Gout from protein shakes?

[fxnaxn]

Hey all. I started SL 5x5 in June and I've seen a lot of progress so far. Recently I've started taking protein shakes too (milk + whey. 20g protein per serving), but I'm worried about gout. I'm only 20 years old so I don't think I'll be getting it any time soon, but my father gets it about twice a year and man it's terrible.

I've read online that too much protein can trigger gout because when protein is digested, uric acid is produced, and if the body can't flush this acid out it accumulates near joints and causes painful swelling. What's weird is that my dad is a vegetarian and completely abstains from alcohol (meat and alcohol seem to be the biggest cause of gout) so maybe this indicates that my family genes are especially crap at protecting against gout. I'm wondering if anyone knows if too much whey protein will screw me up too? (I don't drink and only eat white meat in moderate amounts) I'm already at risk because of my family history, so I don't want to make it worse.

Thanks

[Sam277]

Dehydration causes lot's of problems, and a steady intake of water tends to detoxify the body a bit.

What's your dad's fluid intake like versus his protein intake? And how much water does he tend to have around meals, espceically protein rich meals.

However, i don't actually know whether this is the problem at all, just an educated guess. Has he seen a doctor?

[fxnaxn]

Hey, thanks for replying. Dehydration might be it, I know he tries to avoid drinking within an hour before and after eating meals (I guess to prevent diluting stomach acid, if that's even possible). But besides that, I think he gets about half a gallon a day (around 8 glasses). He's seen a few doctors but they've only said to take pain killers and ride it out.

As recommended by one of Mehdi's articles, I've been trying to get a gallon of water a day so hopefully that'll be enough to prevent it

[mjh]

from what I've read, certain kinds of protein are more likely to cause gout than others. Organ meats and seafood are the worst, other meats are moderate risks, and dairy and vege sources low risk. I've also heard that diary and vitamin C have been shown to reduce the risks of gout. A sedentary lifestyle doesn't help matters, so exercise may help things too.

[Gringo]

Now that's an evil gout!