Can Amino Acids Cause Gout

Endorphins And Acth Chains Of Amino Acids

Nothing should pique the interest of a pain practitioner more than a glance at the chemical structure of ß-endorphins and adrenal corticotrophin hormone . Both are composed of very long chains of amino acids. Both are made side-by-side in the pituitary gland. One molecule of each is secreted simultaneously from the pituitary. When a noxious pain signal arrives at this anatomic site, endorphin and ACTH are simultaneously secreted and explains why elevated adrenal secretion occurs with attendant tachycardia and hypertension at the same time endorphin is attempting pain amelioration. This makes for a potent trauma team. Unfortunately, individuals with genetically inadequate endorphin production and/or whose production has been exhausted by the demands of chronic pain and dietary protein deficiency, can run low in this most critical storage of pain-modulating neurotransmitters. The production of one molecule of endorphin requires up to 20 amino acids .

Table 1. ß-Endorphin and ACTH 20-chain Amino Acid Compositions

ACTH

Tyr-Gly-Gly-Phe-Met-Thr-Ser-Glu-Lys-Ser-Gin-Thr-Pro-Leu-Val-Thr-Leu-Phe-Lys-Asn

What Are The Symptoms Of Gout

An episode of gout is called a gout attack. Gout attacks are very painful and can happen quite suddenly, often overnight. During a gout attack, symptoms in the affected joint may include:

• Intense pain.
• Tenderness, even to light touch, such as from a bedsheet.
• Warmth, or a feeling like the joint is on fire.
• How long does a gout attack last?

A gout attack can last a week or two. Between gout attacks, you may have no symptoms at all.

Administration Of Amino Acid Supplements

Modern day chemical manufacturing has produced techniques that allow amino acids to be singularly made in physiologic or even supra-physiologic doses. When singular amino acids are given, it is called precursor therapy because the goal of therapy is to provide a substrate that will raise the bodys levels of one or more of the targeted pain-killing neurochemicals that are listed in Table 2.

Table 2. Primary Pain-modulating Neurotransmitters

Neurotransmitter

or, l-glutamine

500mg midmorning, mid-afternoon, and bedtime

Individual amino acids are commercially available as tablets, capsules, powders, or administered by I.V. pain practitioners will want to identify the single amino acids that will best benefit particular patients. All amino acids are classified by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration as dietary supplements, so they are widely available at reasonable prices in health food stores, pharmacies, catalogs, and on the internet.

Amino acid blends are widely sold in drinks or powders, and advertised or labeled for energy, brain power, or body building. The dosages in most of these products, however, are usually too low to be of much benefit to chronic pain patients. We therefore recommend that practitioners use concentrates of the specific amino acids indicated in Table 2, along with a high quality, free-form amino acid blend containing all 20 amino acids.

Recommended Reading: Onions Bad For Gout

Are Protein Drinks Bad For Gout

Goutproteinproteindrinksgout

. Considering this, do protein shakes cause gout?

Protein and Your Gout RiskIf you have never had gout pain, a high-protein diet is not likely to increase your gout risk much.

Secondly, what proteins are good for gout? Gout-friendly proteins include eggs, nuts, seeds and cold-water fish. The Dietetics and Food Services from Changi General Hospital explain how these foods can help control gout. ?friend?ly diet consists of eggs, nuts, and seeds.

Hereof, is protein bad for gout sufferers?

Animal proteins are high in purines. Since the buildup of purines can lead to elevated levels of uric acid, which in turn may result in gout, it’s best to avoid or strictly limit these foods.

Is plant based protein bad for gout?

The vegetarian diet and gout. Switching to a plant based diet may have considerable benefits for gout sufferers. Replacing animal proteins with plant proteins can potentially reduce your risk of gout, and has a range of other potent health benefits.

What Is The Fastest Way To Get Rid Of Gout

The best way is to take a daily multivitamin and take it every day. , a multigrain powder, or a combination of the two. The best multivalve powder is a blend of whey protein isolate and wheyniglycine. It is also recommended to use a supplement containing a mixture of magnesium and calcium. If you are taking a calcium supplement, you should also take an iron supplement. You can also use an amino acid supplement to help with the absorption of calcium and magnesium.

Also Check: Is Almond Milk Good For Gout

Uric Acid And Inflammation

Jenna Henderson, ND

A high level of uric acid is an often-unrecognized contributor to many disease states. While the uremic wastes creatinine and BUN are measured on a basic metabolic panel, a blood test for serum uric acid is usually not run unless the patient complains of gout symptoms. Gout is the most well-known consequence of high uric acid, but only one of many conditions impacted by uric acid.

There may be a classical presentation of gout in the big toe or tophi with uric acid crystals forming nodules in various places. Gout may occur in the context of kidney weakness but is also seen in patients with normal creatinine and BUN. If other renal indicators are normal, diet and lifestyle factors are to blame.

Conversely low uric acid can also be problematic. Depending on the conditions, uric acid can be both pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory. Too much or too little uric acid can be detrimental depending on the patients health status.

Processing of Uric Acid

Uric acid is produced in the liver cells by the major catabolic pathway of purine degradation. Uric acid is not metabolized in the liver but is excreted by the kidneys and intestinal tract. The enzyme directly responsible for the formation of uric acid is xanthine oxidase , and many medications for uric acid target this enzyme. Other published approaches to lowering production of uric acid include the inhibition of purine nucleoside phosphorylase , just upstream from XO.1

Demographics

Lab Tests

• Aspirin

Factors That Increase Your Risk Of Kidney Stones

Kidney stones often have no single cause, and several factors may increase your risk for getting them. Some of these factors are listed below. They include:

Lack of water

You need to make enough pee to dilute the things that can turn into stones. If you donât drink enough or sweat too much, your pee may look dark. It should be pale yellow or clear.

If youâve had a stone before, you should make about 8 cups of urine a day. So aim to down about 10 cups of water daily, since you lose some fluids through sweat and breathing. Swap a glass of water for a citrus drink. The citrate in lemonade or orange juice can block stones from forming.

Recommended Reading: Allopurinol Side Effects Alcohol

The Protein Requirements Of A Pain Management Diet

Not only do amino acids produce critical pain modulating neurochemicals and hormones, they are essential for muscle, bone, and soft tissue building and maintenance. Muscle wasting is a well-known occurrence in chronic pain and postoperative patients. While many foods contain protein, we recommend that pain practitioners know the foods that, by weight, are 50% protein . Pain patients tend to eat foods that are high in sugars and starches or fats. They often consume too little protein to raise and maintain levels of endorphin, serotonin, and GABA. Chronic pain patients must, therefore, be repeatedly counseled to eat protein on a daily basis.

Possible Impact On Kidneys

Since the kidneys are so important in the regulation of the acid in the body, they are very susceptible to excess amino acids. Some amino acids may be naturally acidic while others will naturally be basic. The protein in your diet, however, will be acidic.

When you have a high-protein diet that results in high levels of amino acids in your body, your kidneys will have to work extra hard to keep the acid balance in the body at the proper level.

The body does not store extra amino acids, so if you consume too much, they will be broken down and eliminated, according to the Royal Society of Chemistry. The result is that you will have higher levels of urea and ammonia, and your kidneys will have to filter more blood.

Also Check: Is Pickle Juice Good For Gout

Is Spirulina Good For Gout

4/5Spirulinagoutspirulina

Keeping this in consideration, can Spirulina cure gout?

These researchers, however, go on to suggest that it is not prudent to eat more than 50 g of spirulina daily. The reason they give is that the plant contains a high concentration of nucleic acids, substances related to DNA. When these are metabolized, they create uric acid, which could cause gout or kidney stones.

Also, is spirulina good for thyroid? Spirulina contains thyroid supportive minerals, such as iodine and amindo acid tyrosine, which together make up one form of thyroid hormone. Research affirms that iodine, a micronutrient present in many of the foods we eat , is key in helping the thyroid gland make thyroid hormones.

Accordingly, when should you not take spirulina?

May slow blood clottingWhile some studies suggest that spirulina does not affect blood clotting time, little is known about its effects on people who are already taking blood thinners . Thus, you should avoid spirulina if you have a bleeding disorder or are on blood thinners.

What supplements should I take for gout?

Because it’s so painful and can worsen over time, many with gout are eager to find ways to prevent the attacks from occurring, as well as provide effective treatment for flare-ups when they occur.Herbal supplements

Bcaa Affecting Kidneys & Kidney Stones

There has been a lot of talk about bcaas negatively affecting the kidneys or bcaa causing kidney stones. Some people are concerned about bcaas causing kidney pain with or without kidney stones.

In a way, this is a genuine concern because when you consume excess proteins either through your regular diet or through the use of bcaa supplements, there is a theoretical risk that the kidneys are being pushed harder than they ought to.

On this account of being pushed harder by excessive protein intake from bcaa or regular diet, the kidneys may then begin to malfunction, at least in theory anyway.

The scientific evidence regarding high protein diets or bcaas causing kidney problems is conflicting and no consistency of results have been demonstrated to reach any foregone conclusions.

This experimental study in rats seems to suggest that a high protein diet does cause the kidneys to get bigger and to filter more and more.

And if we go by the Brenner Hypothesis, then things get really interesting.

Brenner hypothesis suggests that conditions that cause the kidneys to filter harder and induce higher pressures within the kidneys will eventually lead to kidney injury over time.

Some scientists seem to think otherwise though. This alternative school of thought believes that excessive filtration that happens in the kidneys on a high protein diet is actually an adaptation of the kidneys to the new demand on it, rather than a kidney malfunction.

You May Like: Pictures Of Gout In Your Foot

Defining What Causes The Disease Of Kings

A Hopkins reseacher shows that some diseasesincluding goutresult from defects in how molecules move into and out of cells.

Bill Guggino has spent much of his research career studying cystic fibrosis. But two years ago, an epidemiologist called him to ask for his help on a study of an entirely different diseasegout.

Guggino, who is the director of the Department of Physiology, had never entertained the notion of studying gout, an extremely painful arthritic condition that affects 3 million people in the United States. However, he readily agreed to the request, and in April, he and the epidemiologist, Joe Coresh, and their colleagues will receive an award for a paper that revealed a new cause for gout.

It wasnt the first time Guggino has worked on a project outside of his specialty. Hes also collaborated on studies of various other proteins, including ones that are involved in polycystic kidney disease, and ones that form channels known as aquaporins, which direct the movement of water across cell membranesresearch that garnered his colleague Peter Agre the Nobel Prize.

This list might seem like a random collection of proteins, says Guggino. However, all share a common motif each is a molecule that helps transport material across cell membranes, and defects in these protein-transport molecules cause a range of diseases. So Guggino doesnt call himself a disease researcher. We are transport physiologists, he says. We study how molecules move into and out of cells.

How To Tell If Tomatoes Are A Trigger

Gout flare-ups often happen suddenly at night.

If you eat tomatoes regularly and are experiencing any of the following symptoms in one or more joints, tomatoes may be a trigger food for you:

• Pain
• Swelling
• Limited range of motion

To determine if tomatoes are part of the problem, try eliminating all tomatoes and tomato-based products from your diet for 2-4 weeks.

Then add tomatoes back in and see how your body responds.

While you do this, it can help to keep a food journal to track details such as:

• What you eat and drink
• How much you eat and drink
• The time of day you eat and drink
• Any pain experienced, including where, when, and the intensity

If your gout symptoms improve or disappear when you stop eating tomatoes and then return or worsen when you begin to eat tomatoes again, the food is likely a trigger for you.

You May Like: Are Almonds Good For Gout

How Does A Doctor Diagnose Gout

If you have sudden or severe pain in a joint, you should talk to your primary care provider . Your PCP may send you to a rheumatologist, a doctor who specializes in gout and other kinds of arthritis.

Healthcare providers consider several things when confirming gout:

• Symptoms: The provider will ask you to describe your symptoms, how often they happen and how long they last.
• Physical examination: Your provider will examine the affected joint to look for swelling, redness and warmth.
• Blood work: A test can measure the amount of uric acid in your blood.
• Imaging tests: You may have pictures taken of the affected joint with X-rays, an ultrasound or MRI.
• Aspiration: The provider may use a needle to pull fluid from the joint. Using a microscope, a team member can look for uric acid crystals or a different problem .

Aend Products Of Protein Metabolism: Hyperuricemia And Gout

Uric acid is the major end product of nitrogen metabolism in birds. It constitutes approximately 60% to 80% of the total excreted N in avian urine . The formation of urea in pigeons occurs mainly through arginolysis . Uricotelism permits excretion or storage of N waste in a small volume of water. UA is relatively nontoxic when compared to UR or ammonia , which is essential for the development of the embryo in the egg of reptiles and birds. UA is synthesized in the liver, and 90% is excreted via tubular secretion, largely independent of urine flow rate . The clearance of UA exceeds the glomerular filtration rate by a factor 8 to 16. The rate of secretion is largely independent of the state of hydration. Very high concentrations of UA can be found in ureteral urine in dehydrated birds. Renal function disorders can eventually lead to elevated plasma UA concentrations. Nonprotein nitrogen substances in plasma such as UA, creatinine , and UR will only be elevated when renal function is below 30% of its original capacity. For elevated UA and UR during starvation and endurance flight see Sections III.B and III.C.

Melanie A. Breshears, Anthony W. Confer, in, 2017

Don’t Miss: Is Onion Bad For Gout

What Is The Connection Between L

Gout is a condition that causes inflammation and pain in your joints. This arthritic condition most commonly affects the large joint in your big toe, although pain and swelling also may occur in other joints of your feet, legs, hands and arms. Diet plays a major role in the development of gout symptoms. Eating foods that contain L-arginine may increase your risk of a gout attack, especially if this form of arthritis runs in your family.

Video of the Day

Who Is Affected By Gout

Gout can affect anyone. It usually occurs earlier in men than women. It generally occurs after menopause in women. Men can be three times more likely than women to get it because they have higher levels of uric acid most of their lives. Women reach these uric acid levels after menopause.

People are more likely to get gout if they have:

• Obesity, or a lot of extra weight.

You are also more likely to develop gout if you:

• Consume a diet high in animal proteins
• Consume a significant amount of alcohol
• Are on water pills .

Read Also: Gout And Tofu

Types Of Kidney Stones

The different types of stones are made of different types of substances. It’s important to know the type of stone you have, so you can know what may have caused it and how to prevent it.

If you pass a kidney stone, you should take it to your doctor so they can send it to the lab and find out what kind it is:

• Calcium stones. Most kidney stones are made from calcium, in the form of calcium oxalate. There are two kinds of calcium stones:

• Calcium oxalate. Oxalate is a substance made daily by your liver. Some fruits and vegetables, as well as nuts and chocolate, are high in it. Your body absorbs the substance when you eat these foods. Other things that can make the concentration of calcium or oxalate in your urine to rise are taking high doses of vitamin D, intestinal bypass surgery and certain metabolic disorders.

• Calcium phosphate. This type of stone happens more often in people with metabolic conditions, like renal tubular acidosis or with people who take medications to treat migraines or seizures.

Struvite stones. These can form from a urinary tract infection . The bacteria that cause the infection make ammonia build up in your urine. This leads to formation of the stones. The stones can get large very quickly.

Uric acid stones. These form in people who lose too much fluid because of chronic diarrhea or malabsorption eating a high-protein diet or having diabetes or metabolic syndrome. Certain genetic factors also may increase your risk of uric acid stones.