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Gout Food Diet - Causes, Symptoms And Treatment

Gout is a common type of arthritis that occurs when there is too much uric acid (sodium urate) in the blood, tissues, and urine. Uric acid is the end product of the metabolism of a class of chemicals known as purines. In people with gout, the body does not produce enough of the digestive enzyme uricase, which oxidizes relatively insoluble uric acid into a highly soluble compound. As a result, uric acid accumulates in the blood and tissues and, ultimately, crystallizes

When it crystallizes, uric acid takes on a shape like that of a needle and, like a needle, it jabs its way into the joints. It seems to prefer the joint of the big toe, but other joints can be vulnerable as well, including the mid-foot, ankle, knee, wrist, and even the fingers. Uric acid is more likely to crystallize at lower temperatures, which may explain why roughly 90 percent of gout attacks affect cooler extremities like the big toe.

Information on the symptoms of gout

Acute pain is usually the first symptom. Then the affected joints become inflamed, almost infected­looking-red, swollen, hot, and extremely sensitive to the touch. Repeated attacks of gout over a long period of time can lead to joint damage. Common signs and symptoms include the following :-

• Inflammation
• Pain
• Redness
• Stiffness
• Swelling

Information on the causes of gout

It should be noted that uric acid is not a fundamentally harmful substance, but a powerful antioxidant, almost as effective as vitamin C, that helps to protect cells from oxidative damage. It is only when levels become abnormally elevated that it becomes problematic. Approximately 70 percent of people who suffer from gout produce too much uric acid, and 30 percent cannot properly eliminate it from their bodies. About 25 percent have a family history of gout. Elevated levels of uric acid in the blood can also be an indicator of poor kidney function.

Uric acid is a by product of certain foods, so gout is closely related to diet. Obesity and an improper diet increase the risk of developing gout. Gout has been called the rich man's disease, since it is associated with too much rich food and alcohol. But in fact it affects people from all walks of life, most commonly men between the ages of forty and fifty. It may be inherited or brought on by crash dieting, drinking, certain medications, overeating, stress, surgery, or injury to a joint. Approximately 90 percent of the people who suffer from gout are male. Uric acid kidney stones may be a related problem.

Diagnosing gout can be difficult when the symptoms appear in the joints-several other diseases can mimic gout, including rheumatoid arthritis and infections. Pseudogout (false gout), another form of arthritis, produces joint inflammation, redness, and swelling in the larger joints (usually the knees, wrists, or ankles) caused by the development of calcium pyrophosphate dihydrate crystals in one or more joints. The best way to get a definitive diagnosis of gout is for a physician to insert a needle into the affected joint, remove some fluid, and examine the fluid under a microscope for the characteristic uric acid crystals.

Vitamins and nutrients for gout

Natural home remedies to cure gout

• Alfalfa is a good source of minerals and other nutrients that help to reduce serum uric acid. Take 2,000 to 3,000 milligrams daily in tablet or capsule form. Helps to cure gout.
• Bilberry extract is a good source of anthocyanidins and proanthocyanidins-powerful antioxidant compounds.
• Apply cayenne (capsicum) powder, mixed with enough wintergreen oil to make a paste, to affected areas to relieve inflammation and pain. This may cause a stinging sensation at first, but with repeated use, pain should diminish markedly. Cayenne can also be taken in capsule or liquid form.
• Lime is also used as a remedy in gout vitamin C is known to prevent and cure sore joints by strengthening the connective tissues of the body. The juice of half a lime, squeezed into a glass of water, should be taken twice daily. One of the best home remedy to cure gout.
• Bananas have been found beneficial in the treatment of gout. A diet of bananas only for three or four days is advised. A patient can take eight or nine bananas daily during this period and nothing else.
• Try using chamomile, lady's mantle (yarrow), peppermint, or skullcap, in either capsule or tea form.
• Boswellia and turmeric (curcumin) have powerful anti­inflammatory properties.

Considerations and prevention tips

• Drink plenty of fluids (especially water).
• Follow a balanced diet.
• Exercise regularly
• Maintain a healthy diet and healthy body weight.

Gout Diet: Foods To Avoid

High levels of uric acid can cause gout. High purine foods in a diet can increase uric acid levels in the body. Therefore, the gout diet usually limits food with high purine. Diet is one of the most important ways of preventing gout attacks.

• When an attack of gout strikes, eat only raw fruits and vegetables for two weeks. Juices are best. Frozen or fresh cherry juice is excellent. Also drink celery juice diluted with distilled water-use distilled water only, not tap water. Blueberries, cherries, and strawberries neutralize uric acid and have antioxidant properties, so eat lots of them. Also include grains, seeds, and nuts in your diet.
• Maintain a diet low in purines at all times. Purines are organic compounds that contribute to uric acid formation. Purine-rich foods to avoid include anchovies, mackerel, shellfish, asparagus, consomme, herring, meat gravies and broths, mushrooms, mussels, sardines, peanuts, baker's and brewer's yeast, mincemeat, and sweetbreads. Thyme and thyroid extracts can also pose a problem if taken for long periods of time.
• Enjoy foods like rice, millet, starchy vegetables, green vegetables, com, cornbread, fruit, cheese, eggs, nuts, and milk.
• Eat no meat of any kind, including organ meats. Meat contains extremely high amounts of uric acid.
• Do not eat any fried foods, roasted nuts, or any other foods containing (or cooked with) oil that has been subjected to heat. When heated, oils become rancid. Rancid fats quickly destroy vitamin E, resulting in the release of increased amounts of uric acid.
• Avoid rich foods such as cakes and pies. Leave sugar products out of your diet.
• Avoid the amino acid glycine. Glycine can be converted into uric acid more rapidly in people who suffer from gout.
• Alcohol, especially beer, should be avoided. Limit alcohol consumption to 1 drink 3 times a week.
• If you are overweight, lose the excess pounds. Obesity can result in increased uric acid production by the body. Follow a well-balanced diet to lose excess body weight. Do not follow a high-protein low-carb diet as this can worsen gout conditions.