What are the Best Diets for Gout?

                

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Gout is a pretty nasty form of arthritis that comes on suddenly and can leave the sufferer in a lot of pain. It's also the only form of arthritis that is directly affected by what you eat. But before we look at the best diets for gout, we'll take a look at how gout develops and why the wrong food choices can have such a devastating effect.

Gout is caused by an excessive build up of uric acid in the blood, which often leads to uric acid crystal deposits in the spaces between the joints and the soft connecting tissues around them. It is these sharp, rough edged crystals that cause gout symptoms; a hot, red, swollen, stiff and very painful joint.

Gout attacks can come on fast and often strike at night, waking you up with a throbbing joint, most commonly the big toe. Gout usually flares up in the feet or ankle joints, as uric acid crystals need cooler temperatures to form. As the feet, and in particular the big toe, are furthest away from the heart, they are the coolest parts of the body. However, this isn't always the case as gout can strike anywhere - wrists, fingers, elbows, knees etc.

The build up of uric acid in the blood is usually because the body is struggling to process it eliminate it at an appropriate rate. Uric acid is a natural product found in the body and is also produced whne the body breaks down purine - a compound found in animal protein and other foods.

The inability to eliminate uric acid swiftly and efficiently can often be a hereditary issue, or point to a compromised kidney function.

Uric Acid is dissolved in the blood stream and eliminated from the body via the kidneys in your urine. Should your kidneys not be running at optimum levels uric acid elimination slows down and increased levels of uric acid are found in the blood stream.

A person can have high levels of uric acid in their blood stream and not go on to develop gout, however for those people who do it can be a debilitating disease, impinging on your daily activities and even leaving some people housebound during a bad flare-up.

You can rely on medications to reduce your uric acid production, however, following a gout friendly diet can be enough for some people to stop gout from striking again. So, what are the best diets for gout?

Well, following a low fat, low calorie, low purine diet is a great way to reduce the level of purines intake, and therefore, reduce the amount of uric acid.

The worst offenders for high purine foods are organ meats, red meats, processed meats, and shellfish, legumes and yeast extracts. By avoiding these foods or dramatically reducing them in you diet, you'll lower the purine entering your body and thereby reduce the amount of uric acid your body produces.

While following a low purine diet you should cut out or heavily restrict your consumption of alcohol, especially beer and wine, as alcohol increases uric acid production. Alcohol also puts a strain on the kidneys; as they are busy processing the alcohol, the uric acid elimination is delayed, leading to a build up in the blood stream.

If you want to have a drink or two, ensure that you alternate with water or fruit juices to keep your body hydrated. Avoid soda though, as that can impact on your uric acid levels.

Alcohol aside, it is really important as a gout sufferer to keep your body hydrated at all times. Drink at least 8 - 10 eight glasses of water a day. If you find water too boring, try adding some fruit juice to it. By staying hydrated you are diluting uric acid levels in the bloodstream and also making it easier for your kidneys to expel excess uric acid via urine.

By getting your uric acid levels to an acceptable level the probability of suffering further gout attacks diminishes. You'll find more information on the best diets for gout on our site and by signing up for our free newsletter.

By Lisa McDowell. Sign up for a free newsletter & discover which are the best diets for gout and how they can be an effective as a natural cure for gout.