In the mire of everyday life, we often neglect to pay the needful attention to our food habits and lifestyle. This often leads to a number of health conditions. Gout is just one of them. Also known as metabolic arthritis, Gout is caused by excess build up of uric acid in the body. There is no particular
Cause of Gout but it has been related extensively to hyperuricemia. With high uric acid levels in the body, urate crystals tend to develop around the joints leading to pain and inflammation which are the major symptoms of the disease. Gout is a very painful disease. Only the people who have suffered from a Gout attack can fathom how intense is the pain that comes associated with the disease. Besides the pain and inflammation, the disease can progress to complicate other medical conditions namely kidneys failure, psoriasis, hemolytic anemia, and severe joint loss. It is very important for the patients of Gout to clearly find out the
Cause of Gout and the trigger that can bring on the disease. Uric acid build up is the major reason behind development of the disease. Three main reasons that can account for excessive accumulation of uric acid include:
- If a person is taking a diet rich in purines, his/her chances of development of Gout increases to many folds. High-purine foods add to the build up of uric acid level in the body which ultimately deposits around the joints in the form of crystals precipitating a Gout attack.
- There are many genetic factors that represent the development of disease in a number of patients. With genetic involvement, sometimes, the bodies of patients tend to produce higher amount of uric acid than normal which is the cause of Gout attacks.
- If a person already suffers from a kidney malfunction or weak kidneys in which kidneys fail to function properly, then there are chances that toxins will build up in the blood stream. If these toxins are not properly filtered out from the body, they can lead to variety of other diseases including Gout.
Both men and women are prone to this agonizing disease. However, men have more probability of going through the disease than the women. This is because in men, uric acid level tends to rise in the phase of puberty. On the other hand, women in their puberty tend to experience a rise in the uric acid levels but that is much smaller. This delays the onset of Gout in most of the women. Chances of occurrence of Gout in young people and children are rare though they cannot be completely eliminated. It thus becomes very important to carefully watch our diet to eliminate the disease at our best. The foods that we eat can be divided into three categories:
- High purine foods – These consist of foods that have high purine content. Most common of these foods include beef, pork, seafood, liver, kidneys, lamb, sweetbreads, yeast, venison, goose, brains, broth, and bacon.
- Moderate purine foods – These foods are not very high in terms of purine content. These mainly include dried beans, lentils, mushrooms, poultry, red meat, spinach, fish, and ham.
- Low purine foods – These foods have very less purine contents. Most common of these include; low-fat dairy products like cheese and yoghurt, fruits, rice, noodles, pasta, potatoes, and eggs.
Being aware of the purine content in the food you eat can save you from development of the disease. It is important to keep a check to carefully pick from the high-purine foods. Whereas moderate purine foods can be tried in moderation. However, low-purine foods can be enjoyed by Gout patients as they not only help keep the Gout away but they can help lose weight easily. Following a low-purine diet can significantly account for reduction of major symptoms of Gout namely inflammation, pain, and tenderness of the joints. Being aware of what to eat and what to avoid can help ease off the disease to a great extent.