Diet for Gout Sufferers

A diet for gout sufferers is a good starting point to proactively prevent future gout attacks. There are a number of gout diet approaches that produce significant results in regards to maintaining strong health that negate the painful consequences of gout.

Whatever regimen that you might choose, a good diet for gout sufferers has several consistent characteristics, including an ample of amount of fresh vegetables and fruits, supplemented by clean sources of protein from animal products.

First, Is It Gout?

The presentation of gout has a few very distinct characteristics, and some specific reasons for its occurrence. It is important to recognize that the symptoms of gout and the causes of gout are two different issues.

Symptoms of Gout

The redness, swelling, heat, and incomprehensible pain of gout are due to uric acid crystallizing in a joint. This is the alternative for the body to deal with excess uric acid when the kidneys are temporarily unable to process it and bring balance to the pH of the body chemistry.

Causes of Gout

Poor functioning kidneys and liver can be caused by an endless combination of contributing factors. Food and substances in food – organic, inorganic or synthetic chemicals – are only one of them.

Others include toxic environmental compounds in the air and water, as well as toxins that contact the skin and are absorbed into the blood. These sources also eventually make their way to the liver and kidneys and pose negative threats to the health of those organs.

 Food Diet for Gout

A number of foods can be very helpful in processing a gout attack and relieving the intense pain quickly:

• Bananas are very alkalizing due to potassium.
• Apples are abundant in many antioxidants that promote strong cellular health, as well as specific antioxidants like flavonols and anthocyanins that have potent anti-inflammatory properties. Celery is also very alkalizing, helpful as an anti-inflammatory, and contains a high concentration of vitamin C and other important vitamins, minerals, and trace minerals.

Alkaline Diet for Gout

The acid/alkaline diet for gout sufferers has been popular in the past decade. Commonly associated with the juicing of fresh vegetables and fruits, it is well known for its ability to change the internal environment to a healthier, more alkaline state.

Fresh fruits and vegetables, eaten raw or lightly cooked, hold a higher content of phytochemicals, organic nutrients, and water-soluble vitamins and minerals that are missing in the diet of the vast majority of people around the world today.

It is critical to observe that diseases like gout, diabetes, and heart disease have increased dramatically along with the rate of obesity. Obesity has become uncontrollable due to a dangerously high percentage of the food supply being for the most part, adulterated, modified processed foods – as opposed to fresh foods like fruits and vegetables.

Foods for Kidney Health

What does a good diet for gout sufferers look like? The first consideration should be to evaluate how beneficial or detrimental the specific foods of that diet are in promoting good kidney and liver health.

Foods known to improve kidney function include:

• Cherries
• Red grapes
• Blueberries
• Strawberries
• Raspberries
• Apples
• Cranberries
• Bell peppers
• Cauliflower
• Cabbage
• Onions
• Garlic
• Wild-caught salmon
• High-quality olive oil
• Organic eggs

Vegetables and Fruits

This is a list of common fruits and vegetables that should be included in a diet for gout sufferers:

• Vegetables: avocado, celery, bell pepper, cucumber, spinach, kale, and broccoli.
• Fruits: blueberries, apples, lemons, oranges, peaches, pears, bananas, red grapes.

Notice that there are many duplicates between common, alkalizing fruits and vegetables and those that promote kidney health.

Healthy Fats and Oils

Healthy fats and oils play an essential part in an effective diet for gout sufferers. Over the last four decades, obesity and degenerative diseases like gout have skyrocketed. It’s not a coincidence this coincides with the low-fat craze.

As stated in NaturalNews.com, saturated fats are not bad for you – as long as they come from organic sources and are not heated and damaged. Transfats are damaged, adulterated fats that come in low-fat, processed foods. Transfats are bad for you and a major culprit in the world health crisis today.

• Healthy fats include: butter from grass-fed cows, grass-fed beef, buffalo, and yak, raw whole milk and cheeses, organic eggs, coconut oil, palm oil, rendered organic lard, rendered goose fat, and olive oil.

While some fish are good sources of healthy fats, they can also be high in purines. It is important to note that purines breakdown into uric acid, which is a contributing factor in gout. However, small amounts of these types of foods supply generous amounts of healthy fats and therefore, fat-soluble vitamins, minerals and more.

A few of the fish sources that provide healthy fats are:

• Oysters
• Mussels
• Tuna
• Salmon
• High-quality sardines

Healthy fats and oils are essential to proper kidney and liver function.

Water

Water is the number one nutrient that is lacking in the diet of gout sufferers in general. The correct amount of water to drink is:

• Half your body weight in ounces of water per day
• Example: 200 lbs. body weight / 2 = 100oz of water per day

Bottled water is expensive. Instead, buy a high-quality carbon filtration system and maintain it well. You can have comparable quality water from your kitchen faucet.

Reverse osmosis and distilling takes all the minerals out of water and therefore, makes it a health risk. Don’t be fooled by the expensive marketing of these types of systems.

Ionizing water makes it very alkaline and strong in antioxidants and is the best water for gout sufferers.

Foods to Avoid With Gout

A major cause of the sharp rise in gout over the last two decades is modified, denatured, adulterated processed foods. The food that is served in virtually every restaurant, and especially fast food restaurants, is highly processed. This is the food to avoid with gout.

Also, the bulk of the foods in the grocery store are packaged in boxes, bags, cans, or bottles. Minimize or eliminate these types of foods to prevent gout in the future.

Alcohol of every kind causes difficulties in liver and kidney function. To avoid gout, avoid alcohol.

There are some foods to eat in moderation due to their higher concentrations of purines. These include most sources of protein, such as meats, fish and seafood, and beans and legumes. While eliminating them entirely is not healthy or possible, carefully monitoring and consuming them is advised.

Food Alone Will Not Get Rid Of Gout Completely

Not all of the purines that breakdown into uric acid and result in gout come from foods. Only a portion of the uric acid in the body comes from the purines in foods that are eaten; the other portion is from endogenous purines.

Endogenous purines, as stated by the University of Maryland Medical Center, are made from the cells of our human bodies. Limiting purines from food sources is helpful but not the ultimate way to control gout.

 ☆ Remember!  When choosing a diet for gout sufferers, the first consideration is kidney function.