Q: Hi, Dr. Sears, I've been in the Zone for three months and feeling great. Talking about the great benefits of fish oil with my in-law, she told me about her brother and wanted to know if he can get any help from it. He has serious problems with uric acid. I don't know the exact diagnosis or name of the illness he has, but he's gotten to the point where he has to crawl sometimes because of the pain. He also has malformations in his hands. He has seen doctors all over the country with no success. Can he get any benefit from the oil and what do you recommend?
Thanks, Claudia
A: Dear Claudia,
It appears as he has a severe case of gout, which is due to the buildup of uric acid crystals in the joints. The best way to reduce that continued buildup is to keep the blood urea nitrogen (BUN) levels under 20. The Zone Diet is ideally suited for this as it provides adequate levels of protein to maintain body functions without an overload of protein that will increase BUN levels if efficient metabolism of dietary protein is not taking place. High-dose fish oil (7.5 grams of EPA and DHA) will decrease the pain while the uric acid crystals are slowly dissolving.