Gout is a very painful condition involving the joints. It is a form of arthritis, and the most painful that there is. Aside from the pain it also leads to swelling, inflammation, and limited mobility in the affected joints. The primary cause for gout is uric-acid crystals which form in the joints. A lot of uric acid which the body accumulates comes in a way from the food that we eat. This means that there are foods which you can avoid, that will make gout worse, and foods which may help to relieve the condition somewhat—or at least keep it from getting too much worse.
When your body breaks down purine, a chemical, it produces uric acid. Purine is a substance which develops naturally in the body, yet it also exists in food. Although uric acid is excreted in the urine sometimes the body has trouble expelling it, for one reason or another, and this is when it begins to form in the joints. A special diet could help keep uric acid levels in the blood at a minimum. Unfortunately eating a gout diet will not cure the condition, but it can slow its progression and lower the risk of the pain.
In a gout diet the primary objective is foods that are low in purine, but the foods that you avoid may be just as essential as the foods that you do try to eat. You will want to stay away from red meat, seafood, bread, and alcohol. You also won't want to eat liver or kidney. When you think about all the foods that contain purine the list of options you can eat may seem small, but there are still quite a few things that you can include in your diet.
It wasn't long ago that people with gout were warned against vegetables that have purine, such as spinach, asparagus, and mushrooms. It would appear, however, that these vegetables don't adversely effect gout and you can still eat them. There are also a lot of healthy compounds contained even in vegetables which have purine.
If you are seeking out some food that has low levels of purine, go for spices, sweet potatoes, and carrots. This makes for a few good and even tasty meal choices, like ginger soup and curried carrot. Cherries are recommended for people with gout. In fact, studies have been conducted on the positive affects of cherries and it appears that it greatly decreases the risk of gout attacks if consumed consistently. Dairy products could also help to boost the excretion of uric acid in the urine, which is good for gout sufferers. Coffee seems to lower the risk of gout. Of course, water also has its role in most health conditions. Drinking plenty of water can lower the risk of gout attacks. Talk to your doctor about how much water you can drink, but 5-8 glasses of water a day could greatly help the problem. Even though the foods you eat won't cure gout, they could make life easier.
