Sometimes the Answer is "F*** You!"

I figured out why my gout was kicked off by the whey protein powder. The answer sucks.

The other day I heard a segment on NPR about yogurt. It reminded me that I used to eat a lot of yogurt. I like yogurt. I miss yogurt. I gave up yogurt when I realized I was lactose intolerant.

The NPR segment claimed yogurt was good for the lactose intolerant set. Really?

So, I set out on a scouting mission around the Internet to see if this was correct. Sure enough, several sites extolled the virtues of yogurt. The bacteria that makes yogurt breaks down the milk proteins, making them more edible for those with milk allergies and it breaks down the lactose into a substance that is great for maintaining colon health: lactic acid.

ACID. Whenever I see that word these days I stop in my tracks. Uric acid is the gout culprit. But, any kind of acid will make the kidneys work harder and can allow lactic acid to build up.

This got me thinking: What's the effect of lactic acid on gout? I was right to fret, it will interfere with the kidneys processing uric acid.

Then I thought: Lactic acid in whey protein powder? Yup! They use bacteria, much as they do in yogurt, to break down the proteins. This makes the protein more "bioactive" - easier to digest and thus easier to get the most bang for the buck. Which is great and all, except for the fact that those little bacteria make lactose into lactic acid. Razzlefarking-summaglitchin-grumblegrumblegrumble .... !

In conclusion: I still cannot drink milk. I still can't eat yogurt. I can't eat whey powder. And, likely, my colon is going to fall out.

That is all.