Uric Acid retention is the Cause of Gout

High uric acid in the blood is the underlying cause of gout and if we can keep that down then we will have fewer attacks.  Hyperuricemia(high uric acid) is thought to be caused by either the body’s ability to dispose of the uric acid or an over production of uric acid.  90% of people with gout have a hard time getting rid of excess acid that cause monosodium urate crystals, the painful crystals that form in the joints.

So obviously we need to find a way to help our bodies get rid of it faster. Problem is, 90%of what you read deals with eating low purine foods which produce the uric acid when more weight should be put on getting rid of what you have. Telling us what not to eat is a waste of time. In fact if we maintained a diet with no purines at all, the best we can hope for is to lower our mean serum uric acid concentration by 1 mg/dL when a level of anything over 6 is considered high.

Over and over I’ve read ‘don’t eat food high in purines such as organ meats, brains or sweetbreads.’ I can’t  remember the last time I’ve eaten any of those things and I still fight with gout. There is no cure for gout by the way, the best we can do is find a control.

I believe that control is to lower the amount of uric acid in our systems. But, just as the level becomes high over time, it’ll also take time to dissolve the crystals that have built up.

Mark Saville