Active Low-Carber Forums
Atkins diet and low carb discussion provided free for information only, not as medical advice.
Home Plans Tips Recipes Tools Stories Studies Products
Active Low-Carber Forums
A sugar-free zone


Welcome to the Active Low-Carber Forums.
Support for Atkins diet, Protein Power, Neanderthin (Paleo Diet), CAD/CALP, Dr. Bernstein Diabetes Solution and any other healthy low-carb diet or plan, all are welcome in our lowcarb community. Forget starvation and fad diets -- join the healthy eating crowd! You may register by clicking here, it's free!

Go Back   Active Low-Carber Forums > Main Low-Carb Diets Forums & Support > Low Carb Health & Technical Forums > General Health
User Name
Password
FAQ Members Calendar Mark Forums Read Search Gallery My P.L.A.N. Survey


Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
  #16   ^
Old Sun, Apr-18-21, 04:21
Benay's Avatar
Benay Benay is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 876
 
Plan: Protein Power/Atkins
Stats: 250/167/175 Female 5 feet 6 inches
BF:
Progress: 111%
Location: Prescott, Arizona, USA
Default

Thanks Janet. Good information.

If keeping insulin low is the main issue, I will have to see what foods I have eaten that could have triggered these attacks.

I wonder about timing.
How long does it take for an upswing in insulin (to control carbs) impact uric acid levels?

24 hours? A week? It would be helpful to know, then it wouldn't be so hard to track diet as the cause.
Reply With Quote
Sponsored Links
  #17   ^
Old Sun, Apr-18-21, 07:04
GRB5111's Avatar
GRB5111 GRB5111 is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 4,036
 
Plan: Very LC, Higher Protein
Stats: 227/186/185 Male 6' 0"
BF:
Progress: 98%
Location: Herndon, VA
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by JEY100
Insulin and Gout

The story is similar for gout. Gout flares happen when a compound called uric acid builds up in the joints and forms solid crystals. If you or someone you know suffers from gout, then you know it’s very painful.

Typically, healthy kidneys hold on to the right amount of uric acid and filter out the rest—much like they hang on to the right amount of sodium—but high insulin levels cause your kidneys to hold on to more uric acid than normal.

The parallels between sodium, uric acid, kidney function, and your overall health don’t end there. Uric acid comes from the breakdown of something called purines. Purines are nitrogen-containing compounds that your body produces, and they are also found in foods—protein-rich foods, in particular. Certain proteins—such as shellfish, red meat, and organ meats (liver, kidney)—are higher in purines than than others, which is why people who suffer from gout are advised to avoid these foods.

However, red meat and shellfish are among the most nutrient-dense foods in the modern diet. Aside from being great sources of complete protein, they’re loaded with B vitamins, iron, zinc, selenium, and other critical vitamins and minerals. You can get these nutrients from other foods, but red meat and seafood provide them in exceptionally high amounts and in forms your body can absorb more easily than others, and you don’t need to avoid them if you have gout.

If gout flares come from an accumulation of uric acid crystals in your joints, and elevated insulin causes your kidneys to hang on to too much uric acid, then rather than avoiding foods whose breakdown creates uric acid, you might be better served by keeping your insulin level lower. Plus, uric acid doesn’t exist to trigger gout attacks and cause you pain. It’s an antioxidant, so you wouldn’t want to be entirely without uric acid in your body.

Too much is a problem, but you do need some. And “too much” uric acid comes from too much insulin. The truth is, if you have gout, you can enjoy more red meat and seafood—as long as you keep your carbohydrate intake low.

From the Insulin chapter in Dr Eric Westman's new book,
End Your Carb Confusion

One of the best explanations of gout and its causes that I've read.
Reply With Quote
  #18   ^
Old Fri, May-14-21, 03:50
Benay's Avatar
Benay Benay is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 876
 
Plan: Protein Power/Atkins
Stats: 250/167/175 Female 5 feet 6 inches
BF:
Progress: 111%
Location: Prescott, Arizona, USA
Default

Jey, thanks for this explanation. Great info. That is the assumption we were working on one month ago but the technician who was to draw blood to verify the diagnosis never came. So I continued with intermittent pain in both feet plus swelling.

Yesterday the NP came again. When I told her the pain shifted feet and never seems to affect the same part of the foot - sometimes the instep, sometimes the big toe, sometimes the side, she said it was definitely NOT gout.

She said it sounded more like an autoimmune disease and ordered blood work again.

I told her that when I saw her a month ago I had fallen off the low carb wagon and had been indulging in a morning croissant. Boom! Wheat!!! Boom boom!

However, I had finished the croissants by the next day and was looking for carbs in everything I ate since. But the pain and swelling persisted.

I had no idea that I could get such a painful autoimmune reaction to wheat that has lasted one month! Still painful. I am going to have to re-read Wheat Belly to see what he has to say about autoimmune responses to wheat. I obviously missed that.
Does anyone remember?
Reply With Quote
  #19   ^
Old Fri, May-14-21, 08:50
GRB5111's Avatar
GRB5111 GRB5111 is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 4,036
 
Plan: Very LC, Higher Protein
Stats: 227/186/185 Male 6' 0"
BF:
Progress: 98%
Location: Herndon, VA
Default

Quote:
"If gout flares come from an accumulation of uric acid crystals in your joints, and elevated insulin causes your kidneys to hang on to too much uric acid, then rather than avoiding foods whose breakdown creates uric acid, you might be better served by keeping your insulin level lower. Plus, uric acid doesn’t exist to trigger gout attacks and cause you pain. It’s an antioxidant, so you wouldn’t want to be entirely without uric acid in your body."


This is key. Looking for nutrient density includes adding organ meat, red meat, and shellfish when it's fresh and available, to my diet. Although organ meats tend to be slightly higher in carbs, none of these spikes insulin to the degree where I'd have to eliminate them. Maintaining a lower BG level enabled me to eliminate gout symptoms completely many years ago. Some may have triggers with certain foods, and what those triggers are likely vary in an individual. Most of the conventional medical advice on managing gout never worked for me.
Reply With Quote
  #20   ^
Old Sat, May-15-21, 05:10
Benay's Avatar
Benay Benay is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 876
 
Plan: Protein Power/Atkins
Stats: 250/167/175 Female 5 feet 6 inches
BF:
Progress: 111%
Location: Prescott, Arizona, USA
Default

Rob, I don't have gout
Apparently, I have an autoimmune response to gluten
Reply With Quote
  #21   ^
Old Sat, May-15-21, 08:23
GRB5111's Avatar
GRB5111 GRB5111 is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 4,036
 
Plan: Very LC, Higher Protein
Stats: 227/186/185 Male 6' 0"
BF:
Progress: 98%
Location: Herndon, VA
Default

Benay, read your post with the diagnosis. Good that you don't have gout. Knowing this will help you avoid gluten. Giving up wheat and all other grains years ago has made a major difference for me. I didn't really focus on gluten alone, as there are other bad actors in that group. Hopefully, this diagnosis provides you the information to reverse your autoimmune response.
Reply With Quote
  #22   ^
Old Sun, May-16-21, 03:57
Benay's Avatar
Benay Benay is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 876
 
Plan: Protein Power/Atkins
Stats: 250/167/175 Female 5 feet 6 inches
BF:
Progress: 111%
Location: Prescott, Arizona, USA
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by GRB5111
Benay, read your post with the diagnosis. Good that you don't have gout. Knowing this will help you avoid gluten. Giving up wheat and all other grains years ago has made a major difference for me. I didn't really focus on gluten alone, as there are other bad actors in that group. Hopefully, this diagnosis provides you the information to reverse your autoimmune response.


The major problem with being an addict is falling off the wagon
coupled with being an inconsistent person
so, although I try to be consistent in following a low carb/no grain WOE, I do have episodes of binging on forbidden foods.
This time I got hit on the head as a reminder I am not doing myself any favors and that "just one" does have an impact.
Reply With Quote
  #23   ^
Old Sat, May-22-21, 13:00
spiderdust's Avatar
spiderdust spiderdust is offline
~strange as angels~
Posts: 1,015
 
Plan: Atkins
Stats: 256/249/150 Female 5 feet 6 inches
BF:51%/49%/30%
Progress: 7%
Location: Silicon Valley, CA
Default

FWIW, my own gout flareups seem to be related to times when I've fallen off of the wagon. I also have migraines when I take the medication for it, so I can't take that.

Instead, I hydrate like crazy. I drink water whenever I think of it. I also take some of the unsweetened cherry juice that someone recommended above in some of my water. (Eating cherries would also work. Use your best judgement regarding your carb/sugar intake)
Reply With Quote
  #24   ^
Old Mon, May-31-21, 05:55
Benay's Avatar
Benay Benay is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 876
 
Plan: Protein Power/Atkins
Stats: 250/167/175 Female 5 feet 6 inches
BF:
Progress: 111%
Location: Prescott, Arizona, USA
Default

Thanks for this Janet. Much appreciated.
I have my blood work back and my uric acid levels are "borderline elevated" - 9.2
I was not tested for insulin levels. So I have no idea what they are.

The information on the net about avoiding high purine foods always includes red meat, shrimp, certain fishes/shell fish and organ meats. All my low carb staples.

Immunoglobulin A is 78 - range is 87-352. Whatever that means.

So, I either have gout or a precursor to gout. ?

I have stopped eating bacon - a daily staple - and have noticed immediate changes in the bruising on my legs - going away!
Who knew?

Thanks again, Janet - I will watch again and again
Reply With Quote
  #25   ^
Old Mon, May-31-21, 08:32
Benay's Avatar
Benay Benay is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 876
 
Plan: Protein Power/Atkins
Stats: 250/167/175 Female 5 feet 6 inches
BF:
Progress: 111%
Location: Prescott, Arizona, USA
Default

I have just spent the last 2.5 hours reading all the references above. Thank you all. I don't know how much of the information I will retain but the explanations make sense.

The one thing that boggled my mind was the recommendation of exercise. When your feet are screaming at you, standing and walking is excruciating. So I can only assume the reference is relative to "usually" or upper body exercises.

Since my insulin levels have not been tested - or BG either for that matter - I will "act as if" they are not in the normal range.

Thank you again, all of you for your suggestions and references. I appreciate the time you have taken to help me.

I am still trying to decide about the tart cherry juice. A full glass should ruin my carb control - no?
Reply With Quote
  #26   ^
Old Thu, Jun-03-21, 07:39
Benay's Avatar
Benay Benay is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 876
 
Plan: Protein Power/Atkins
Stats: 250/167/175 Female 5 feet 6 inches
BF:
Progress: 111%
Location: Prescott, Arizona, USA
Default

After reading all of the above references, I got the impression that an acidic environment prevented gout
Ergo the emphasis on vinegar, dill pickles, tart cherry juice
I couldn't make much sense of the information on the net
Reply With Quote
  #27   ^
Old Mon, Jun-14-21, 06:16
Benay's Avatar
Benay Benay is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 876
 
Plan: Protein Power/Atkins
Stats: 250/167/175 Female 5 feet 6 inches
BF:
Progress: 111%
Location: Prescott, Arizona, USA
Default

I wish I had known about the low cab diet back in the 1980's when my knees first flared up and a tentative diagnosis of gout was made. I didn't find out about it until 2006.

Perhaps I would still have my original knees - instead of 4 failed replacements.

If only medicine wasn't guite so political.
Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

vB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off



All times are GMT -6. The time now is 05:29.


Copyright © 2000-2024 Active Low-Carber Forums @ forum.lowcarber.org
Powered by: vBulletin, Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.