GoutPal Interactive

apcoach said:

On the topic of iron, i am intrigued by the idea that giving blood could benefit gout sufferers by lowering the blood's iron count.  is that a major topic that has been discussed on this forum?  is there any evidence to support that hypothesis?

Based on my “layman's” knowledge, by giving blood we are also giving away some “iron” from our blood. Hence when our blood is replenished in our body there is “less iron” in it.  By giving blood we are also helping other people, so it's good to give it a try (this is only a joke)!

Where evidence to support this hypothesis is concerned, our admin, Gout Pal and other gout friends may be able to enlighten us.

I shall be looking forward to your good news!!

Thanks for the link.  Just curious about how often you give blood and the impact of doing so for you personally.

apcoach said:

Thanks for the link.  Just curious about how often you give blood and the impact of doing so for you personally.

I am certain that the amount of blood would vary from person to person.

In the experiment that revealed that blood loss can improve gout, blood was taken almost to the point of anemia. I doubt that a blood donation service would take that much, but it might be worthwile discussing it with them.

I agree with metamorph that the finest reason for donating blood is to help those who need it.

Logically, excess iron is almost certainly down to a dietary imbalance, so is best fixed by adjusting the diet.

Sorry, I did not make myself clear.

During the period when I donated blood I did not know much about gout, except hearing about other people suffering from it.  I experienced my first gout attack only a few years after I stopped donating blood - that was when they considered me too old to do so. 

apcoach said:

But, could it be that the bbb caused a drop in iron, then a drop in ua leading to the proteins on the msu crystals to be stripped?

It really depends on if you are already taking allopurinol and if you've monitored your uric acid level to be 5mg or less.  If you are at 9mg or something, taking the black bean broth isn't going to cure your gout or prevent further attacks.  Until we learn more about the effect of an iron chelator, the black bean broth is more reactionary than preventitive;  it helps alleviate pains from an existing attack.  If you went a bit wild on triggers such as meat and alcohol without anything like allopurinol to control how much uric acid you produce, then a resulting attack would be likely.

The black bean broth sounds awesome (I am planning on trying it soon), but remember that you need to get your uric acid levels under control to prevent hyperuricemia, regardless if you have painful attacks or not.   I am approaching week three of allopurinol use and so far things have been just fine.  In fact I had a bottle of beer and a glass of wine last night (along with buffalo wings) and feel no ill effects today.

Good luck and I hope the pain stays away :)

Thanks for your feedback, apcoach.   It sets me thinking again!  What Kvalhion mentioned about getting “your uric acid levels under control to prevent hyperuricemia” is very important.  If our uric acid level is high we would need to attend to that first and bring it down to acceptable levels with medication. 

You mentioned about taking “baking soda every three hours and tons of cherry juice and celebrex” – surely with so much of everything and lots of liquid taken in your condition should improve.  Nonetheless,  we cannot always have the best of everything with nothing happening.  So, the best is still to watch our diet and lead a healthy lifestyle, with everything in moderation.

Post edited 5:57 am – May 23, 2009 by vegetarianGuy

Can't I eat the black beans used to make the broth? Why do I need to boil it soo long? Can't  I soak it in water overnight and then cook the black beans for 20 minutes or so and then eat it all?

Interesting. I will hit my local Asian food store and pick some black beans. I will probably add onions, herbs and some spices to the liquid.

Hi, All Gout Friends.

I had not been actively involved in discussions for quite some time because my only contribution to this forum was my “Black Bean Broth” and nothing else.

I happened to login to Gout Pal Interactive again and noticed that it was given some mention. S, here am I unable to resist from sharing some recent “success stories”.  Ok, I will limit myself to just one story.

One day, at my working place I notice a man limping painfully to his van. I couldn't resist being a “nosey poker”, so I went to him and asked him  what happened to his leg. He told me it was gout -  one of his big toes was swelling badly and he had been suffering the excruciating pain for some time.  He had to bear with the pain as he needed to work to make ends meet.

I told him about Black Bean broth and taught him how to prepare it.  I was not too sure whether it would work for him but i thought it would be good for him to try it.  He seemed glad about what I told him and said he would try it out.

Yesterday, after about 1 month, I happen to meet him again.  When he saw me he approached me and told happily that he took the BB broth, and after 3 gulps his toe pain was gone. “Now I can even play soccer again!”

I have unwavering faith in BB broth myself as I found it very effective in relieving inflammation and pain. But, I am also mindful that it is not a “cure” for gout.  So, if your gout pain is making your life miserable, you could try BB broth to help you relieve your pain and swelling, after that go and consult your doctor for medical attention.

Cheers!!!!

Reminds me…

It's nearly lunch time and I'm going to make a nice big bowl of pureed black beans (lots of cumin, dash of tabasco, splash of lemon, and some minced onions on top.)