Sunday, October 4, 2009

What Gout Diet Really Works?

By Bart Icles

Experiencing a gout attack is probably one of the most excruciatingly painful episodes of anybody's lives. It most commonly attacks the big toe, but it can also affect other joints and tendons in the body, resulting to inflammation and sometimes, even tophi, which is a protrusion in the affected area.

What is gout? Why are people afflicted by it? What are its symptoms? How is it best remedied?

Gout is among the hundreds of forms of arthritis. It is often described like a thief in the night, that is, it suddenly attacks, making its victim wince in excruciating pain. It is a condition wherein the uric acid level in the blood is much higher than the body can contain, making them crystallize, and the needle-like crystals that are formed by the excess uric acid gets stored in the joints or tendons and its surrounding tissues, creating the pain since they inflame the area that they get stored in. Symptoms are swelling and extreme pain.

Countless research shows that a person's diet plays a very big role in the occurrence of gout. People who eat too much fatty foods and drink too many alcoholic beverages have a higher risk of acquiring it and, therefore, virtually anybody can become a victim if they are not careful. Because of this, a lot of medical experts concur that the best remedy for it is an anti gout diet. Why is this so?

Uric acid is found in purines, and purine-rich foods are being ingested by us on a daily basis. Among the foods that are classified as purine rich are gravy, shellfish, red meat, meat organ, beans, mushrooms, spinach, peas, cauliflower, herring, yeast, sardines, among others.


According to the American Medical Association (AMA), a good anti gout diet is a combination of complex carbohydrates, like fiber-rich grains, vegetables, and fruits, low protein foods, and lesser fats. The foods and drinks that are recommended for eating for people with gout or for those who wants to not ever encounter a gout attack episode are fresh cherries, blueberries, strawberries, and other blue or red berries, celery, tomato, green leafy vegetables, pineapple, chocolate or cocoa, foods that are high in vitamin C, coffee, tea, carbonated drinks, low-fat dairy products, foods containing essential fatty acids, like salmon, nuts, flaxseed, and tuna, and fruit juices and, of course, water.

Always stick to an anti gout diet. As long as you watch your diet and do not take anything in excess and live a healthy lifestyle on the overall, you will not be at a high risk of being afflicted with gout. Start changing your lifestyle now little by little so that you will not have to experience any painful gout episodes. Ever.

About the Author: