If You're A Middle-Aged Man Suffering From Gout Attacks, Please Read...
"The Gout" by James Gillray (May 14th, 1799)
Is it really possible to live a life without gout?
Can you genuinely avoid doctors, drugs, and drudgery?
What if there is a super simple solution to this dreadful disease? (Most gout sufferers have a tough time believing it.)
What Happened To Me
When I reached middle age, I experienced my first attack of gout.
It's hard to describe the pain. It felt like my foot was being repeatedly STABBED with a piece of broken glass! I seriously considered cutting it off!
It started suddenly around midnight, with a THROBBING, pounding heartbeat in my right foot. I did not sleep at all that night.
The next day my foot was red, sweaty, and swollen. I did not DARE let anything touch it! (A few days later, my entire foot turned a purplish color.)
I was stuck on the couch for days, while my wife and son waited on me.
To get to the bathroom, I had to crawl on my knees or slide on my butt down the hallway floor.
I was FRUSTRATED and EMBARRASSED, because I had always considered gout to be an 'old man disease.'
Eventually, I Went To The Doctor
He officially diagnosed me with gout.
I asked if a change in diet would help me. He replied, "No."
His answer was to give me a prescription drug called Uloric.
I asked, "How much does it cost?"
He replied, "$120 a month."
I thought, "There has to be a better way."
For Months I Searched For Answers
(Because of conflicting information, it's EXTREMELY frustrating to research the cause and cure for gout.)
I came across many studies, articles, and videos. All of them said to go on a low purine diet. They recommended I avoid red meat and seafood. They also said to not eat foods such as asparagus, spinach, or tomatoes.
Others claimed the magic was in organic celery juice and tart cherry juice. None of it worked for me.
(Have you ever felt stuck, with no idea how to change things?)
Then one day, I FINALLY discovered what was causing me to have these crippling attacks of gout.
(The answer was so simple, I could hardly believe it.)
It was sucrose and fructose.
So I stopped consuming white sugar and fruit sugar. It's been several years now and I no longer have attacks of gout.
(Most people have a tough time believing it's sugar and fruit sugar that causes gout. It's too simple of an answer for them.)
What I Found Out The Hard Way
After discovering it was white sugar and sugar from fruit that caused me to have gout attacks, I made several major mistakes along the way.
The first mistake I made was to eat candy one Halloween. It resulted in a gout flare-up that put me on the couch for days.
Another time, to lose weight for a class reunion, I ate nothing but fresh fruit cocktail for weeks. I lost 22 pounds – as well as my ability to walk.
A third blunder was eating Valentine’s Day candy. I limped around on crutches during our son's state basketball tournament.
One summer, I had a lapse in judgment and ate several bowls of cold watermelon. For weeks, I hobbled around the youth baseball fields.
A final mistake came during Thanksgiving when I ate several large pieces of homemade coconut cream pie. My wife said it was gluten-free. (I thought that meant it was also sugar-free.)
Consequently, I literally suffered on the couch the entire month of December. (Each gout attack was increasingly worse and lasted longer.)
It took several severe and painful episodes before I permanently quit consuming sugar and fructose.
It has now been several years since I've had an attack of gout. (Praise the Lord!)
Should You Take Gout Medication?
Gout drugs like Uloric work by lowering uric acid levels in your blood.
Common side effects include nausea, rash, fever, joint pain, gout flares, difficulty breathing, swelling, kidney problems, and reduced liver function.
Long-term use may lead to weight gain, fluid retention, high blood pressure, diabetes, and osteoporosis. (They can also harm your liver.)
The FDA has added a black boxed warning to Uloric due to increased cardiovascular death risk in patients with heart disease.
(Do you need these prescription pills if you simply eliminate white sugar and fruit sugar?)
I'm not against doctors or medicine. But I believe we should address the root cause of disease, not just mask symptoms with drugs.
Disclaimer: I'm not a medical doctor. This is not medical advice. Please consult a licensed physician.
A Warning About Low Carb and Gout
To decrease my risk of gout attacks, I follow a low-carb diet.
"In general, I have found a low-carb diet to be a sensational diet for keeping gout at bay. Occasionally it works so well that the rapid drop in uric acid can cause a temporary flare-up. I often prescribe colchicine in such cases. But once the body adapts, gout rarely returns."
– Dr. Michael Eades, M.D.
Note: I never took colchicine or any other drug. But colchicine might be a temporary option when switching to a low-carb diet.
Is Gout A Blessing In Disguise?
The same diet and lifestyle that causes gout also increases your risk of damaged joints, heart disease, stroke, diabetes, kidney disease, and fatty liver disease.
Let me say that again:
The same diet and lifestyle that causes gout also increases your risk for heart disease, cancer, stroke, diabetes, kidney disease, and fatty liver disease.
By reducing or eliminating sucrose and fructose, you minimize gout risk and protect your overall health.
What Else Reduces Your Risk For Gout?
- Stop consuming alcohol, especially beer, liquor, and wine.
- Lower iron levels (e.g., by donating blood).
- Avoid inflammatory seed oils.
- Lose weight through more protein, high-fiber vegetables, and exercise.
- Reduce chronic inflammation (meat & eggs help; refined carbs hurt).
- Eliminate high fructose corn syrup (HFCS).
- Keep insulin levels low (via low-carb or keto).
- Drink plenty of water. Coffee also helps.
- Get enough magnesium and potassium.
- Use supplements to reduce inflammation (e.g., BarleyLife, RediBeets, GarlicAIM).
Conclusion
Through research and trial and error, I’ve figured out what works for me and no longer suffer gout attacks.
If you follow these suggestions, you could not only avoid gout, but also greatly improve your health.
What if it works for you the way it has for me?
P.S. Gout results from inflammation and excess uric acid. Sugar and fruit sugar increase uric acid and impair your kidneys’ ability to filter it out.
Young barley grass may help: it reduces inflammation and lowers blood uric acid levels.
Click here to learn more.