Gout Diet Treatment | Foods to Avoid, Eat For Gout Disease

Gout Information, Facts

Gout is a medical condition associated with arthritis. It is characterized by recurrent bouts of acute inflammatory arthritis which causes the joints to become enlarged, red, hot to touch, and tender. The condition can be experienced in many parts of the body although the big toe is the one that is most often affected.

In cases where the big toe is the one inflamed, the condition may be called podagra.

Causes Of Gout

The main cause of gout is uric acid. When the levels of uric acid in the blood become high, the possibility of crystallization is high. These crystallized uric acids become deposited in the tendons, joints, and tissues causing inflammation and pain. Even though the big toe is the one that is most likely to be affected, other joints are also at a high risk, including the wrists, fingers, heels, and knees.

Gout is closely related to kidney stones as both are crystallized forms of uric acid.

Diet, Foods For Gout

A healthy body can fight off ailments more than an unhealthy one.

To achieve a healthy body, the patient is advised to maintain proper diet and exercise. The following diet modification can help alleviate the symptoms of gout in the patient.

• Try reduction in the intake of foods that are very rich in purines as these can elevate the uric acid levels in the body. On the other hand, increase the intake of vegetables as these are better suited to the body being effective cleaners of the body, helping it get rid of wastes.
• Make sure to incorporate milk, cheese, butter, and other dairy products into one’s diet every day. Doing so will not only keep the body strong and healthy, it will also reduce the uric acid level in the body – something these foods are known for.
• When trying to lose weight, it is better to do so through reduction in the intake of calories than through exercising. This is because a reduction in the calorie intake also reduces the concentration of uric acid in the body.
• Avoid drinking alcoholic beverages, particularly beer.
• Avoid excessive intake of iron supplements or of foods rich in iron as the traces of the mineral may deposit in the joint areas.
• Make sure to drink no fewer than 8 glasses of water daily. This is to allow the body an easier time diluting the uric acid in the body, thereby avoiding gout.