Traditionally known as the “rich man’s disease” or the “disease of the kings”, gout is a severely painful and traumatizing medical condition that affects the joints in the body. It is characterized by the reoccurrence of painful reddening, swelling, heating and softening of the joints or acute inflammatory arthritis. This problem typically affects the feet, primarily the base of the large toe. Gout is caused by increased levels of uric acid built up in the blood or hyperuricemia. When the uric acid level rises in the blood, the acid crystallizes and settles on the tendons, joints and tissues around it.
The pain and associated symptoms of gout elevate with an increase in uric acid levels in the body. This disease is treated by taking non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications, pain relievers, colchicines and steroids. However, following a proper lifestyle and an appropriate and healthy dietary regime can naturally and effectively relieve and prevent this painful problem. Certain foods and beverages are known to trigger and aggravate this health issue and hence, one should be mindful while choosing what to eat and what not in order to keep gout at bay. Some of the restrictions in diet to help in controlling gout are given below.
Diet For Gout Control
Avoiding the consumption of alcohol is essentially important in a diet to control gout effectively. Alcohol restricts proper detoxification and hinders the elimination of excess uric acid from the body. Although all alcoholic drinks increase purine formation in the body, beer is the worst of the lot. Brewer’s yeast, being high in purine content, makes beer rapidly increase uric acid in the body and thus, aggravates the intensity of gout attacks.
The only carbohydrate known to increase uric acid in the body is fructose. It is advisable to avoid food and beverages like soft drinks, juices, shakes that are sweetened with fructose-containing corn syrup. Sugar may be low in purine content but a diet that contains high amounts of refined sugar can lead to diseases like obesity and diabetes which further elevate the problem of gout. Fresh fruits contain sugar but can still be consumed in case of gout as they are rich in essential nutrients that are vital for attaining a healthy body.
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Consuming a lot of vegetables, fruits and whole grains is advisable to strengthen the immune system and improve the general health of the body. This further helps in combating gout effectively. However, certain vegetables like asparagus, spinach, cauliflower, peas, lentils, beans are rich in purine and hence, should be avoided while treating gout as they may aggravate the symptoms of this disease.
The ability of the body to eliminate uric acid is negatively impacted by an increased consumption of saturated fats. Intake of more of low or no fat dairy products and plant proteins helps to curb the amount of saturated fat in the diet; this is beneficial in treating gout. A low fat diet also lessens the chances of developing diseases like obesity which are related to the occurrence of gout.
Drinking a lot of fluids, especially water, helps to flush out toxins and excess uric acid from the body, thereby relieving gout. Consuming about 8 to10 glasses of liquid each day aids in detoxification of the body, weight control and helps in maintaining a healthy body at large.
Avoiding purine-rich animal protein is one of the first dietary measures that a gout patient needs to take to treat his/her health condition. Organ meats, fish and Seafood contain high amounts of purine that trigger the formation and retention of uric acid in the body. These are extremely unhealthy for gout patients as they intensify the related symptoms. Anchovies, sardine, scallops, pork, beef, lamb, bouillon etc should advisably not be consumed by gout patients.
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