Foods to Avoid With the Gout – High Purine Foods

Gout is caused by an increased concentration of uric acid in body fluids. Uric acid is very insoluble. When the temperature is about the same as body temperature and the pH levels are somewhat alkaline, uric acid is found in the blood serum at levels between 6.4 to 7 mg/100 ml. For some reason, when those levels get above 9 mg/100 ml, gout becomes much more likely. Gout is also more likely to occur when the temperature is a little cooler than body temperature. In this article we will discuss the foods to avoid with the gout.

Crystals of uric acid are deposited around the joints of the fingers and toes, ankles, arms, shoulders, elbows or knees. Gout can also attack the tendons and kidneys. The latter is especially dangerous because if left untreated deposits of uric acid crystals can lead to kidney stones, or even kidney failure.

Uric acid crystals seem to be especially drawn to the foot and over half of the cases of gout involve the first join of the big toe. It is important to know the foods to avoid with the gout so you can amend your diet.

During an attack of gout the sufferer will feel intense pain that may be followed by fevers and chills. The pain may be so intense that the affected part can’t even bear to have a sheet lain over it. The attacks usually happen at night and are precipitated by an event like a banquet where the sufferer ate and drank too much. They may have also suffered a trauma, ingested a drug, usually a drug used in chemotherapy, took high doses of Vitamin B6, or had surgery.

The good news is that chronic gout is no longer common because of modifications sufferers make to their diet and drugs that lower the levels of purine in the body.

There are several foods to avoid with the gout. Gout should improve considerably if these foods are eliminated or greatly reduced in the diet. They are:

• Alcohol

Alcohol puts uric acid into the body by hastening the breakdown of purine. Uric acid is the last breakdown product of purine, which helps DNA and RNA metabolism. Alcohol also makes it hard for the body to excrete uric acid by causing the kidneys to work less efficiently.

• Foods to Avoid With the Gout

Other foods to avoid with the gout include organ meats like kidney, liver and sweetmeats, muscle meats, yeast, poultry, shellfish and fatty fish like herring, sardines, anchovies and mackerel. The sufferer should even cut down on protein rich foods like beans, all kinds of fish, asparagus, spinach and mushrooms.

• Fats and refined carbohydrates

More foods to avoid with the gout are refined carbohydrates like white sugar and flour, as well as saturated fats. Sugars increase uric acid production while, like alcohol, saturated fats make it hard for uric acid to be excreted from the body.

Gout can also be caused by the over-consumption of any sort of food. People who aren’t overweight or obese have less incidence of gout.

In addition to avoiding the foods above, people with gout should drink lots of water to keep their urine diluted and help the excretion of uric acid. About 48 ounces of water every day is recommended.