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Gout - foods that will help
I am a GP and am looking for a list of foods that could help keep gout at bay. My brothers have the exact same symptoms and one of them, who lives in the US, has suggested alfalfa tablets will work, instead of Allopurinol which is the conventional drug we are all taking. What do you think?
Gout, which affects ten times more men than women and which runs in families, now accounts for some 5% of all cases of arthritis. As you already know, it is the result of fault in the way the body metabolises uric acid - a normal byproduct of the digestion of certain rich foods.
Gout may be the result of an over-production of uric acid or an under-elimination. Whatever the explanation, the result is an accumulation of the excess in the form of painful crystals in the joints. And while your brother is right - Alfalfa and other herbs, especially celery, will help reduce inflammation and swelling - you can be even more ingenious and use a natural agent that works in the exact same way as the Allopurinol you have all been taking to control the condition.
What the conventional drug you are using does is to inhibit the action of an enzyme called xanthine oxidase, which has been implicated in the formation of these uric acid crystals. The bioflavanoid plant agent that does the same thing is quercetin.
* Solgar makes a combined quercetin with bromelain; the latter is excellent for reducing Gout inflammation too. 50 veggie capsules cost £12.79. For local stockists call 01442-890355. Victoria Health (0800-413596) sells another good anti-Gout remedy called Celery 6000 Plus which includes willow, Devil’s Claw and Yucca, as well as celery. 50 tablets cost £10.45.