Every Man a King: Henry VIII's Worst Affliction Is on the Rise in America

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http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2012/06/every-man-a-king-henry-viiis-worst-affliction-is-on-the-rise-in-america/258059/




What do beer drinkers, chickens, crocodiles and orangutans have in common?

Well, for some evolutionary reason, humans, birds, reptiles and great apes lack a liver enzyme called uricase which breaks down and regulates uric acid, a normal waste product of the purines found in many foods, such as shellfish and organ meats. Brewers yeast and hops, essential ingredients of beer, are also high in purines.

Timothy E. Quan, staff physician at Eastern Connecticut Health Network (ECHN) and clinical assistant professor of medicine at Yale University, said that beer packs a "triple whammy" because of its purine-rich ingredients, the dehydration it causes and the way it decreases the kidneys' ability to get rid of uric acid.

Without uricase to break it down, it's up to the kidneys to eliminate uric acid in the urine. When they don't, uric acid salts, called urate, can form needle-like crystals that may collect in the kidneys and form kidney stones, and in the joints, tendons and surrounding tissue where they can cause gout.

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1. I had gout. I hate that picture.

But funny thing, I quit drinking, stopped eating meat (mostly), and lost 40 pounds, and it went away. Gout can be very motivating.

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2. My aunt had gout. Never changed her ways, though. Nt