Uric acid is the waste product that forms as food and protein break down in the body. Gout is caused when there is an excess of uric acid in the blood that has been present long enough to form needle-like crystals. These crystals cause inflammation in the joints, and severe pain and swelling. Gout is a type of arthritis that is caused by an unhealthy diet. It often starts in the big toe, but may affect other joints as well.
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Unhealthy Foods
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If you're suffering from gout, avoid foods that have a high purine content. Uric acid forms from purine when the body attempts to digest it. High-purine foods include avocados, red meat, and offal such as liver, kidney, heart and sweetbreads. Game meat such as venison, duck, goose, pheasant and rabbit is also high in purine, as is most seafood, especially anchovies, mackerel and sardines. Foods and beverages that contain yeast, especially beer, have a lot of purine.
Some vegetables contain a lot of purine as well, such as mushrooms, asparagus, cauliflower and spinach. So do lentils and soybeans. These foods should be eaten in moderation.
Alcohol can raise the uric acid level in the body. It can also interfere with the breakdown of accumulating uric acid, since alcohol is converted into lactic acid by the body. Lactic acid inhibits the proper function of the kidneys, whose job it is to get rid of uric acid.
Healthy Foods
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Try to consume mostly foods that are low in purine. Foods such as, eggs (limit to three or four a week), milk, rice, pasta and macaroni, nuts and peanut butter, soups made without meat extract or broth, fats, oils and sugars in small amounts, and low-fat or fat-free cheese and ice cream.
Vegetable choices include green beans, squash, corn, carrots, okra, kale, bell peppers and cabbage. Fruits include banana, pineapple, strawberries, blueberries and fruits high in vitamin C, like cherries, tangerines and oranges. Fruits and vegetables may be consumed fresh, frozen, canned, and as juice.
Foods with medium levels of purine may be consumed in moderation. They include chicken, lamb, and pork, as long as the offal is not eaten.
Drinking adequate amounts of water is beneficial in flushing out toxins and preventing attacks of gout. The recommended eight to 10 glasses of day will suffice. Drinking water can also help you lose weight since it flushes out not only excess toxins but also excess fluid it has stored. If you are overweight, losing weight will help reduce uric acid levels in your body and reduce stress on weight-bearing joints. Do not try to lose weight too quickly. According to the U.K. Gout Society, crash dieting can increase uric acid in the body. Increased activity and exercise are also important.
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Unhealthy Foods
If you're suffering from gout, avoid foods that have a high purine content. Uric acid forms from purine when the body attempts to digest it. High-purine foods include avocados, red meat, and offal such as liver, kidney, heart and sweetbreads. Game meat such as venison, duck, goose, pheasant and rabbit is also high in purine, as is most seafood, especially anchovies, mackerel and sardines. Foods and beverages that contain yeast, especially beer, have a lot of purine.
Some vegetables contain a lot of purine as well, such as mushrooms, asparagus, cauliflower and spinach. So do lentils and soybeans. These foods should be eaten in moderation.
Alcohol can raise the uric acid level in the body. It can also interfere with the breakdown of accumulating uric acid, since alcohol is converted into lactic acid by the body. Lactic acid inhibits the proper function of the kidneys, whose job it is to get rid of uric acid.
Healthy Foods
Try to consume mostly foods that are low in purine. Foods such as, eggs (limit to three or four a week), milk, rice, pasta and macaroni, nuts and peanut butter, soups made without meat extract or broth, fats, oils and sugars in small amounts, and low-fat or fat-free cheese and ice cream.
Vegetable choices include green beans, squash, corn, carrots, okra, kale, bell peppers and cabbage. Fruits include banana, pineapple, strawberries, blueberries and fruits high in vitamin C, like cherries, tangerines and oranges. Fruits and vegetables may be consumed fresh, frozen, canned, and as juice.
Foods with medium levels of purine may be consumed in moderation. They include chicken, lamb, and pork, as long as the offal is not eaten.
Drinking adequate amounts of water is beneficial in flushing out toxins and preventing attacks of gout. The recommended eight to 10 glasses of day will suffice. Drinking water can also help you lose weight since it flushes out not only excess toxins but also excess fluid it has stored. If you are overweight, losing weight will help reduce uric acid levels in your body and reduce stress on weight-bearing joints. Do not try to lose weight too quickly. According to the U.K. Gout Society, crash dieting can increase uric acid in the body. Increased activity and exercise are also important.
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