Diet & Gout Management

Most people don't know that one of the major triggers of gout is diet. Although gout can be as a result of factors other than diet, some foods and beverages - ones high in purines are known to be contributing factors behind gout attacks. To avoid future flare-ups and to manage your condition, it is vital that you know what gout foods to avoid.

As a rule of thumb, foods that are high in purines are those that are most likely to cause a spike in the levels of urates in your bloodstream and therefore trigger an attack. Purines are a chemical which are found naturally in the body as well as in certain foodstuffs. When the purines are broken down in the digestive system they are converted into uric acid and urate.

Amongst the list of foods high in purines there are some which are well known to be "risk" foods. These include items such as offal and organ meat - liver, kidneys and heart. There are also some which are at odds with recent studies into a healthy diet. These include most seafood, oily fish such as sardines, mussels and shellfish. Whilst these are promoted as beneficial to cardiac health, they are all on the list of offenders when it comes to gout.

You may have heard rumors about how red wine is also bad for gout, think again before you break open the celebratory bottle of beer. Red wine is actually relatively moderate in purine levels and conversely beer is very high and likely to promote an attack of gout. Surprisingly carbonated soft drinks with artificial sweeteners fare no better - they have an above average pH level and therefore are to be avoided or at least consumed in moderation. As an aside it can be noted that a lot of processed foods and those containing artificial sweeteners are on the cusp of being risk foods when it comes to gout including most sweets, jellies, white pasta and foods with high levels of processed white flour. Where possible, if you are prone to attacks of gout then in reality it is best to try avoid these foods totally or take a calculated gamble and have them in very moderate portions.

So the question is what can you eat and avoid gout and what are the gout foods to avoid? Again the word is moderation in all types of food but if you eat some of the following in reasonable quantities you should be ok.
From the meat counter, veal, pork, turkey, are all middling in purines - you do not need to avoid them totally but some restraint must be exercised when consuming them. If you like fish - anchovies, trout, salmon, scallops and haddock are similarly high but relatively safe in MODERATION. Most fresh fruits, vegetables are good for you, and in fact some foods such as cherries have a positive impact on purine levels.

I think the obvious thing is the total avoidance of foods that have been overly processed - the processes and additives in the processed foods appearing to have a negative impact on the purine and/or pH levels of the foodstuff.