By: John Cielo
Submitted: 2011-01-14 13:36:39 | Word Count: 483
One of the most important issues that you need to address as a gout victim is your diet, the foods you eat on a daily basis. There are many foods out there that can help to trigger gout. Here, you'll discover how this can happen and the main gout foods to stay away from.
Gout is the result of crystals forming in the joints. And these can form when you have high uric acid levels in your bloodstream. Uric acid, in turn, is formed as a byproduct of the breakdown of chemical compounds called 'purines' that exist naturally in our bodies and foods.
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So, as a gout sufferer, it makes sense to stay away from foods having high purine levels. This is obvious really since the more purines being converted, the more uric acid being produced, and so the more chance of uric acid crystals forming.
Gout Foods to Stay Away From
In the main, foods having high purine levels are also high in protein. So the main gout foods to stay away from are things like fatty red meat, organ meat, game, poultry and seafood. Examples of these are kidneys, liver, anchovies, sardines, mackerel, herring, mincemeat, meat extracts, venison, goose, turkey, etc.
Gout Foods to Consider Staying Away From
There are also foods that have moderately high purine levels, but these can affect people in different ways since each person is different. For example, I can take asparagus without problems, but it always triggers gout in one of my friends.
Typical gout foods to be aware of that have moderate purine levels are; asparagus, cauliflower, lentils, legumes, mushrooms, spinach, soy, oatmeal, etc. You may wish to either stay away from them completely or reduce their intake somewhat.
Other Important Issues to Beat Gout
But there are more issues that need to be addressed to ensure that you prevent gout returning time and time again. Diet on its own isn't enough.
And gout prevention is just so important. Apart from the agony and disruption to your life, you need to know that frequently recurring gout can end up with you having kidney problems and permanently damaged joints. Here's the thing though; once you've had a gout attack, you're almost certain to have recurring gout.
So what are these issues? In order to prevent recurring gout you need to address issues such as your lifestyle, your weight, previous medical conditions, medications being taken, and even your family history of gout / arthritis.
