One of my favorite go-to resources for treating chronic disease is Michael McCammon with New Zealand Herbals. He is a naturopath and herbalist with over 40 years of experience in the healing arts. He does a weekly podcast called Medicine Man and I find every episode incredibly informative. His podcast on Gout is a must-listen-to for anyone suffering from this painful condition. Below is my summary and take-aways after listening to this great podcast.
Symptoms of Gout
Gout is a condition similar to arthritis in that it involves inflammation in the joints. This inflammation can affect different parts of the body like the ankles, knees, hands, and wrists, but the classic cases of gout affect the big toe. In the acute phase, gout can be extremely painful with very swollen and tender joints. If it reaches a chronic stage it can be quite debilitating. If gout progresses to a degenerative stage then tissues begin to break down and the joints can swell in size and become bright red and inflamed, potentially breaking out in ulcers.
Gout = Acidosis
What is happening in the body to create this type of joint inflammation? According to McCammon, gout is simply acidosis. It is simply a build up of too much acid in the system.
“Gout is simply a build up of too much acid in the system.”
Certain parts of our body are either more acidic or more alkaline, and each organ has its own pH level. The urine pH is different from the salvia pH which is different from the stomach pH, and so forth. The blood needs to have an alkaline pH of 7.3 to 7.4. If the pH of the blood drops below these levels, then the body’s fluids become too acidic and we call it acidosis.
Two Types of Acidosis
One of the functions of the lungs and the kidneys is to maintain the body’s pH balance (acid / alkaline balance). Issues with the lungs or the kidneys can lead to acidosis and McCammon describes the two types of acidosis as follows:
Respiratory Acidosis – You can develop gout as a result of breathing problems. The lungs are supposed to remove carbon dioxide as you breathe, but if this function is impaired then too much carbon dioxide builds up in the body and can lead to acidosis. If you have sleep apnea or asthma or any bronchial condition, then it’s possible you’re not alkalizing your blood properly and are therefore at an increased risk of acidosis and gout.
Fatigue, confusion, and shortness of breath can also result from this type of acidosis. For those who wake up in the morning with headaches, there may be an overnight breathing issue that prevents the body from eliminating carbon dioxide and properly alkalizing the blood.
Metabollic Acidosis – This is often caused by a deficient kidney function. The kidneys are our blood filters and it’s their job to get rid of all the excess acids in the body. If the kidneys are inherently weak or if you’ve been exposed to too many chemicals or too much smoking, you could be at an increased risk for metabolic acidosis and therefore gout.
Fatigue, confusion, and shortness of breath can also accompany this type of acidosis. In addition, people often feel a loss of appetite with metabolic acidosis. Headaches during the day are sometimes a result of this type of acidosis.
Other Causes of Gout
In addition to gout caused by acidosis resulting from lung or kidney deficiencies, other causes of gout include being overweight, drinking too much alcohol (because this affects the liver and one of the many functions of the liver is to help maintain pH balance), lack of exercise, and dehydration. In fact, McCammon stresses that dehydration is probably the single most common factor in acidosis. We simply don’t get enough water. And with chlorine in the water supply in so many countries, this further dries up the system and worsens the problem.
“Dehydration is probably the single most common factor in acidosis.”
Diagnosing Gout
McCammon states that gout is immediately recognizable using iridology (looking at the iris of the eye) as well as in live blood analysis (using a drop of blood under a microscope). These methods are more common with naturopaths and alternative medicine providers. With iridology, the practitioner can tell by reading the eye (which is really a map of the entire body) where the acidosis is originating from and which organs are affected. This can lead to a more tailored treatment approach using herbs that target the affected organs.
It’s also possible to visit your general practitioner and have lab work done to test the pH levels (check the blood, urine, and saliva pH levels).
Solutions for Gout Sufferers
McCammon says he typically diagnoses gout in a patient at his New Zealand clinic every 2-3 weeks. And although he says gout is complex, he says it is not complicated. Read on to learn about some simple and inexpensive ways that he recommends to treat gout.
“Although gout is complex, it is not complicated.”
Apple Cider Vinegar – Even though vinegar is thought to be acidic, when you get the correct ACV it helps to alkalize your body because it is filled with nutrients like potassium and sodium. The best ACV is Bragg Apple Cider Vinegar because it still has the “mother” in it – which is the living, healing bacteria that creates the vinegar. He recommends adding 1-2 tablespoons of ACV to at least 8 oz of filtered water and drinking that 2-3 times per day. You can also soak your toe (or affected area) for 30 minutes in a bucket of hot water and ACV. He recommends 4 cups of water to one cup of ACV. You can also soak a dry cloth in it, wring it out, and wrap it around the inflamed joint and let the alkalinity happen in the joint. It can bring quick relief within minutes.
Baking Soda – Like Apple Cider Vinegar, baking soda makes your body more alkaline. McCammon recommends putting 1/2 a teaspoon of baking soda into 6-8 ounces of warm water and drinking it several times a day, until you get to a total of about 3 tsp of baking soda (approximately 6 times). Doing this for one to three days is a good way to test whether what you’re experiencing really is acidosis and gout. If it is, the pain should diminish during that time. But McCammon says not to use baking soda for too long because it can imbalance your body. Occasional use can help diminish pain and help you determine if what you’re experiencing is indeed acidosis. If it is, go see a practitioner about your diet and possible lifestyle factors that are contributing. [Note: Find a natural baking soda without aluminum and other chemicals included.]
Ginger – A ginger infused tea can help with acidosis and gout. If using fresh ginger, grate a thumb sized piece into hot water and steep, strain, and drink a few times a day. You can also use dried ginger. Adding a teaspoon of dried turmeric can also help.
Water – McCammon stresses that people are not drinking enough water. He recommends getting a water filter that removes chlorine and heavy metals and drinking eight glasses of pure water each day.
Celery – steep a teaspoon of celery seeds in a glass of hot water, strain, and drink three times a day. Juicing stalks of celery is also a good option. The celery works on your kidneys to excrete more uric acid out of the body.
Herbs – Find a registered herbalist because they can prescribe herbs that are antiseptic and diuretic like dandelion and celery root. If the acidosis is coming from the liver they will choose liver-support herbs. If it’s coming from the kidneys they’ll give kidney herbs. If it’s coming from the lungs they’ll give lung herbs, and so forth.
See an Iridologist – McCammon says this is the best way to diagnose acidosis because looking into the eye gives immediate confirmation as to where the acidosis is coming from and which organs are weakened. With this knowledge, the herbs and treatments can be tailored more accurately to address the root cause of the problem.
Pineapple – Bromelain is an enzyme in pineapple that is great for treating gout because it can lower uric acid. Make sure the pineapple is as sun-ripened as possible.
Have you experienced gout? What worked? What didn’t?
Please leave a comment below and share your experience!