Most people associate gout with what is known as the Kings Disease because in older times it was quiet common for lords of the gentry to suffer from this ailment. It was believed because they drank too much port wine and followed a poor diet. In some respects this is true as alcohol plays a major part of gout attacks also now commonly known as gouty arthritis. This article explores why gout occurs and the best way to combat it so it does not reoccur based on what we eat and drink.
Gout and Gouty Arthritis
For the purpose of this article we will refer to just gout to make things simple. Gout as we know it is a form of arthritis and can happen when you follow a diet containing high levels of what is known as purines. When they break down they cause high levels of uric acid in the body. Some people produce high levels of uric acid in the blood naturally that cannot be passed by the kidneys via your urine. When this happens the uric acid then metabolizes into urate crystals. These crystals then concentrate in the joints of our body; the most common cases are in the joint of the big toe, especially in men. The attack can happen quickly with redness and swelling of the toe joint, the pain level increases rapidly and is very uncomfortable with some people describing the pain level as the worst they have experienced. These attacks normally occur because of what we eat. Pain killers have little effect in alleviating the pain but things like an ice pack on the joint can help. Gout is not associated with age; people in their twenties can suffer from these attacks. Taking medication once the attack occurs can help in the form of Colchimax but the side effects can cause chronic diarrhea. The most important prevention of gout occurring is in what you eat. Let’s explore this.
Do and Don’t of Your Diet
Probably for people reading this a revised diet can be a bit of a shock. To prevent gout attacks happening you must avoid foods that have high level of purines in them, for example, avoid all red meats, don’t drink alcohol in excess over a period of time, or avoid it altogether. Offal like brain, kidney or liver should not be consumed. Fish like anchovies, herring, sardines and mackerel contain high levels of purines. All processed meats like ham, beef or chicken that come in a wrapper should be avoided. Bread is a no go plus any other wheat based products. Cauliflower, asparagus, spinach and mushrooms should be excluded from your diet. There isn't much left to eat, but there are alternatives that we can get used to that will help prevent these very painful attacks of gout.
What Can We Eat?
For the prevention of gout you can eat such things as cornflakes for breakfast, skimmed milk, yogurts, and corn based products, loads of fruit, potatoes, and peppers plus kale. Eat only white fish with salads also carrots and broccoli. Another good one is plain white rice and pasta.
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