What therapies does Dr. Weil recommend for gout?
Like so many diseases, gout is likely an artifact of inflammation and habits of lifestyle, which means following an anti-inflammatory diet and making changes in lifestyle should be the first line of defense. The following should be emphasized: • Avoid meats that are particularly rich sources of uric acid such as organ meats, sardines and anchovies. Physicians used to advise cutting back on purine-rich plant foods such as lentils, peas, beans, mushrooms, cauliflower and spinach; however, recent research has shown no correlation between eating such foods and incidence of gout attacks. • Eliminate coffee and all other caffeine sources from the diet. • Minimize alcohol consumption. Alcohol promotes dehydration and irritates the urinary tract. • Drink the full complement of eight eight-ounce glasses of water daily to flush uric acid from the system and prevent urate crystal deposition. • If you are overweight, lose the excess pounds. • Eat tart cherries in all forms – fresh, or as cherry ju
