Gout affects more than 41 million individuals worldwide. Gout presently has no known treatment.

Researchers from the Complutense University of Madrid have identified a specific probiotic that reduces the frequency of gout attacks and the need for gout-related medications.

Gout is a chronic arthritic disorder that affects more than 41 million individuals worldwide and results in joint pain, stiffness, and edoema.

At this time, gout has no known treatment. Gout sufferers are given drugs by their doctors to assist both cure the symptoms of flare-ups and avoid attacks.

The amount of gout attacks a person experiences can be decreased with the help of a probiotic strain, according to experts at Spain’s Complutense University of Madrid. This may also lessen the need for gout-related medications.

Furthermore, they claim that in research participants, the probiotic improved blood markers linked to oxidative stress, liver damage, and metabolic syndrome. A recent issue of Frontiers in Microbiology featured the work.

What exactly is gout?

When uric acid levels in the body are too high, gout can develop. Hyperuricemia is the medical term for this. Kidney stones can also be brought on by hyperuricemia, in addition to gout.

If a person consumes a diet rich in purines, uric acid buildup could occasionally take place. Purine-rich foods and drinks include:

• alcohol, such as whisky and beer
• shellfish
• certain fish species, like sardines
• a few meats, including bacon
• meats from various organs

A person’s body may accumulate excess uric acid and develop needle-like crystals if their kidneys are unable to completely remove it. Joint discomfort is brought on by these crystals’ irritation.

Gouty arthritis symptoms include:

• a rapid, intense pain assault that affects one or more bodily joints, particularly the big toe.
• touchable joints that are sensitive.
• the encircling joints are swollen.
• skin surrounding the joints that is heated to the touch or appears red.

Any joint in the body can develop gout, but the joints at the tips of limbs, including the toes, ankles, fingers, knees, wrists, and elbows, are most vulnerable.

What probiotics are beneficial for gout?

The following probiotic strains may aid in gout sufferers’ symptom control, according to test-tube, animal, and human research:

• Lactobacillus (lactic acid bacteria): protects against kidney injury by degrading purines in the blood.
• Bifidobacterium: prevents dangerous bacteria from growing in the gut
• Clostridium: Those with hyperuricemia have less non-pathogenic strains of Clostridium, but they could develop into the next wave of probiotics.

Ruminococcus, Eubacterium, and several species of Enterobacteriaceae are frequently found in low concentrations in people with hyperuricemia and gout. Their potential roles are still being investigated.

These probiotics can be eaten as a variety of meals or taken as a dietary supplement. For instance, lactic acid bacteria are abundant in pickled, fermented foods including yoghurt, sauerkraut, and pickled cabbage.

Lactic acid bacteria are also abundant in Jiangshui, a classic fermented Chinese dish prepared with celery and cabbage. It is currently unknown what probiotic dosage or frequency is ideal for supporting the management of gout symptoms. There is a need for more study.

Gout and L. salivarius

In this study, Ligilactobacillus salivarius, a specific probiotic, was studied (L. salivarius). This probiotic is a variety of bacteria that typically resides in the digestive system of an organism.

The first step was to compare the abilities of several L. salivarius strains to metabolise metabolites related to purines. According to their findings, L. salivarius CECT 30632 is the strain that converts uric acid, inosine, and guanosine the fastest.

After that, researchers undertook a randomised controlled clinical trial with 30 people who had hyperuricemia and a history of recurrent gout attacks.

L. salivarius CECT 30632 was given to half of the trial subjects for a period of six months. Allopurinol, a medication used to treat gout, was taken for six months by the other half of the participants.

After analysis, the research team concluded that taking the probiotic L. salivarius CECT 30632 significantly decreased the number of gout attacks and the use of gout-related medications in gout sufferers.

Furthermore, individuals who utilised the probiotic saw improvements in a few blood markers linked to oxidative stress, liver damage, and metabolic syndrome.

Need for new gout treatments

Dr. Emily Carroll, an attending physician in internal medicine, rheumatology at Mount Sinai Hospital and an assistant professor of medicine in the Division of Rheumatology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York who was not involved in the study, believes it is crucial to have new therapy options for gout because many people with gout also deal with other comorbidities, such as cardiovascular, kidney, and liver disease.

It is beneficial to have a variety of options, especially safe options like probiotics, because this may affect the kind of medications that can be utilised safely on these people. Growing knowledge exists about the part the gut microbiota plays in rheumatologic disease.

It is not surprising that probiotics had a good effect because prior research has revealed that gout patients’ microbiomes differ from healthy patients’ microbiomes.

Carroll continued, “And since gout is known to be associated with metabolic syndrome, improvement in all those metrics was not unexpected.” “However, it is critical not to oversell the effects of probiotics until bigger studies with longer-term follow-up can be undertaken to validate these findings,” the authors write. “This is a tiny pilot trial with only 15 patients per group who were only followed for six months.”

Reports

Rheumatologist Dr. Nilanjana Bose is not affiliated with the study and practises at Memorial Hermann Health System and Lonestar Rheumatology in Houston, Texas. He concurred that innovative treatments can always benefit patients.

She said, “Probiotics can enhance the gut ecology. “It makes sense that the introduction of probiotics may improve any inflammatory arthritis.”

A registered dietician at Top Nutrition Coaching named Crystal Scott, MS, RD, LD, CDCES, CSP, CSSD, who was not involved in the study, told Medical News Today that she was not shocked to see that a probiotic had beneficial effects for those with gout.

She stated, “I was not shocked given the fact that evidence supports the usage of probiotics to help improve the richness of the microbiome”. “We know that chronic diseases like gout, diabetes, colon cancer, and others are linked to gut health.”

Probiotics have been demonstrated to relieve the symptoms of gout and hyperuricemia in previous studies, among other inflammatory disorders, Scott continued. “Probiotic intervention in the study decreased C-reactive protein (CRP), which improved serum uric acid levels. According to researchers, it’s important to assess the effectiveness and recommended dosages of probiotics.

REFERENCES:

• https://dunyanews.tv/en/Health/714466-Gout-How-probiotics-can-help-alleviate-flare-ups
• https://www.healthline.com/health/gout/probiotics-for-gout
• https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/gout-probiotics-can-help-alleviate-flare-ups

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