Gout Treatment Diet that Effectively Prevents Excruciating Gout Attacks

A healthy diet has time and again proven to be effective in preventing and even treating gout. Several international researches and studies confirm this fact. A gout attack is very painful and can be quite debilitating. By consuming the right foods and avoiding those that are not good for you, you need not suffer such excruciating pain that often or that severely.

Gout is caused by high levels of uric acid in the bloodstream. Our body has a natural way of breaking down uric acid. This is then dissolved in the blood, passes through the kidneys and excreted via urine or sweat.

However, there are instances when the body produces too much uric acid or there are times when it doesn't have the ability to remove enough of it. The excess uric acid that remains in the body will eventually turn to needle-like crystals that settle in the lower extremity joints. Our system's anti-bodies see these accumulated crystals as foreign bodies so they start attacking it. This attack is what causes inflammation of the afflicted joints, and the pain associated with it can be quite excruciating.

Several studies prove that certain foods can actually help prevent gout attacks just as much as there are foods that trigger this very painful condition. The actual treatment of gout is generally based on anti-inflammatory medications. However, a good diet and natural herbal supplements can significantly aid in the prevention and treatment of gout.

In general, a gout patient should have a daily diet that is rich in complex carbohydrates. These carbohydrates are found in most fruits, vegetables and whole grains. It is also recommended to cut down in protein and fat. Ideally, only 15 percent of your daily calorie intake should come from protein preferably from lean meats, soy products and healthy poultry. And make sure that the calories you get from fat should not go over 30% of your daily calorie consumption.

The best gout treatment diet consists of fresh fruits and vegetables. Fresh berries, especially cherries, are on top of the list. Other recommended fruits are tomatoes, pineapples, tangerines, oranges and mandarins. Most green-leafy vegetables are work well in preventing gout. Red cabbage, bell peppers, parsley, and kale should be part of your diet, too.

It is very important to include some sort of whole-wheat breads, pasta and rice in your daily diet. These are rich in complex carbohydrates which are highly regarded as incredible gout fighting compounds. If you are not a vegetarian, don't worry, a gout diet doesn't mean you have to totally give up on meat. You are allowed to consume meat but make sure that it is lean and low in fat.

Some studies claim that coffee, soda and other carbonated drinks are actually quite effective in preventing gout. In fact, several gout patients testify that drinking coffee or soda pop during a gout attack has magically made the pain and swelling disappear in a relatively short time. Dark chocolate is another unusual gout prevention food that has been in the limelight lately. But of course, you might want to take this in moderation. Consuming a lot of chocolate in a day can definitely lead to weight gain which can eventually trigger gout attacks.

Now it's time to discuss the foods you absolutely have to avoid. These are foods high in purine, the major source of our body's uric acid. Included in the foods to avoid list are hearts, mussels, herrings, sweat breads, sardines, and any food containing yeast. Yes, that includes beer, too. These foods and drink have the highest purine levels. The foods considered to have medium purine content are: kidneys, livers, scallops, partridge, turkey and anchovies.

Now that modern medicine has developed quite potent and effective gout treatment medication, gout patients can enjoy life without having to succumb to incredibly strict diets as in the past. However, a healthy diet and staying away from foods that can trigger gout can still help in reducing and maybe even eliminating very painful gout attacks.

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