Gout and Food to Avoid – Foods With Purine

Gout is a metabolic disorder caused due to high uric acid content in the blood. Approximately 1 man in every 100 men above the age of 40 suffer from gout. Women also develop this disease after menopause. Gout attacks can strike at any time without warning and bring along a lot of agonizing pain in the joints like ankle, big toe, knee arms, wrists, elbows etc. Uric acid is the by product and formed after eating some foods and is disposed off from your body via urine. But some people have a tendency to produce more uric acid and the body can not get rid off it and hence the levels build up and get converted in to needle-shaped crystals which settle around joints triggering inflammation and pain. Thus gout symptoms can be avoided by learning what causes gout and food to avoid the attacks and recurrence.

Gout can be managed and the flare-ups can be avoided if you reduce the intake of foods that are rich in purines. Gout is one kind of arthritis and leads to swelling in joints which is associated with redness, warmth and excruciating pain in the joints. There are many over-the counter medicines available for gout but you can decrease the uric acid formation by lessening the intake of food that is highly rich in purines.

Gout and food to avoid which are high in purines are:

• Non-vegetarian – red lean meat, beef, pork, bacon, lamb, etc. Also avoid meat of goose, duck and partridge.
• Sea foods like shrimp scallops, gizzard, sardines, herring, mackerel, mussels, and Fish Roe.
• Fermented foods which are highly concentrated with yeast like white bread, beer, and alcoholic beverages.
• Vegetables like mushrooms, lentils, spinach, cauliflower, asparagus, etc.
• Organs of meat are very high in purines like liver, kidneys, and brain.
• Beans and peas.

Gout and food to avoid go side by side. If you increase food that is less-rich in purines like low-fat dairy products, yogurt, cherry and apple juice etc. then you will be able to keep gout at bay. Another excellent way to control gout symptoms is to drink at least 8-10 glasses of water a day to dilute the urine and lower uric acid levels. Taking at least 1000 mg to 1500 mg of calcium everyday helps to lower your uric acid levels and combat gout symptoms. Drinking green tea and blueberry juice half a cup daily also works well with gout disease.

Besides having knowledge of gout and food to avoid, you must also learn means of how to manage gout with home remedies and herbal supplements. Applying ginger paste on the gout area or soaking your feet in a mixture of ginger and water for 30 minutes can reduce inflammation and reduce uric acid levels from the joints. Even applying a mixture of charcoal powder on the inflamed area can soothe symptoms.

In brief, gout can be managed simply by making dietary changes and lifestyle alterations. Gout and food to avoid can lessen the aggravation and flare-ups of this disease. Decrease your caffeine and alcohol intake.

Clinical studies show that gout and food to avoid along with regular exercise can not only prevent uric acid formation but can also help to eliminate gout naturally.