GOUT DIET

What Causes Gout?

2011-09-15T07:06:00.000-07:00

What Causes Gout?
Gout Diet
Gout is often related to an inherited abnormality in the body to process uric acid. Uric acid levels can become elevated by eating a lot of purine-rich foods such as meats, by the overproduction of uric acid by the body, or if the kidneys do not eliminate excess uric acid. When uric acid reaches a certain level in the blood it precipitates out in the form of monosodium urate crystals. In gout, the crystals are deposited in connective tissue and joint spaces evoking intense inflammation.

People with high levels of uric acid in the blood (hyperuricemia) do not always develop gout. Actually most people with hyperuricemia do not develop gout. Therefore it is not necessarily the high level of uric acid causing gout but perhaps a rapid change in its level. Gout attacks can be
precipitated by:

* dehydration
* injury
* fever
* heavy eating
* heavy drinking of alcohol
* recent surgery

Other contributory factors include:

* obesity
* weight gain
* high blood pressure
* abnormal kidney function
* certain medications
Gout Diet

What Are Gout Attacks?

2011-09-13T07:07:00.000-07:00

What Are Gout Attacks?
Gout Diet
Gout usually attacks a single joint suddenly and intensely.
Gouty joints show the most visibly red signs of inflammation of any type of arthritis. An initial attack of gout may last several days and disappear even if untreated. Subsequent attacks may not occur for weeks, months, years, or not at all. In severe cases, repeated attacks occurring over a long period may cause damage to the joints and loss of mobility.
A definitive diagnosis of gout can be made by examination of aspirated joint fluid with a polarizinglight microscope for evidence of crystals. Approximately one million people in the
United States suffer from gout. It is nine times more common in men than women, predominantly after puberty with a peak age of 75. Gout attacks in women usually occur after menopause.
Gout Diet

Gout Diet Balanced Diet

2011-09-09T07:05:00.000-07:00

Balanced Gout Diet

According to the American Medical Association, a balanced diet for people with gout include foods:

* High in complex carbohydrates (whole grains, fruits, vegetables)
* Low in protein (15% of calories and sources should besoy, lean meats, poultry)
* No more than 30% of calories from fat (10% animal fat)
Gout Diet ....

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Gout Diet : Balanced Diet

2011-09-02T07:05:00.000-07:00

Gout Diet : Balanced Diet

According to the American Medical Association, a balanced diet for people with gout include foods:

* High in complex carbohydrates (whole grains, fruits,vegetables)
* Low in protein (15% of calories and sources should be soy, lean meats, poultry)
* No more than 30% of calories from fat (10% animal fat)
Gout Diet

Gout Diet :Beneficial Foods

2011-08-23T07:03:00.000-07:00

Gout Diet : Beneficial Foods

Foods which may be beneficial to people with gout include:

* Dark berries may contain chemicals that lower uric acid and reduce inflammation.
* Tofu which is made from soybeans may be a better choice than meats.
* Certain fatty acids found in certain fish such as salmon, flax or olive oil, or nuts may possess some anti-inflammatory benefits.

Avoiding purine-rich foods is only one aspect of treatment however. It is important to take prescribed medications as directed, maintain a healthy/balanced diet, drink plenty of fluids/water, exercise and maintain a healthy body weight. Diets designed for quick or extreme weight loss will work against you though -- they increase uric acid levels in the blood.
Gout Diet: atkins-diet-gout-foods-gout-friendly.

Atkins Diet, Gout Foods, Gout Friendly Foods

2009-06-23T07:13:00.001-07:00

Atkins Diet, Gout Foods, Gout Friendly Foods:

Goutcure.com has been helping thousands of gout sufferers since 1998 who are serious about getting their health under control, attempts with the Atkins Diet have unfortunately led
them to relentless gout attacks. Not only is this diet full of purines that cause excess uric acid production, but the diet also causes stored body fat to be consumed thereby releasing more uric acid. This is a double dose of uric acid for the gout sufferer causing an overload on the system and perhaps creating some of the worst gout attacks and build up of in connective tissue an individual has ever experienced.
Once Gout sufferers cleanse their system, they can use a modified Atkins diet for weight loss while using our Gout Care® herbal blend.

All of the foods below can be responsible for excessive uric acid production. Even though some do not contain purines, they can still cause the system to naturally produce uric acid.

They are as follows:
alcohol, anchovies, asparagus, cauliflower, mushrooms, consommé, herring, meat gravies, broth, bouillon, mussels, sardines, red meats, organ meats, processed meats (hot dogs, lunch meats, etc.), fried foods, roasted nuts, any food cooked in oil (heated oil destroys vitamin E), rich foods (cakes, sugar products, white flour products), dark greens vegetables, dried fruits, fish, caffeine, beans, lentils, eggs, oatmeal, peas, poultry, yeast products, acetaminophen, and low doses of aspirin.

While under a Gout Attack all of the above foods should be completely avoided as well as the following.

Extremely Acid Forming Foods - with a pH of 5.0 to 5.5
Artificial sweeteners, Carbonated soft drinks & fizzy drinks , Cigarettes , Flour (white wheat), Goat, Lamb, Pastries & cakes from white flour, Pork, Sugar, Beer, Brown sugar, Deer, Chocolate, Coffee , Custard with white sugar, Jams, Jellies, Liquor , Pasta, Rabbit, Semolina, Table salt refined & iodized, Tea black, Turkey, Breads White / Wheat, White rice, vinegar.

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Avoid High-Purine foods

2009-06-23T07:11:00.000-07:00

Avoid High-Purine foods

* Sweetbreads
* Anchovies
* Sardines
* Liver
* Beef kidneys
* Brains
* Meat extracts (e.g Oxo, Bovril)
* Herring
* Mackerel
* Scallops
* Game meats
* Gravy

Gout Diet.
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Purine-Rich Foods

2009-06-23T07:02:00.002-07:00

Purine-Rich Foods
Gout Diet...
According to the American Medical Association, purine-containing foods include:

* Beer, other alcoholic beverages.
* Anchovies, sardines in oil, fish roes, herring.
* Yeast.
* Organ meat (liver, kidneys, sweetbreads)
* Legumes (dried beans, peas)
* Meat extracts, consomme, gravies.
* Mushrooms, spinach, asparagus, cauliflower.

Gout Diet....

Gout-diet-balanced-diet

Gout Foods: Avoiding Purines

2009-06-23T07:02:00.001-07:00

Gout Foods: Avoiding Purines
Gout Diet
Gout is caused by an excess of uric acid in the body. Uric acid results from the breakdown of purines. Purines are part of all human tissue and found in many foods. The excess can be caused by either an over-production of uric acid by the body or the under-elimination of uric acid by the kidneys.

Also, the ingestion of foods high in purines can raise uric acid levels in the blood and precipitate gout attacks in some people.
Considered one of the most painful of the rheumatic conditions, gout afflicts an estimated 840 out of 100,000 people, accounting for about 5 percent of all cases of arthritis. Usually, gout affects the joints in the big toe initially. It also can affect the:

* instep
* ankles
* heels
* knees
* wrists
* fingers
* elbows

The definitive diagnosis for gout depends on finding uric acid crystals in the joint fluid during an acute gout attack.
Gout Diet...
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How To Treat Gout With Diet and Medication

2009-06-23T07:00:00.000-07:00

How To Treat Gout With Diet and Medication
Gout Diet....
# Typically, gout patients are about 95% men, 5% women. An initial attack of gout (50% of initial attacks involve the big toe) may last several days and disappear even if untreated. Subsequent attacks may not occur for weeks, months, years, or not at all. In severe cases, repeated attacks occurring over a long period may cause damage to the joints and loss of mobility. The big toe is eventually affected in 90% of cases. Knowing how to treat gout is important for preventing attacks.
# Gout is often related to an inherited abnormality in the body to process uric acid. Uric acid levels can become elevated by eating a lot of purine-rich foods such as meats, by the overproduction of uric acid by the body, or if the kidneys do not eliminate excess uric acid.
# Treatment goals include terminating acute gout attacks, rapid and safe relief of pain and inflammation, preventing future attacks, and avoiding complications (formation of tophi, kidney stones, and joint destruction).
# Though gout treatment is most often treated successfully and without complications, it becomes more of a challenge if other conditions exist along with gout or if there is poor patient compliance to recommended lifestyle changes or a medication regimen.
# Dietary alterations are recommended, such as avoiding a purine-rich diet. Other preventive measures include maintaining adequate fluid intake, weight reduction, reduction in alcohol consumption, and medications to reduce hyperuricemia.

# Medications for gout include:

* non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS)
* colchicine
* corticosteroids
* adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH)
* allopurinol
* probenecid
* sulfinpyrazone

# NSAIDS, specifically indomethacin, are commonly the first medication prescribed to treat acute gout. Other NSAIDS may be equally effective. NSAIDS are initially prescribed at maximum dosage and reduced as symptoms subside. The medication should be continued until pain and inflammation are non-existent for at least 48 hours. NSAIDS which are COX-2 inhibitors may be useful for patients with gastrointestinal concerns but their use for acute gout has not been specifically reported yet.

# Colchicine is used to treat acute flares of gouty arthritis and to prevent recurrent acute attacks. Colchicine does not cure gout or take the place of other medicines that lower the amount of uric acid in the body. It prevents or relieves gout attacks by reducing inflammation. Colchicine may be used in 2 ways: some people take small amounts of it regularly for months or years, while others take large amounts of colchicine during a short period of time (several hours).
# Corticosteroids or adrenocorticotropic hormone can be used for patients who cannot take NSAIDS or colchicine. Patients with acute gout typically receive daily doses of prednisone (20-40mg) or its equivalent for 3 to 4 days, then it is tapered gradually over one to two weeks. ACTH is administered as an intramuscular injection (an initial dose and subsequent doses over several days as needed).
# Allopurinol (brand name - Zyloprim) is prescribed for chronic gout or gouty arthritis and works by affecting the system that manufactures uric acid in the body. It is used to prevent gout attacks, not to treat them once they occur.
# Probenecid (brand names - Benemid, Probalan) is prescribed for chronic gout and gouty arthritis. It is used to prevent attacks related to gout, not treat them once they occur. It acts on the kidneys to help the body eliminate uric acid.

Probenecid is known as a uricosuric agent.
# ColBenemid (other brand names are Col-Probenecid and Proben-C) is a gout medication that contains Probenecid, which is a uricosuric agent, and Colchicine, which has anti-gout properties.
# Sulfinpyrazone (brand name - Anturane) is also known as a uricosuric agent and is used to treat gouty arthritis. It works by lowering the amount of uric acid in your blood, preventing gout attacks. The drug helps prevent attacks but is not used to treat an attack once it has started.
Sulfinpyrazone is not currently available in the U.S.

# Losartan, (brand names - Cozaar and Hyzaar), is not specifically a gout medication but is an angiotensin II receptor antagonist, antihypertensive drug that may help control uric acid levels. Fenofibrate, (brand name - Tricor), is not a specific gout medication but it a lipid-lowering drug that may help uric acid levels.
# Analgesic painkillers are also used to relieve the intense pain of gout. All of the aforementioned drugs can be used in combination, to control symptoms, prevent future attacks, and maintain healthy uric acid levels.
Gout Diet...
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Gout Diet : Foods Higher In Purines

2009-06-23T06:56:00.000-07:00

Gout Diet : Foods Higher In Purines

Johns Hopkins lists foods which are higher in purines

Foods very high in purines include:

* hearts
* herring
* mussels
* yeast
* smelt
* sardines
* sweetbreads

Foods moderately high in purines include:

* anchovies
* grouse
* mutton
* veal
* bacon
* liver
* salmon
* turkey
* kidneys
* partridge
* trout
* goose
* haddock
* pheasant
* scallops

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Gout Diet : The Myths

2009-06-23T06:55:00.000-07:00

Gout Diet : The Myths

How does a person begin to sort the myths from the facts and decide what to buy at the grocery store? According to the University of Washington, Department of Orthopedics:

* Obesity can be linked to high uric acid levels in the blood. People who are overweight should consult with their doctor to decide on a reasonable weight-loss program. Fasting or severe dieting can actually raise uric acid levels and cause gout to worsen.

* Usually people can eat what they like within limits. People who have kidney stones due to uric acid may need to actually eliminate purine-rich foods from their diet because those foods can raise their uric acid level.

* Consuming coffee and tea is not a problem but alcohol can raise uric acid levels and provoke an episode of gout. Drinking at least 10-12 eight-ounce glasses of non-alcoholic fluids every day is recommended, especially for people with kidney stones, to help flush the uric acid crystals from the body.

Gout diet....

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GOUT Diet : Foods To Avoid

2009-06-23T06:44:00.000-07:00

GOUT DIET

Foods To Avoid

Diets which are high in purines and high in protein have long been suspected of causing an increased risk of gout (a type of arthritis caused by high levels of uric acid in the body which form crystals in the joints, resulting in pain and inflammation).

About The Study : GOUT

Choi's research team followed 47,150 men with no prior history of gout over a 12-year period. The conclusion: during the 12 year period of assessment, 730 men were diagnosed with gout.

* Study participants who consumed the highest amount of meat were 40 percent more likely to have gout than those who ate the least amount of meat.
* Study participants who ate the most seafood were 50 percent more likely to have gout. In this specific study, though, not all purine-rich foods were associated with an increased risk of gout. There was no increased risk associated with a diet which included:

* peas
* beans
* mushrooms
* cauliflower
* spinach

Even though these foods are considered high in purines. Choi's team also found that low-fat dairy products decrease the risk of gout and overall protein intake had no effect.
Ultimately, diets shown to be connected to gout are the same kinds of diet linked to cardiovascular disease.
Gout diet....
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