Lignans for Gout

What are they, and what do they have to do with gout?

Firstly lignan precursors are an important source of soluble fibre, they are found in a wide variety of  fibrous plant foods including whole grains such as wheat, rye, oats barley, certain fruits particularly berries, flax seeds as well as others, dried beans ( nor recommeneded for gout) and vegetables.Flax seed meal is the richest source of plant lignans, this does not include flaxseed oil, flaxseed's anti-inflammatory properties offer considerable benefits to the gout sufferer.

These lignans are metabolized by intestinal bacteria according to individual differences, and also to the effects of previous intake of antibiotics. Intestinal bacteria may be very depleted after antibiotic therapy, and if measures are not taken to replace healthy bacteria by the consumption of lactobacillus acidophilus and lactobacillus bifidus, then the benefits of lignans may not be available to you.Furthermore low levels of antiobiotics may be ingested by eating  commercial eggs, poultry, and meat which has been dosed with antibiotics.There has also been mention that the contraceptive pill may disrupt the hormonal system and so predispose the person to an imbalance in intestinal bacteria.

Diets rich in plant lignans have been shown to reduce the incidence of cardiovascular disease, breast cancer, colon cancer, endometrial and ovarian cancer, and prostate cancer. Lignans or phytoestrogens found in plants have a much weaker estrogenic effect than endogenous estrogen, however, they may still bind to the estrogen receptors found throughout the body, and antagonize the effects of estrogen in some tissues. Because of this effect hormone driven cancers such as breast, prostate, uterine and ovarian may actually be reduced by lignan consumption.

Ideally a lignan rich diet is best for everybody, not just the people who have a health problem, for it is far better, and much easier to treat prophylactically rather than after the event. Once the disease has taken a hold, and has been treated by conventional medicine, and no changes have been made in a lifelong inferior diet, then the disease is harder to treat, but by no means impossible.Read more:  Vegetarian Diet