If you are experiencing pain and swelling in your joints, chances are that you have gout. Gout happens when uric acid is crystallized and deposited in joints and tissues of your body. Gout most commonly occurs in the big toe, though this could also affect the wrists, elbows, fingers, ankles and feet.
The causes of gout can be traced to a person’s diet. Some types of foods cause gout. Avoiding these foods in your diet can therefore reduce swelling and pain brought about by gout. The foods that cause gout may surprise you.
Chemicals called purines are the culprits behind the occurrence of gout. High purine content is found in foods that cause gout. These purine chemicals are broken down in your body. Your body, however, is unable to secrete enough of uric acid once you already have gout. Consequently, uric acid builds up and crystallizes in your body, particularly in the joints.
Gout-stricken individuals should therefore limit intake of high-purine foods that cause gout. Avoiding intake of foods that cause gout, hence could reduce the pain and swelling brought about by the gout problem.
Yeast-based products are included in foods that cause gout. Among these are alcoholic drinks like beer and wine, as well as sweet breads. Also no-no items for gout sufferers are offal or organ meats, including kidney, liver, tongue and heart.
There are also some fish and shell fish included in foods that cause gout. Included in these seafoods are sardines, anchovies, herring, scallops, shrimps and mussels. Limited intake of foods with rich and creamy sauces, gravies, meat extracts and consomm? is also a precautionary measure against gout attacks.
Certain vegetables are likewise gout-attack triggers. Included in these are lentils, peas, beans, spinach, cauliflower and asparagus. The diet of persons with gout should also exclude even foods containing moderately high purines. Included in these are salmon, haddock, bacon, trout, turkey, goose, pheasant, mutton and veal.
As with most ailments, there are home remedies for gout. While there are lots of foods that cause gout, you have also have a wide choice of foods that could contribute in reducing gout pain. Included in these beneficial foods are fresh fruits, like bananas, orange, pineapple, strawberries, cherries and blue berries. Also helpful for those who have gout are some vegetables, particularly the green leafy varieties such as cabbage, parsley and celery, along with tomatoes.
A diet containing foods rich in vitamin C, such as red bell peppers, red cabbage, potatoes and tangerines, is also advisable for gout pain relief. Similar benefits could also be derived from intake of low-fat dairy products such as butter, milk and cheese. Drinking plenty of water (6-8 glasses daily) also helps, as well as having carbonated beverages, tea, coffee and fruit juices. Who knew that helping your gout was as simple as natural home remedies for gout.
There are many types of medications to treat your gout. But try as much as possible to avoid those steroidal and non-steroid-based anti-inflammatory medications because they may bring serious side-effects even worse than those brought by foods that cause gout. Medical consultation, therefore, would be necessary prior to taking these medications.