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Dr. Oz: Three Warning Signs from Your Feet

By Tim Boyer Dec 6 2011 - 2:43pm
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Dr. Oz explains that three warning signs from your feet play an important diagnostic role in indicating whether someone may be at risk of a serious health condition. In The Dr. Oz Show, Dr. Oz presents to his viewers three life-saving clues that act as warning signs from your feet that you are in need of treatment by a physician before your condition develops into a serious medical problem.

Warning Sign #1: Hairless toes and feet are a sign of cardiovascular disease
One of the life-saving clues Dr. Oz discusses has to do with how well the circulatory system brings oxygenated blood from the heart via arteries that travel within and outside the bones of the legs to the feet.

One test is to observe whether or not you have hair or “peach fuzz” on the tops of your toes. When a person is healthy and his or her circulatory system is not clogged by arterial sclerosis and plaque formation, then blood is able to travel easily to the feet and provide nourishment that supports the growth of hair on the toes. However, if the arteries are clogged, then the blood perfuses poorly the long distance to the feet. According to Dr. Oz, the first sign of this is loss of hair on the toes because they are deprived of the oxygen and nutrients needed to support their growth.

“If you are a smoker,” says Dr. Oz, “one of the first things you will notice is that you’ll have less hair on your feet because those plaques are clogging the arteries…the good news is that all of this is reversible.” He explains that eating ½ a glove of garlic a day (Benefits of Garlic) mixed in with your food will improve the condition of your arteries and can increase the blood flow to your feet.

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** 5 Myths About Foot Care

Warning Sign #2: A big red swollen toe is a sign of gout
“The big toe is frequently where we see the second big warning sign of the body—which is gout,” says Dr. Oz. as he explains that gout typically occurs in the big toe, but can manifest in other toes as well. Gout is a type of arthritis caused by a buildup of uric acid crystals around the joints in the toe. The uric acid crystals eventually buildup and develop into shards that pierce the surrounding tissue like tiny spears, which leads to the characteristic inflammation and swelling seen with gout.

Summer Footwear, Summer Foot Care

He explains that gout typically occurs in women following menopause, but can also result from eating certain kinds of foods such as wine and red meat. Dr. Oz advises his viewers that if they have gout, that by reducing their intake of red meat and avoiding alcoholic drinks—especially beer, because beer actually aids the formation of the uric acid crystals—that they can lessen the symptoms of gout.
The good news according to Dr. Oz is that there are things you can do to prevent gout (How cherries help to prevent Gout). “If you have four cups of coffee a day, you can reduce the chances of developing gout by 40 percent,” says Dr. Oz.

Warning Sign #3: Foot cramps are signs of mineral deficiencies
“The third warning sign that your feet can give you is foot cramps,” says Dr. Oz as he explains that foot cramps are often caused by an electrolyte imbalance from a deficiency of certain minerals. A mineral deficiency can cause the muscles in the feet to become very rigid and tense, which leads to the cramping pain people feel in their feet. He advises his viewers to bring their electrolytes back in balance by eating a banana for its potassium (Foods That Contain Potassium) and to take 400 and 600 milligram supplements of magnesium and calcium respectively; or, to eat deep green lettuces such as romaine and arugula. “They [in comparison to iceberg lettuce] actually have a lot more magnesium in them,” says Dr. Oz.

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Comments

Anonymous wrote on July 17, 2012 - 4:22pm
Garlic doesn't cure PAD. That is pure BS. PAD is atherosclerosis a systemic disease of the arteries. Plaque forming in the arteries of the legs will reduce blood flow and you can eat all of the garlic in the world and nothing will happen except garlic breath.
Anonymous wrote on March 21, 2013 - 10:00pm
actually GARLIC CLEANS BLOOD! doesn't cure, but CLEANS blood! So if you ate garlic every single day, sure then maybe 20 years down the road it will cure PAD.... but if you only consume garlic MAYBE once a month, all you are doing is CLEANING your blood!
Sandra Christine wrote on June 13, 2015 - 12:18pm
I did not read any advice in this thread stating garlic will cure peripheral artery disease or any related condition, but that it would improve the condition which is hopeful.
TerryJeanette wrote on March 12, 2013 - 11:46am
Whenever I swim or do any exercise in the water, I seem to get toe cramps and sometimes cramps along the outside of my shin. I have pretty much always had this problem, even in high school when I was on the swim team. I eat at least a banana a day, sometimes two. I also consume a green smoothie just about everyday which includes coconut water, spinach or avocado, 1/2 banana, and frozen fruit. I did have one bout of DVT/PE a few years ago, but had tests run and found I do NOT have any clotting factor issues. I exercise daily with either Pilates or Yoga and then the swimming. My BMI is on the high side or normal, so I would like to loose about 15 pounds (so I am a little overweight, but not much). I am also 53 and have gone through menopause and not on any hormones. I'm not sure what causes these cramps or what to do about them. They are a nuisance and I would like to know what to do to get rid of them forever!
Anonymous wrote on March 22, 2013 - 1:52pm
Vitamin D deficiency can cause very painful muscle cramps in the feet, ankles, and shins. If I take my rx for vit D, I don't suffer cramps. Ask your Dr. to order labs.
Kim wrote on March 23, 2013 - 3:32pm
This is very true happen to me. Would get such charile horses. Even in the waist when twisting. It was the lack of vit. D. I took 50 perscription units aday for 12 weeks. Now I take 2000 units aday. Thats what ya get when ya can't do the sun.
Anonymous wrote on April 8, 2013 - 2:54pm
As someone with a Vitamin D deficiency myself and a lab tech, I have a decent idea what Im talking about here. There are two differant Vitamin D tests. You have to ask your doctor to order the "(OH) vitamin D (25-hydroxy vitamin D) The other test, (OH2) vitamin D (1,25 dihoydroxy vitamin D) (This one will show normal levels when its actually low.) This is the WRONG test. A lot of doctors don't know the differance. Remember, the recommented amount was done YEARS ago to get rid of Rickets. They have NOT changed the amount since. Most people are deficient for what they need and don't know it. And you can't get the correct amount from the sun. Power of Vitamin D by Sarfraz Zaidi, Md is a very good read and will open your eyes up fast.
Abdulrahman wrote on July 31, 2016 - 3:24pm
Hi Terry, I am a swimmer and used to get the same foot cramps while swimming. By accident, taking high dose Magnesium and silicon [ by drinking Spinach-Carrot fresh juice daily], completely solved my previous 20 year old problem. I am pretty sure it was magnesium deficiency be cause I had also a symptom of sensitivity to noises, which is a another sign of magnesium deficiency. Abdulrahman
Jonathan D wrote on March 24, 2013 - 4:20pm
FYI: Gout or buildup of Uric Acid crystals in the toes joints is hereditary. If you have the issues, a relative did as well. ASK your mother or father. The inability to process purines from foods that convert into Uric Acid in your body is the resulting condition called gout. You need blood testing to verify the quantity of Uric Acid present in your blood. Any count over 6 is cause for altering your diet and adding possible medication like Allopurinol. The Allopurinol limits the amount of Uric Acid that is converted from purines. Take it from me (personal experience), you want to address this condition promptly. The inflammation and pain from the buildup of Uric Acid crystals is excruciating and can affect your toes, ankles, knees, hips, etcetera. (also know as hyperuricemia) Allopurinol may not be appropriate for every person. Please consult with your doctor on the best course of action.
Lisa wrote on March 27, 2013 - 10:04pm
One of the best natural ways to combat gout and to prevent it from coming back is to eat cherries. Not pie filling cherries but cherries in their own juice if you want canned ones or by fresh cherries. This remedy has been used for thousands of years.
Kathleen Blanchard wrote on March 27, 2013 - 10:31pm
Yes - we have written about cherries much here at EmaxHealth in fact. Here is one about gout specifically. http://www.emaxhealth.com/1275/when-gout-reach-cherries
Anonymous wrote on April 8, 2013 - 2:15pm
You forgot to mention that lack of hair on extremities is ALSO a sign of neuropathy, not always cardiovascular disease.
Julious Glorious wrote on July 15, 2016 - 8:46pm
Gout is also a direct result of reduced kidney function. Reduced kidney function is directly related to poorly controlled blood pressure. Do what ever you want regarding uric acid, it's the kidneys that are not excreting the acid properly.
Zandile Xaba wrote on December 5, 2016 - 10:29am
Lately I've noticed that I get toe cramps and I'm not sure what caused the cramps and I'm really stressing because I don't know what to do. My problem now is that when I get these cramps my whole leg pains