Removing the Gout in Your Diet

Gout is caused mainly by uric acid crystals, instead of being disposed from your system by the kidneys, crystallise and accumulate in your joints. Uric acid is a waste product, produced from the metabolism of proteins and protein-like substances called purines, which come from the food you eat.

Gout used to be treated mainly by drugs, both steroid- and non-steroid based. These drugs helped to bring immediate relief to the gout sufferer. They are still used, particularly when the pain becomes intolerable. However, the patients of today would prefer, where possible, to avoid using drugs for fear of what could be serious side effects (especially the steroid-based variety).

The preferred approach is, therefore, to modify your diet and avoid the foods that potentially add to the uric acid load in your body. The food that enters your system is probably the most important determinant of your propensity for gout. Less uric acid means less gout. Indeed, you can remove the potential for gout from your diet.

The soft tissues of are a rich source of purines when synthesised by the body. If you are fond of consuming internal organs of animals, say, the liver, brain, or kidneys, it is time to stop eating such food. They are land mines, as far as your feet and gout are concerned.

In the same manner, you will have to avoid anchovies, sardines, herring, scallop and mussels. Legumes such as beans and peas also will have to be removed. Other foods like poultry, lean meats, and fish have lesser purine content, so you can continue eating them but in moderation.

Besides your solid food diet, consider your liquid diet, too. It will really help if you avoid alcoholic beverages altogether, especially beer; if you cannot avoid them, at least drink very moderately. Imbibing lots of alcohol removes water from your body at a faster rate than normal, which will tend to increase the uric acid concentration in your blood as the natural processes for removing uric acid through your kidneys is disrupted.

On the other hand, you could drink plenty of water and fluids, to help remove waste products from the kidneys. Consume at least 2 litres of water a day; drink more of it if you are engaged in physical exercise or have a physically demanding job. Fruit juices can be a substitute for water.

You may also take gelatin, small amounts of fats and oils, especially monounsaturated fats like extra virgin olive oil. Sugars and syrups are acceptable but to be taken moderately. Vegetables like asparagus, cauliflower, and spinach, and wheat germ are good fillers for appetite.

In the final analysis, you might say one good way of fighting gout is by having meals of moderation. Even foods that are normally forbidden may occasionally be eaten, in great moderation.

Gout Treatment

If you have a gout attack, many doctors recommend oral doses of ibuprofen or naproxen, available in both prescription and nonprescription versions, or other anti-inflammatory drugs. If you are taking aspirin, your doctor may recommend that you stop it temporarily. Aspirin can slow the elimination of uric acid and make gout worse. But if you take a low dose of aspirin to prevent other problems such as a heart attack, check with your doctor before stopping it.

For reliable Gout treatment information, read Cure Gout Now; an easy to follow, comprehensively researched eBook by Lisa McDowell that shows you how to change your diet and gain control of your gout wth useful strategies that have been proven to improve health for people with gout.

Find out how Lisa, a long-suffering wife of a gout victim, challenged the uncaring drug companies and made a shocking discovery that cured her husband once and for all.