Does gluten reduction help with gout?

[Elky Welky]

I have gout. I reached out to White Labs, and although it is possible to produce an enzyme that would reduce purine content in beer for gout sufferers similar to how they produce an enzyme for gluten reduction, they simply don't. They also didn't indicate they have any intention of producing these enzymes (seems like they are leaving a ton of money on the table). Does anyone know why not? Anyone have any suggestions for how to reduce purines in your homebrew? And finally, anyone with gout find a difference if they reduce gluten in their brews?

Thanks!

 

[day_trippr]

I imagine the size of the beer-consuming gout-suffering market might not be as large as you imagine...

 

[Skeeter686]

I'm a bit curious, myself.

My BIL has gout, and he asked my wife and I if we ever tried brewing cider. (He drinks our beer when he's here.) I assume he was inquiring because cider is better for his condition.

I did some very light research (I mean, he's got the gout, not me ) and it seems that it's specifically brewers yeast that introduces the high levels of purines. We made our first ciders and the one that was ready first seemed pretty tasty when we tried it a couple days ago, but it's still not the same as beer.

I'm curious if we could get gout-friendly beer results by using traditional grains but fermenting with a non-traditional yeast.

 

[DuncB]

The yeast count in filtered beer must be very low. Finings after fermentation would also remove a lot of yeast cells.

But why bother to try and eliminate the yeast in beer, I've not heard of patients with gout avoiding bread.

Majority of patients with gout take allopurinol to prevent the hyperuricaemia.
They can drink beer fine.

 

[Agent]

I imagine the size of the beer-consuming gout-suffering market might not be as large as you imagine...

25% of the population at my work.


Not necessarily a large sample size though...

 

[mac_1103]

OTTOMH, I can only think of two people I know who have gout. One is a whisky drinker. The other is a teetotaler.

 

[worlddivides]

As far as I'm aware, all alcoholic beverages are "bad" for those with gout, but beer is the worst for gout in the West. I say "in the West" because technically shaoxing wine has even more purines in it than beer. Shaoxing wine isn't actually wine, though. It's made with rice. And as far as I'm aware, gluten has nothing to do with the purines in beer (there is no gluten in rice, after all). It entirely has to do with the yeast. Because even though wine is considered low in purines, it's still too high in purines for people who more easily have gout attacks.

Anyway, this is just what I remember from speaking with some folks with gout and what I read afterward out of personal interest.

 

[lumpher]

Wow... In my 60 years I've never known anyone with gout. I didn't realize it was that common. I know about it, and that it was called "the disease of kings" in the medieval ages because that's all that could eat red meat enough to suffer chronic protein poisoning to damage their bodies. But never even met anyone with it. Anyway, I know it's not just caused by excessive protein, and can be caused by genetics, kidney damage, and excessive alcohol intake, but based on that, any alcohol at all is bad for gout.

 

[worlddivides]

Wow... In my 60 years I've never known anyone with gout. I didn't realize it was that common. I know about it, and that it was called "the disease of kings" in the medieval ages because that's all that could eat red meat enough to suffer chronic protein poisoning to damage their bodies. But never even met anyone with it. Anyway, I know it's not just caused by excessive protein, and can be caused by genetics, kidney damage, and excessive alcohol intake, but based on that, any alcohol at all is bad for gout.

It's not the protein in meat that causes it, but the purines (hence why it's more associated with things like liver and shellfish). Gout is essentially uric acid buildup caused by purine intake. It can be caused by genetics, kidney damage, and so on, but excessive alcohol intake alone won't cause it unless you have a predisposition for it (and certain factors such as being overweight can increase that risk). And it does depend on the kind of alcohol. All alcohol is bad for gout, but the higher the purines, the worse it is. And gout isn't the same for everyone, so some people with gout can drink wine without having a gout attack but might get a gout attack if they drink beer (which has a lot of purines from the brewer's yeast).

I personally don't have gout, but I have looked into it out of interest from people I know with it. I also know a guy who got gout when he was around 19-21 but stopped drinking beer and basically doesn't have it anymore, but he said that since he had been fine for a long time and so he drank a bunch of beer for the first time in years and also had the first gout attack he'd had in years as a result.

 

[ehall]

this is easy... you can add either lemon juice, baking soda or apple cider vinegar to water and drink it up to 3x/day. start off with at least morning/evening but do this consistently and your gout will go away. Make this a habit and do it consistently and you'll see the gout disappear and you'll be able to drink worry free. just don't go crazy with the drinking...

 

[bobtheUKbrewer2]

I take a daily allupurinol tablet for gout, and (touching wood) I have not had an attack for 40 years.

 

[DuncB]

Allopurinol is the recognised management/ preventer.
Medical doctors don't prescribe mix an acid with water or if you like an alkali and drink it.
It doesn't affect the urate crystal production pathway which causes acute gout.
Preventing dehydration is a good idea though.

 

[bobtheUKbrewer2]

Allopurinol is the recognised management/ preventer.
Medical doctors don't prescribe mix an acid with water or if you like an alkali and drink it.
It doesn't affect the urate crystal production pathway which causes acute gout.
Preventing dehydration is a good idea though.

don't understand what you are saying, sorry

 

[DuncB]

don't understand what you are saying, sorry

You are on the correct treatment to prevent gout attacks.

The idea suggested of having a drink of acidified water or alkalinised water to prevent gout has no scientific basis other than maintaining hydration. Which could be done with water alone.

 

[ehall]

don't knock my suggestion until you've tried it...

 

[DuncB]

There is not one Randomised controlled trial suggesting that Apple cider vinegar or solutions of bicarbonate of soda prevent gout.
Anecdotal evidence is very very weak evidence.
You are welcome to believe what you like but please don't tout / prescribe these ideas to others until you have proof and qualification relevant to medical matters. You may end up causing them harm.