A gout diet is an important aspect of gout prevention and pain management. This is because most of the dreaded and prevalent diseases nowadays are caused by years of unhealthy lifestyle and poor nutrition. If you are suffering from gout or are at high risk of developing the disease, observing a proper gout diet can help keep your uric acid levels in check and avoid painful flare-ups in the future.

What is Gout?

Gout is one of the most common types of arthritis that affect both men and women. It is an inflammation of the joints and its surrounding muscles that causes debilitating pain in one, two or more joints. The first sign of a gout attack is a sudden onset of a swollen joint that is stiff, sore, red and hot to the touch. It typically affects the big toes but can also affect the ankles, insteps, knees, elbows, wrists and fingers. In severe cases, the sufferer can experience extreme amounts of pain at the slightest touch to the affected area.

Gout is caused by a buildup of uric acid crystals in the joint and the tissues around it. Uric acid is a compound needed by the body to keep the blood vessels healthy. Uric acid is absorbed in the blood and as it passes through the blood vessels, it helps keep it healthy by preventing damage to the blood vessel linings. After filtration in the kidneys, it is flushed out of the system in the form of urine.

People with hyperuricemia, having excessive amounts of uric acid in their bodies, are not especially at risk for getting gout. Uric acid only becomes a problem and causes gout when the kidneys are not functioning properly and are unable to effectively flush out the compound. Also, gout happens when the body overproduces uric acid and when you consume too much purine-rich foods. Lifestyle changes and gout diet are some of the most effective yet inexpensive ways of avoiding and managing gouty arthritis.

Contrary to what most people believe, the uric acid crystals accumulate over time and buildup do not happen instantaneously. If left untreated, it can cause serious and permanent damage to the joints and other organs such as the kidneys. Research also shows that gout and its medication increases the chance of getting a heart attack in men to up to 26%. Moreover, gouty arthritis can be avoided and symptoms can be managed with proper gout diet, regular exercise and a healthy lifestyle.

Who’s at risk?

Men are at higher risk of developing gout because uric acid levels in the body increases during puberty for men and menopause for women. As primary gout is often hereditary, children born from parents who have gouty arthritis have a 20% increased chance of developing gout during adulthood. Gout is also prevalent in people who are overweight. Your chances of developing gout also increase if you consume too much red meat and beer, constantly exposed to lead, under medication for hypertension or if you have a problem with your metabolism that causes inefficient breakdown of purine. Because of the disease’s disabling effect, one can never overstress the importance of gout diet and healthy lifestyle in preventing gout.

Managing symptoms with A Diet:

A gout diet is fairly easy to follow and remember as long as you know the basics. Uric acid is produced when purine is metabolized in the body. Purine is an organic compound that is naturally present in our cells and food. According to research, most high protein foods are also high in purine. It is important to note however that not all food high in purine content should be avoided.

Proper diet includes elimination of alcoholic beverages especially beer. If alcohol can’t be avoided, it is best to limit intake to no more than 1 drink per day for a maximum of 3 times per week. Because uric acid also build up in the kidneys, it is important to drink at least 2-3 liters of water to help dilute the uric acid and make it easier to flush out of the body.

To prevent gout from starting, it is important to avoid high purine foods such as sardines, mussels, mackerel, scallops and herring. Organ meat such as kidneys and heart should also be avoided as well as brains, meat extracts and game meat.

Seafood is good for the heart but should be included in your gout diet in moderation. Other foods to be consumed in moderation also include vegetables and beans such as lentils, peas, mushrooms, cauliflower, asparagus and spinach. To make your gout diet effective, you should also avoid artificial sweeteners and carbonated drinks.

Some more background information on gout can be found by watching this great information video by the UK National Health Service:

Help with Your Gout Diet

 With proper help you can greatly reduce your chances of getting the disease by up to 50% we recommend reading these reports:

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