Avoiding Foods That Cause Gout Can Help Alleviate The Painful Symptoms of Gout

For anyone that suffers from the pain of gout, knowing the foods that cause gout or increase the symptoms of gout is a good thing to know.

Gout is caused by excess uric acid. Uric acid is actually a waste by-product formed when purines, which are an organic compound, breakdown. Normally our kidneys filter out the uric acid but if there is too much then the kidneys cannot keep up. Crystals from the uric acid then form around joints causing severe pain. One of the most common spots for gout to appear is the big toe.

Foods that have a high concentration of purines can cause your gout to flare up. Foods such as red meat, lamb, pork and organ meats do have high levels of purine and should be avoided.

So all that sounds pretty simple right? Well actually no not really. I would like to know what exactly I should be avoiding on a daily basis. Can I eat that yummy hot dog from the street vendor or should I stick to packing a daily boring lunch.

As with anything moderation is the key. It is really hard to avoid all foods that have purine in them. Some foods will affect you more than others and over time you will know which foods will trigger an attack.

Usually when we think of foods that cause gout we tend to think about just meat. However certain vegetables can also cause gout. Some vegetables that fall into the category of foods that cause gout are cauliflower, mushrooms, beans, and peas to mention a few. Although some of these do not even contain purines they are still responsible in producing high levels of uric acid which as we already know is a cause of gout.

Knowing the foods that cause gout is good but it is not the only thing we should be aware of to avoid a gout attack. We should be aware that obesity can also be a cause of gout. The extra weight that a person carries tends to put a strain on their kidneys. The kidneys in turn do not perform at optimal levels, thus they do not filter out all the uric acid.

Another cause of gout that many people are probably aware of is alcohol. Beer and whiskey seem to have more of an effect on a person's gout than wine but everyone reacts differently. Best to avoid it all together.

By learning about the foods that cause gout we can hopefully have success in treating our gout. If we do not treat our gout properly we could end up causing permanent damage to our body joints.

Remember before you embark on any treatment to seek the advice of a medical professional.

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