Can certain foods trigger Gout?

 Gout has been an age long problem and a major public health concern for that matter. In fact, an increasing number of people are suffering from this problem. Gout has been linked to increasing metabolic and cardiovascular diseases in recent times and can be caused by certain foods.

What is Gout?

Gout is a kind of inflammatory arthritis which is known to develop in some people who are having high level of uric acid in their blood. The acid is known to form a king of needle like crystal in a joint which cause a whole lot of swelling, redness, tenderness and severe pains. Gout symptoms occur as chalky deposits from lumps under the skin which surround the joint. When these acids collect in the kidney, it could result to kidney stones.

What Causes Gout?

In the first place, gout is caused by the excess of uric acid in the blood. In normal circumstances, uric acid dissolved in the blood would be excreted from the body through urine. However, in a situation where the uric acid produced is too much or the one excreted is not enough, then it can build up and trigger inflammation and pain around the joints and other tissues. The following factors can increase the likely hood of gout. 

They are:

Genetics: When there is a condition of gout in the family lineage, they likely of gout developing becomes higher

Age and Gender: Uric acid is produced more in men than in women except during menopause in women where the uric acid levels become equal to the ones in men

Medications: There are some medications which has the potential to increase the level of uric acid in the body like diuretics and some drugs with silicylate contents

Weight: The chances of gout increases with being overweight since there is more turnover on body tissue leading to a lot more production of uric acid. In addition, when the body fat level is high, the level of systemic inflammation increases

LeadExposure: one of the causes of gout has been linked to chronic lead exposure other health Problems: The major culprit here has always been kidney problem which reduces the ability of the body to the waste products which then increases the uric acid levels. Other causes of gout include diabetes, high blood pressure and hypothyroidism.

What are the Symptoms of Gout?

The symptoms of gout could be tricky because it normally occurs in attack. This type of attack develops suddenly over a few hours causing severe pains around the joint. In this case, it becomes very painful to work. It is important to note that symptoms of gout can manifest on any joint, in some cases, more than 2 joints could be affected. Another symptoms of gout include swelling, reddish skin and inflammation. Untreated gout can last up to 7 days before it goes. However, there are less severe attacks which could be mistaken to be a type of arthritis. In this case, time between attacks may take up to years. In fact, 
some people can have this attack only once.

Related: Is Gout Serious?

 What Foods Cause Gout?          

The reality remains that some foods can trigger gout and this should be known and understood. Foods capable of trigging out attack should be avoided at all cost. For example, foods that have high purine content can raise uric acid levels in the blood. However, realistically speaking, it is just difficult to avoid all purines in your diet but it is important to know what foods cause gout and avoid them as much as possible. Some of them are

Organ Meat: An example of this are brains, liver, kidneys, eyeballs, heart, cow tongue. In fact, besides triggering a gout attack, organ meat contributes to your cholesterol.

Seafood: This is one food to avoid with gout. You may also want to avoid seafoods like crab, lobster, shrimp as well as shellfish. While they can be very irresistible and appealing, it is important to note that they have the potentials of causing gout, therefore it is best to stay out of it.

Alcohol: This remains dangerous and a bad news for gout. Excessive intake of alcohol is a trigger for gout and besides, alcohol dehydrates the body which also causes gout.

Fried Foods: Certain foods fried in oil are one of the causes of gout. It is important to avoid them. It is also good to avoid prepackage foods that have been fried before packaging.

Sugar: Sugar especially the high fructose corn syrup is bad for gout. Any food that contains this ingredient is dangerous to your body and can lead to gout. Eating sugar on its own is not bad but the quantity of sugar in take should be monitored before it gets excessive.

Foods that are Safe to Eat: Now, we have seen what foods cause gout, but what other foods are safe to eat? Foods that are safe to eat are foods that are low in purines and that include bread and cereals that are not whole grain, fruits, tomatoes, green vegetables, nuts, peanut butter, carbonated beverages, cheese and eggs, cocoa and chocolate among others.

How to Get Rid of Gout :-

There are several things that can help you get rid of gout disease fast and naturally.

Lifestyle Changes: In addition to change in diet, making important changes to your lifestyle will help eliminate gout disease as well as preventing it from returning. For example, losing wealth in a healthy way is ideal to prevent gout. This can be done by engaging in sensible exercises and good dieting. It is also important to reduce your intake of alcohol because excessive alcohol consumption can lead to high uric acid in the body.

Note that even if you eliminate gout disease, it is important to prevent it from coming back because once you have suffered a gout attack; it is possible to get more. This is why you need to watch your diet, weight and your lifestyle to stay healthy.