The Gout Diet

Arthritis is a category of diseases that mainly affect and cause damage to the joints of the body. There are more than 100 forms of arthritis. Among its most common types, include osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, and gout. Gout accounts for approximately 5 percent of all cases of arthritis. In the United States, 50 million are known to suffer from this disease. Gout has always been associated with sedentary lifestyle and unhealthy diet, as well as with those who smoke and drink alcohol heavily. This painful condition is more common in individuals who are above 45 years of age. More men suffer from gout attacks compared to women. Family history has been associated with gout.

People who are diagnosed with this condition have a parent, siblings or other immediate family members who also suffer from gout attacks. However, diet has been the most common cause of gout. Diagnosing and managing this disease promptly is vital in order to prevent the condition from worsening, as this can possibly lead to immobility and disability. Gout occurs due to abnormally high levels of uric acid circulating in the blood. Therefore, managing this health condition is mainly directed in lowering the levels of uric acid. People suffering from this condition, can greatly benefit from gout diet. This kind of diet can help the people in preventing gout attacks and reducing its severity.

A gout diet typically decreases one’s intake of foods that are rich in purines. Purine-rich foods include animal products like liver, herring, anchovies, mackerel, red meat, and fatty fish. Shrimps, crabs, lobsters and other seafood must also be avoided since it contains rich amounts of purines. There are also certain vegetables, which should be avoided since these contain significant amounts of purines like cauliflowers and spinach. Other purine-rich foods include grouse, mutton, veal, bacon, turkey, partridge, trout, goose, haddock, and scallops.  

Instead of getting protein from animal meat, people with gout can consume more plants that are adequate sources of protein. Examples of these are beans and legumes. People with gout are recommended to avoid a diet which high in protein, and fats. The ideal diet for individuals with gout is a low-purine, low fat, and moderate-protein diet. Alcohol must certainly be avoided, as well as cigarette smoking. Since these interfere with the body’s ability to effectively eliminate uric acid from the system. Rehydration is also essential since lack of fluids in the body makes the person more prone to have gout attacks.

However, natural treatment for gout, which has proven to be effective by most research studies, should not replace pharmacological treatments. These alternative gout treatments should be used in combination with the medical regimens as prescribed by the client’s physician. Drugs used to manage gout attacks are found to decrease the need for dietary restrictions. Dietary modification and other natural gout remedies are best for people cannot tolerate gout medications.