Gout Causing Food -- Avoid Them to Minimize Symptoms
Gout is one of the more common forms of a rheumatic disease called arthritis. It has been depicted in art and history as a disorder that befell kings and other members of the royalty because they were the only ones who could eat rich, fatty foods in the olden days -- and had gout as a result. Today, however, gout causing foods are much more accessible and affordable, thanks to the wonders of food technology.
T-bone steaks are juicy, hot dogs and luncheon meats are handy, beer is a good way to end the day. But be careful, all these are gout causing food. These foods and more contain a large amount of purines, compounds that contribute to the body's production of uric acid. This acid is normally excreted by the kidneys, flushing them out of the body. But sometimes, either the body produces too much of it or the kidneys fail to eliminate it -- leading to gout -- and in both causes, purines play a major role.
Uric acid that has been accumulated in the body tends to crystallize; these crystals then become lodged in joints or soft tissue surrounding the joint. Presto, you have gout. It tends to appear in the joint of the big toe, but can emerge in other joints as well. What is sure is that attacks of gouty arthritis can be painful and debilitating, hampering one's range of movement and causing severe swelling and discoloration in some cases. Whether you already have gout or not, you should take note of the kinds of foods that contribute to the emergence of the disease.
Red meat and some other types of meat (such as turkey and venison, as well as processed meat, like bacon), organ food (brain, kidney, liver), some types of fish (herring, mackerel, anchovies, sardines) and shellfish are high in purine content. Foods with medium purine content include legumes like lima beans and kidney beans, and some vegetables, like spinach, mushroom, and asparagus. Other types of shellfish have a moderate amount of purine in them, and these include oysters, crab, and shrimp.
Alcohol, especially beer, is another gout causing food -- or drink, strictly speaking. It contains a higher purine concentration than other alcoholic beverages. So if you're a happy hour regular, you'd better find a more suitable drink to while that hour away, or stay away from happy hour altogether.
