Gout sounded bad when I studied it. It took seeing someone live through an attack to drive home just how painful this disease is. It can literally stop you cold.
Understanding the cause of gout is part of stopping it. It is basically uric acid crystals that are dropped off into joints, usually starting with the right big toe. The crystals are created when the kidneys cannot get rid of all the uric acid in the bloodstream.
Uric acid is the waste product of purine. This is a constituent of all protein, though some have more of it than others. It should be easy to figure out which foods to avoid, right? Wrong. There are dozens of lists on-line about high purine foods. Each one leaves out something, including that the gout risk is outweighed by the other healthful qualities and that some of the foods on the list we have little chance of finding.
For the most part, the worst foods you can eat are the organs of any animal. By and large, they contain the most purine in the smallest packages. If you’re a chocoholic, you might want to know theobromine is on the list, but that is just one element of that favorite treat. Beer drinkers have it the worst. Both the alcohol, which dehydrates you and the brewer’s yeast, which has a lot of purine, can cause flare ups.
There’s good news. There are also foods that are good for people with gout, and many of them are tasty and easy to get your hands on. One of the first things I learned is that gout responds very well to cherries and cherry juice. While you can use it to help get rid of a flare up, regular consumption may help prevent them in the first place.
Most fruits and vegetables have a positive effect on gout prevention. This includes other berries, bananas, tomatoes, celery and pineapple. The bromine in pineapple is particularly good.
While theobromine is on the “don’t eat” list, hot chocolate is. So are coffee, tea and carbonated beverages. It’s interesting that coffee and tea would be on the “do eat” list, as they contain caffeine which can act as a diuretic.
Gout sufferers shouldn’t neglect whole grain products in their diet. Fiber has many benefits, and moving stuff through the digestive tract without it being absorbed is one.
Gout is a nasty problem, but it can be dealt with. Following a healthy diet, choosing protein with care and eating a lot of fruits and vegetables can help you avoid flare ups. If this plan doesn’t stop all attacks, it is wise to see your doctor. There are medications that can help, and gout can lead to more serious ailments.