Best Diet For Gout Patients

The cause of gout is high blood levels of uric acid. This uric acid is a waste product - all the body wants to do is get rid of it - and is caused through the breakdown of purines which are substances naturally found in your body.

Some people seem able to withstand higher amounts of uric acid in their blood better than others.

Now purines are ALSO found in several types of food. That's where knowing the best diet for gout is important.

When you get gout in a joint, it means that the uric acid in your blood has collected and crystallized.

Mmmm. Razor sharp bits of crystal in the joint? No wonder he used to holler at me when I walked passed his raised foot. It is an incredibly painful thing - as all suffers (and their wives) know.

For anyone such as my husband who is susceptible to this agonizing complaint then making a few changes to their diet is important.

We made changes - doing all the usual "healthy" things but it wasn't until we got hold of this research that we put it all together properly and really nailed the foods to avoid with gout.

Severely limit your intake of these culprits. These are foods that cause gout.

• liver
• brain
• kidney
• sweetbread
• anchovies
• mackerel
• mincemeat
• scallops
• muscles
• herring

Several of my husband's favorites amongst those. He was always a big "red meat" man and loved his sea food. He could quite happily eat a plate full of oysters and scallops in one sitting.

Poultry, white meat, and fish have lesser amounts of purines so it is suggested that they be eaten in moderation.

One food that has been identified as a gout trigger food is the humble tomato. The reason for this is because it is an acidic fruit ie it has a low pH.

The pH value varies depending on what variety of tomato it is and how it has been processed.

You can see how the pH level varies from the potentially most acidic to the least.

• canned 3.5 - 4.70
  
• paste 3.50 - 4.70
  
• juice 4.10 - 4.60
  
• strained 4.32 - 4.58
  
• vine ripened 4.42 - 4.65
  
• puree 4.30 - 4.47
  
• cream of tomato soup 4.62

The variety of tomato also alters the pH level. Cherry tomatoes are the most acidic with a pH of 4.0, Beefsteak 4.6, Roma and Vita Gold 5.1, and Super Marzano are the most alkaline at 5.2.

• Watch your intake of soft drinks. The diet ones are fine but the sugar sweetened soft drinks and fruit juices are not
  
• Watch your intake of high-purine foods
  
• Keep the fat content in your diet low, especially saturated fat and cholesterol
  
• Eat plenty of fiber
  
• Reduce sugar

You may be very surprised to read all the foods that are high in purine (including some popular fish and vegetables!)

No, because not everyone will get gout. I've never had it in my life and although I don't eat exactly the same diet as my husband, we do eat many similar foods.

Those most likely to get it are those people who already have hyperuricemia (high levels of uric acid in their blood) and are a little overweight. This has been proven in many clinical studies.

As you can see I am also a little overweight - no, really, I am! - so there definitely do seem to be some people such as my husband and his brothers who are extra susceptible to it.

But by following this food plan for gout you will help keep your uric acid levels in the normal range.

Unlike diets you may have tried in the past, eating well for gout is really simple and easy. It's healthy eating.

Yes, in all honesty, my husband did complain about reducing the amount of red meat he ate - but honestly red meat twice a day is unhealthy for anyone!

Once he stopped insisting on meat and veg or meat and salad for both lunch and dinner he was able to discover how many other tasty foods he'd been missing out on.

And being gout-free is worth it. We both agree on that! I hated seeing him suffer like that.

So give the best diet for gout a try. You'll be pleased you did.