Salutations, muchachos! One of my non-LC friends told me, "I read that many people following the Atkins plan develop gout." I take an kelp-derived iodine supplement along with my multivitamin. Is gout really a concern for me?

Thanks for your opinion!

Britt

Hi Britt. Doctors don't seem to agree on what causes gout - it seems to be at least partially genetic. So if you're succeptable to it, a sudden increase in your animal protein intake could trigger it, but it's not really the cause.

Animal protein contains purines, the substance that people with gout have a hard time processing. A person with gout could still low carb with a plan emphasizing vegetarian protein sources over meat.

HTH.

Thank you, Kristine, for the information. My grandmother had gout thus I will speak with my doctor. I am probably worrying unnecessarily.

Have a great weekend!

Britt

Hi Britt,
Kristine explained gout very well already but I just wanted to add that my DH had severe gout 3 or 4 times before starting Atkins. He has been on the diet close to 6 months now and hasn't had any flare ups at all. I know everyone differs but you probably don't have anything to worry about if you've never had a problem in the past.

Just want to throw in my tuppence worth here too.

I have occasionally seen people post that they have developed gout while low carbing. But in all the cases I've seen, they haven't been drinking water. So I suspect it's the diuretic action of the diet, along with a sudden increase in animal protein, as Kristine said, that contributes to it.

So even if you have a genetic or otherwise tendency to develop gout, drinking plenty of water should go a long way to preventing such a painful condition.

Cheers.

Rosebud

Here's a study (from the Atkins website, independently conducted.)

Summary:
The researchers begin this study by acknowledging that insulin resistance has been increasingly implicated in the development of gout. The changes in blood cholesterol levels seen in persons with gout are similar to those associated with insulin resistance. Therefore, researchers investigated whether changes in diet that have been reported to be beneficial in persons with insulin resistance would also benefit persons with gout. Thirteen non-diabetic men, each of whom had had at least two gout attacks during the four months previous to the study, were recruited. Each subject restricted his daily caloric intake to 1,600 calories, with 40% coming from complex carbohydrates, 30% from protein and 30% from fat. After 16 weeks on this diet, subjects lost an average of 17 pounds. Their gout attacks were reduced from an average of 2.1 per month to 0.6 per month. Significant decreases were also seen in total cholesterol, LDL (“bad”) cholesterol and triglyceride levels; meanwhile, HDL (“good”) cholesterol levels increased slightly. Researchers concluded that weight reduction associated with increased protein and fat consumption and decreased carbohydrate consumption is beneficial in treating symptoms of gout. They further stated that current dietary recommendations for gout might need re-evaluation.


So it's been shown to be beneficial for gout patients, just like Lori H's husband.

whats "gout"?

Gout occurs when uric acid crystals accumulate in an affected joint. It brings on severe pain and often occurs (as was my hubby's case) in the base of the big toe. Also has accompanying swelling and redness.