to lose weight too fast spews vast amounts of purines into the

bllod,

> resulting in high blood levels of uric acid.

>

> In the presence of any of these risk factors, it is especially

> important to stay well hydrated by drinking lots of fluids--10 to 12

> 8-ounce glasses of a nonalcoholic beverage each day.

>

> Gout cannot be cured, but acute attacks can be treated with pain

> relievers such as naproxen or indomethacin, which have fewer side

> effects than the older remedy,colchicine.

>

> ARTICLE BY JANE E BRODY FROM THE NEW YORK TIMES