A shipment of supplements arrived in the mail, yesterday. Amongst them were quercetin, luteolin, tart cherry concentrate, and Chlorella. I have ordered these on the recommendation of the book Dropping Acid by Dr. David Perlmutter. These supplements are supposed to contribute to the body's ability to avoid making uric acid, or to excrete uric acid.
The supplementation is a protocol intended for people who suffer from gout, which is a severe condition in which uric acid painfully crystallizes between bone joints. The goals of gout treatments are often the reduction of inflammation and the reduction of uric acid levels.
However, given the mounting evidence that high uric acid levels are highly correlated with other conditions, such as metabolic syndrome, diabetes, and more, Dr. Perlmutter suggests a focus on lowering your uric acid levels. This would have downstream effects of reducing or eliminating the effects of the other conditions.
My focus is to lower uric acid in an effort to reduce my chances of sliding into diabetes. There is evidence that as a diabetic, my chances of cognitive decline, heart disease, dental problems, and other degenerative conditions would increase. Therefore, by preventing diabetes, I would avoid many of these other secondary conditions.
Will it work? Who knows? I think the cost of the supplements is small compared to treatments for any of the other diseases. I am certain there are no coupons in the Sunday paper for coronary bypass surgeries.
Another suggested supplement for reducing uric acid is vitamin C. I am able to easily find vitamin C supplements at the local drug store. I have been taking those for a couple of weeks. Dr. Perlmutter recommends 500 mg daily. I was able to find 1000 mg, which is still far less than the highest recommended dose.
Other supplements I am taking are fish oil and vitamin D. The fish oil is for the Omega-3 fatty acid. The vitamin D is because I work mostly indoors, which prevents one's body from making vitamin D naturally in the sunlight, particularly as I am darker-skinned.
Something else that I could do is to exercise more. I may need to institute a walking regimen at work. Perhaps I can walk laps around my building at regular times throughout the day.
Well, if my supplementation works, I should find myself improving in other conditions. My concentration should improve. My general well-being should improve. And, I may find it easier to lose weight.
In regards to weight loss, Dropping Acid explains many of the chemical pathways in which higher uric acid levels contribute to the inflammation and fat storage related to metabolic syndrome. My expectation is that lower uric acid will assist my keto dieting. More updates to come.