Although it is one of humanity’s oldest known ailments, its newest sufferers are not who you might expect.

Historically, this excruciating condition was dubbed the ‘disease of kings,’ as it was typically associated with royals indulging in lavish feasts and fine wines.

Nowadays, gout has shed its regal roots and is becoming increasingly prevalent among young adults.

Gout is a type of arthritis marked by intense pain, resulting from the accumulation of uric acid in the bloodstream. Excessive uric acid crystallizes into sharp, needle-like structures that embed themselves in joints—often in the big toe—causing abrupt bouts of agonizing pain, swelling, and redness.

Recent decades have seen a more than 20 percent increase in cases among individuals aged 10 to 24, with experts predicting a 70 percent rise in the global impact of gout by 2050, according to a study released in 2024.

One growing theory points to the modern American diet and the rising popularity of the carnivore diet, which has exploded on social media, attracting young men seeking weight loss and performance gains.

With ‘What I eat in a day’ and ‘Before and after’ videos under the #carnivorediet hashtag racking up hundreds of millions of views on social media, the meal plan has never been more buzzy. 

And red meat has never been a more common feature on the American plate. Meat sales hit a record $112 billion in 2025, driven largely by Millennials and Gen Z.

However, there’s a downside. Red meat is rich in purines – compounds that break down into uric acid, the substance that crystallizes in joints and triggers gout’s searing pain, rendering sufferers immobile. 

‘I would call [the link between the carnivore diet and gout] a reasonable concern,’ Dr Mike Daniels, a Maryland-based podiatrist, told the Daily Mail. ‘Lately, it seems like I’m seeing more young men with gout, and I do think meat-heavy diets can be part of the story.’ 

Normally, the body filters out uric acid through the kidneys, but when levels get too high, the excess gathers in the joints, triggering sudden inflammation and pain, the hallmark of a gout attack.

The same excess uric acid that triggers gout can also form crystals in the kidneys, where they can cluster into stones. These stones can cause agonizing pain, nausea, and difficulty urinating as they pass through the urinary tract.

‘There exists case-based evidence that has raised red flags about increased uric acid and kidney stone risk after switching to all-meat-eating diets,’ Daniels added. 

Gout cases have more than doubled globally since 1990, from roughly 22 million to 55.8 million in 2020, according to that same 2024 study published in the Lancet Rheumatology. 

The US saw a sharper rise, with cases surging 76.6 percent during that period. 

And it’s young men bearing the brunt. They are more than four times as likely to have gout as young women, and the gap is widening. The latest data from 2025 also found that wealthier countries have the highest rates, with the US and Canada topping the list, according to Global Burden of Disease data published in 2025.

Males with gout are more likely to have diets high in seafood, beef, pork and alcohol, that study said. 

Just as the incidence of gout continues to rise, so too is the American appetite for meat.

The meat industry had a record year in 2025, reaching $111.9 billion in sales.  Beef led the way with $45 billion, and Millennials and Gen Z drove much of the growth.

Nearly 80 percent of shoppers now believe meat is part of a healthy diet, up sharply since 2020, and 45 percent are actively trying to prepare more meals with meat or poultry.

Along with social media platforms, online forums and comment sections are full of threads in which carnivore diet devotees discuss their experiences with gout flare-ups and how to avoid them.

One Reddit user said: ‘I did a few years ago, went full carnivore with frequent organ meats etc. Felt amazing for the first week and then had [the worst] gout attack I’ve ever had.

‘Usually it attacks one joint, but this attack got both knees, both wrists and even the back of my neck. 

‘My rheumatologist suggested it was likely temporary, and if I kept going my body would sort it out, but I wasn’t fully committed to long-term eating like this and decided to stop.’

Another wrote on a separate forum: ‘Love carnivore, but my uric levels increase when on strict Carnivore. Knuckles, feet, ankles, shoulders, knees all hurt.’

A third wrote on Reddit: ‘My dad started carnivore with me about two months ago, and he is getting debilitating gout attacks. We rushed him to the [doctor] now and he’ll get meds.’

‘Maybe it affects everyone differently but starting a carnivore diet is what got me diagnosed with gout,’ a fourth added.

A meta-analysis in 2018 found that red meat consumption is linked to a 29 percent higher risk of gout, and early-onset gout patients – defined as those diagnosed before age 40 – have been shown to consume significantly more red meat than those who develop the condition later in life.  

A 2022 study of 655 gout patients found that early-onset cases differed significantly from later-onset cases. 

Those diagnosed before 40 had higher uric acid levels, were nearly three times more likely to be obese and consumed more red meat; 44 percent ate 101 to 200 grams daily versus 26 percent of later-onset patients. 

Occasional red meat one to two times per week is likely fine for most people, daily consumption, especially in large portions, significantly increases risk.

‘Anybody who has a strong family history of gout, chronic kidney disease (CKD), or poor renal function has a much greater baseline risk,’ Dr Chad Larson, a California-based naturopathic doctor, told the Daily Mail.

‘It is possible that for those individuals, implementing a meat-heavy diet without close monitoring via blood tests would rapidly exacerbate both the development of kidney stones and damage to joints prior to when symptoms occur.’

Up until January 2026, US dietary guidelines recommended replacing foods high in saturated fats, such as red meat, with plant-based foods, without providing a specific weekly red meat limit. 

However, the new 2025-2030 guidelines released by HHS Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr have turned that approach on its head, placing red meat, cheese, and other proteins at the top of a newly inverted food pyramid. 

This shift ‘ends the war on saturated fats,’ in Kennedy’s words and encourages Americans to prioritize protein-rich foods like red meat and full-fat dairy in every meal. 

There is an ever-widening gap between the policies set forth by established medical groups like the American Heart Association and those endorsed by RFK Jr, who has long promoted red meat as a staple of one’s diet.

The AHA rebuffed Trump Administration attempts to upend the food pyramid – literally, by inverting it and placing a big slab of steak and a tray of ground beef at the wider top – by emphasizing more plant-based proteins.

The good news is that gout is preventable. Simple changes, like reducing red meat, cutting back on alcohol and sugary drinks, and drinking plenty of water, can make a significant difference.

‘Diet and lifestyle changes are the first line of defense,’ Daniels said. ‘Gout doesn’t have to be inevitable.’

In a shocking twist to a tragic case, a Florida couple accused of fabricating the existence of their infant, who is now presumed dead, has been captured in North Carolina. Their arrest comes after an exhaustive yearlong investigation.

Leon Alejandro Jr., aged 21, and Samantha Feliz, aged 20, both residents of Hollywood, Florida, were apprehended on Wednesday in Rockingham, North Carolina. According to investigators, the couple had fled there as Hollywood police launched an inquiry into the mysterious disappearance of their baby.

Authorities from the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office, in collaboration with the U.S. Marshals Service, detained the suspects. They were subsequently charged as fugitives and are currently held without bond at the Richmond County Jail, while they await their extradition back to Florida.

The investigation was initiated by Hollywood police in the early months of 2025 after reports emerged that Feliz had allegedly given birth between December 6, 2024, and January 5, 2025. This timeline sparked inquiries into the whereabouts of the child.

Authorities said the birth was concealed and happened somewhere other than a hospital.

Investigators said family members saw the couple with the baby during the child’s first month of life. After that, authorities said, the infant was never seen again.

According to an arrest warrant obtained by WPLG, investigators believe the child, identified only by the initials A.F., was last photographed on Jan. 5, 2025. Detectives wrote that the infant appeared “visibly ill and malnourished” and showed “no signs of life” in what they described as the final known image. 

The warrant also alleges investigators searched multiple locations with cadaver dogs but were unable to locate the child’s remains, according to the outlet.

Authorities allege Alejandro and Feliz repeatedly denied the child existed, telling relatives the baby “was a prank” and later claiming the pregnancy had been a “hoax” intended to scam family members out of money, WPLG reported, citing the arrest warrant.

According to the outlet, investigators said photographs showed Feliz visibly pregnant, while text messages discussed the pregnancy and the baby. 

Detectives also reportedly recovered baby clothing, a positive pregnancy test and what appeared to be blood-stained towels from a storage unit tied to the couple. DNA testing later determined blood recovered from the baby clothing and towels belonged to a biological child of Alejandro and Feliz, according to the warrant.

Despite the lack of a birth certificate or medical records, investigators said they developed enough evidence to charge both suspects with aggravated manslaughter of a child, tampering with or fabricating physical evidence, failure to report a death to the medical examiner, providing false information concerning a missing child and making false reports to law enforcement.

Authorities allege the couple fled Florida and were living on property belonging to one of Alejandro’s relatives in Richmond County when investigators located and arrested them July 22.

Richmond County Sheriff Mark Gulledge praised the multi-agency effort that led to the arrests.

“This is a prime example of agencies nationwide collaborating to uphold justice,” Gulledge said in a statement.

Authorities have not publicly released additional details about what investigators believe happened to the infant.

News Media has reached out to the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office for any additional updates on the investigation, but did not immediately receive a response.

Anthony Fauci’s long-standing reputation may finally falter, as his perceived arrogance could lead to his downfall.

Despite experiencing various allegations over the years—ranging from obscuring the origins of COVID-19 to engaging in risky viral research partnerships with China—Fauci has managed to keep his public image largely untarnished. However, his grip on this carefully curated facade might be slipping.

In an unexpected twist just days away from another Capitol Hill face-off with his staunch critic, Kentucky Senator Rand Paul, a trove of his personal diary entries has surfaced. These records, rather than bolstering his image, have added theatrics to the political arena, leaving Fauci vulnerable to ridicule.

Over the weekend, a critical release of documents by Senator Paul—serving as the chair of the Senate’s oversight committee—caught the public’s eye. These documents, purported to be Fauci’s own diary entries spanning from December 2019 to December 2022, are set to take center stage as Paul prepares to interrogate Fauci under oath on the upcoming Wednesday.

Paul asserted on social media that Fauci’s private declarations contradict his public assurances, emphasizing the disparity with, “What he wrote privately and what he told the country are two different stories.” This marks another volley in Paul’s long-running pursuit to link Fauci to the creation of the virus, adding further fuel to the contentious debate.

Fauci emerges from the diary entries as a frivolous narcissist, possibly corrupt and a really bad speller (for example, “dyswaded” for dissuaded).

As the global death toll mounted, Fauci’s diary shows he was increasingly preoccupied with his rising media profile and reveling in the admiration, especially the praise from celebrities, all of which he meticulously ­recorded.

‘Flattered’ by praise

“Much praise for me,” he gushed on March 4, 2020, after recording 108 cases of coronavirus in the US and 10 deaths.

“Everyone in the WH is congratulating me on the piece [fawning Politico profile of Fauci]. The public adulation of me has been amazing with every young intern as well as seasoned veteran in the WH coming over to me congratulating me and thanking me for my work and even asking for selfies.”

On March 15, 2020, he wrote: “BIG DAY!… USA = 2888 [cases] with 58 deaths . . . I did all 5 Sunday Shows today (my 3rd Fauci 5) with This Week on ABC, Meet the Press on NBC, Face the Nation on CBS, FOX with Chris Wallace and CNN.”

Day after day he recorded the praise, the media profiles, the “multiple TV cameras and hundreds of camera clicks follow[ing] me,” and his centrality in the decision-making at the White House in those early days of the ­pandemic.

“I spoke with Bill de Blasio (Mayor – NYC) and convinced him based on what I was saying publicly and my conversation tonight to close the NYC schools. I went on to tell him he should close the bars and restaurants in NYC. He said that he would base this on my recommendation.”

“Big front page article abut [sic] me appeared in the Washington Post. Very flattering,” he wrote on May 21, 2020, noting global deaths of 9,800, with 272 deaths in the US.

“It is not hyoperbole [sic] to say that today I am the most famous and talked about person in the country and one of the most recognizable peson [sic] in the world . . . The entire secret service corps is coming over to me and chatting. They let me into the first gate without even checking ID.”

May 23, 2020, after cases shot up 20 percent overnight: “Apparently the WH is very upset that I am being profiled and it looks like I am putting down the POTUS and becoming a star that outshines him.”

After the November 2020 election, he was less diligent about noting the death toll, which was higher under his pal Joe Biden than Donald Trump. But he had plenty of room to record praise from celebrities.

“Praised by Barbara Bush in an interview and several celebrities.

“[Billionaire] Adrienne Arsht sent me an amazing video [the Kennedy Center] put together to celebrate my 80th birthday. They gathered a whole bunch of celebrities to sing to me and offer words of praise and congratulations: Orlando Bloom, Mila Kunis and Ashton Kutcher, Amy Poehler, Lily Tomlin, Sophia Bush, Matthew McConaughey, Steve Buscemi, Magic Johnson, Joan Baez, and many others.”

Oh yes, there were many others, all faithfully recorded in his name-dropping diary:

Barbra Streisand sent a note expressing deep appreciation for his “important and consistent work.”

Julia Roberts called him her “personal hero.”

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Joe and Jill Biden sent “cookies + note” from the basement in March 2020, saying: “You are our hero. Stay strong and healthy. We need you.”

Dick Cheney called to thank him. Then-VP Mike Pence told him he is “the most visible and trusted asset in the country.”

By June 2022, he was officially a legend: “It has been an extraordinary spring with all of these wonderful honors that I have received. This will have been my 58th honorary doctorate.”

When he announced he was retiring as Biden’s adviser in August 2022, Fauci records the praise from Biden chief of staff Ron Klain: “he considers me ‘one of the most important public servants in the history of the country’ given that I have saved millions of lives over the last several years . . .

“The number of texts and e-mail of thanks and praise . . . are stunning.”

“I am really being somewhat embarrassed by the amount of honors that are [being] given to me and kudos my way.”

In November 2022, he records a “Terrific event,” at which “I was honored at the home of the French Ambassador . . . They sang my praises and we had a very elegant dinner . . . Photo shoot at my home and at work by prize-winning (MOMA) photojournalist Wolfgang Tillmans.”

All those Fauci bobbleheads and “In Fauci we trust” bumper stickers and shrines to the left’s favorite health fascist clearly didn’t help him with his humility problem.

Such is the insatiable nature of vanity that the more adulation he received the more he craved.

The hubris first exploded into public in his 2024 memoir, “On Call: A Doctor’s Journey in Public Service,” described by National Review as “insufferably vain — the book lovingly records a seemingly endless torrent of compliments from celebrities, colleagues, and employees.”

Other reviews noted its “vainglorious self-promotion” and said Fauci “has no trouble remembering every bit of praise that others have heaped upon him.”

This is how Fauci described his career at the National Institutes of Health, where he began in 1964 straight out of medical school and rose to be head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases: “My upward career trajectory was steep. I was becoming well-known and respected nationally and internationally . . . someone who had the explicit respect of and thus access to the highest leaders of government.”

Deified himself

Additional files released by Paul in the prelude to Wednesday’s showdown reveal that Fauci, who had been the highest-paid federal official in the US government, also solicited nominations for big-money awards for himself from scientists to whom he had given millions in government grants, according to the files.

He “stacked up cash prizes worth hundreds of thousands of dollars during COVID,” said Paul, including one foreign prize worth a cool $900,000.

Fauci even had his taxpayer-funded staff writing nominations for him.

“Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall,” warns the Bible about such hubris.

But his 50 years as a powerful bureaucrat taught Fauci only that he was a god; and after all the damage he wrought, it’s hardly consolation to witness his inevitable fall.

It is simply a tragedy that a man so flawed could wield such power.

In a fascinating glimpse into the personal side of Anthony Fauci, recently unveiled diaries show how he relished his connections with celebrities amidst the early, turbulent days of the COVID-19 pandemic in America.

As the head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and later a chief medical advisor to President Joe Biden, Fauci rose to significant prominence during the 2020 lockdowns, achieving a celebrity status of his own.

These diary entries, published by Fauci’s frequent critic, Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky, offer intriguing insights into his personal experiences during this historical health crisis.

Senator Paul claims that Fauci’s writings reveal a certain enthusiasm for the fame propelled by the pandemic. An excerpt shared by Paul highlights Fauci’s excitement about explaining Amazon’s digital assistant, Alexa, to Barbra Streisand, likening it to a fanboy moment.

In one memorable diary entry, Fauci described a “great call” with Streisand, in which she sought his advice on the safety of the mRNA vaccine, to which he confidently affirmed its safety.

He then spoke about listening to Streisand’s music on the Alexa device before saying the longtime star ‘really did not know what Alexa was.’

He then admitted to having ‘butt called’ her later the same day, only to discover Streisand had been planning to call him anyway to ask about differences between the Moderna and Pfizer jabs. 

During that call, he said he demonstrated how the Alexa worked by asking her to play Streisand songs.

‘When the song came on loud and clear, she started laughing and absolutely loved it!’

In another, he discusses and Instagram post with the ‘wonderful’ Tyra Banks.

‘One person said that Tyra was sexy, but that I was even more sexy than she was,’ he said of the comments, which he admitted were often ‘mean and vicious.’ 

Fauci also comments on his own fame in general, including one post on April 7 of 2020, nearly a month after the pandemic began.

‘Press still hot and heavy about me. Multiple stories per day directly or indirectly involving me,” Fauci wrote.

He described the ‘national and international fame is explosive and really unimaginable’ by May 21. 

In late June of 2020, Fauci writes in one entry that he’s been asked to participate on ABC’s Dancing with the Stars. 

The diaries have been released as part of Senator Paul’s investigation into Fauci and days before he testifies the Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee. Paul is the Homeland Security Committee Chair. 

Paul accused Fauci of dodging a previous commitment to testify before a Senate committee chaired by the Kentucky libertarian.

‘Last week, Anthony Fauci notified us that he will not voluntarily testify before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, even though he had previously agreed to do so,’ Paul wrote on X on Monday.

‘Therefore, today we have issued a subpoena for him to publicly testify.’ Paul said later Fauci would testify in July.

The subpoena is the latest in a long string of clashes between Paul and Fauci.

As far back as 2021, Paul accused Fauci in a Senate hearing of providing funding for a Chinese laboratory, which intelligence reports have revealed may have originated the COVID pandemic.

Fauci denied the accusations, but Paul believes the evidence shows otherwise and has pushed for an indictment of Fauci, alleging that he lied to Congress under oath. 

In May, Paul warned in a social media post that the statute of limitations for Fauci’s alleged misdeed was about to expire. Fauci has not been indicted by Trump’s Justice Department.

Fauci received a pardon from former President Joe Biden at the end of the latter’s tenure in office. 

The ‘full and unconditional’ pardon cleared the former White House medical advisor for ‘any offenses against the United States which he may have committed or taken part in during the period from January 1, 2014’ through the date of the pardon. 

Nonetheless, Paul is still pursuing an opportunity to speak to Fauci, promising in another X post on Tuesday to ‘review every aspect of Fauci’s pardon and continue demanding accountability.’

‘The American people deserve answers about COVID’s origins and the actions of public officials,’ Paul continued. ‘No one is above scrutiny.’

Controversy surrounding COVID origins was fueled earlier this year by congressional testimony from CIA agent James Erdman, as previously reported by the Daily Mail.

Erdman alleged that Fauci ‘injected himself’ into intelligence community discussions about the lab-leak theory.

Before Fauci’s intervention, Erdman said, the intelligence community was about to conclude that a Chinese lab had been the source of the pandemic.

In another blow to Fauci, David Morens, one of his former top aides, was indicted earlier this year for allegedly concealing and altering evidence.

An email from Morens appeared to show him proclaiming he had learned ‘how to make emails disappear’ to avoid FOIA requests.

The Daily Mail reached out to a representative for Fauci for comment on the subpoena. 

A woman from North Carolina has disappeared during her visit to the Caribbean island of Grenada, igniting a desperate search effort while her family and friends urgently call for her return.

The missing woman, Elizabeth “Liz” Waddell, 44, was last spotted on Wednesday at Grand Anse Beach located in St. George’s, close to her accommodation in the Grand Anse vicinity, as reported by the Royal Grenada Police Force.

Waddell, who is a physical therapist, as well as a wife and mother from the Raleigh region, is described as being 5 feet 5 inches tall with short blonde hair. In efforts to aid in finding her, authorities released a photo of Waddell featuring pink hair and sought the public’s assistance.

Waddell founded Art of Movement Physical Therapy and holds a doctorate in physical therapy from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, according to details from her professional website.

According to a friend who said she has known Waddell and her husband for more than 20 years, Waddell traveled to Grenada for a vacation with another friend, WRAL News reported. 

Waddell’s friend reportedly lost sight of her after remaining at their Airbnb to take an online course while Waddell went outside, apparently for a swim.

“She had her swimsuit on, and she went outside their Airbnb,” Amanda Romano-Harmon said, according to the local outlet. “They had a pool that overlooked the bay. Liz was set up out there just sightseeing from the pool, and her friend was taking her online course. When she got through with her course, she looked up and she didn’t see Liz outside, so she went outside to walk around and see where she went, and she saw her towel down on the pier. So the only thing we can think is maybe she went for a swim.”

The friend reportedly became increasingly concerned over the next several hours, knowing Waddell did not have her phone with her, and eventually filed a missing-persons report.

Waddell’s husband, Cailen, was at work when he received the call about his wife’s disappearance, according to the report.

He said on social media Friday that he was heading to the area to assist in the search and urged anyone with connections to the island to share information that could help locate her.

He also described Waddell as a kind-hearted person while speaking with local Grenada media outlets.

“My wife is a loving, free-spirited person. She could make friends with anyone. She often did,” he told Grenada Broadcasting Network (GBN).

Police are urging anyone with information about Waddell’s whereabouts to come forward, specifically asking fishermen, boat operators and residents along Grenada’s southern coastline to report any sightings that could assist in the search.

According to GBN, an extensive search effort is underway with the assistance of police officers, divers and students from St. George’s University.

The U.S. State Department told News Media on Sunday that officials are aware of reports of a missing American citizen in Grenada and emphasized that the Trump Administration has no higher priority than the safety and security of U.S. citizens abroad.

The State Department declined to provide additional details due to privacy considerations but said it can assist families and friends with filing missing persons reports and help them understand local procedures.

Aradia Fitness, where Waddell also works as a fitness instructor,  called the news of her disappearance “disheartening” in a social media post and said the community is praying for her safe return.

Anyone with information is urged to contact the South Saint George Police Station at 444-4454, the Criminal Investigation Department at 440-3921, the police emergency line at 911, or the nearest police station, the Royal Grenada Police Force said.