Gout is a type of arthritis and is a condition you experience due to the increased concentration of uric acid in your bloodstream. With uric acid levels going up, your body starts forming up crystals of uric acid that deposit in your joints and lead to inflammation, irritation, and swelling. The gout attack is extremely painful and requires medical attention.

It is worth mentioning that there may be high levels of uric acid in your blood if your kidneys aren't working properly to clear it. The rise in the levels of uric acid may also be due to the increase in the levels of purines, which is available in many foods. It is therefore important to pay attention to what you eat to keep purines low and prevent gout attacks. A gout attack usually lasts for a few days to a few months, but you can make things better by opting for a right gout diet. Here's what you need to know to keep your joints pain-free.

Gout Diet – What to Eat

A well-balanced diet will always help maintain a healthy weight, which in turn will help put up a fight against gout. Just be sure to select your gout dietcarefully and include such gout foods that reduce uric acid and prevent purines accumulation in your body.

1. Eat Fruits and Vegetables

You should eat as many fruits and vegetables as you can. Bulking out meals such as casseroles, Bolognese, and stews with veggies will help keep the meat content low. Vegetables and fruits are a rich source of vitamin C that can reduce uric acid levels in your blood. Cherries are especially beneficial for people who have regular gout attacks.

2. Eat Starchy Carbohydrates

Just like fruits and vegetables, you need to ensure that your gout diet includes plenty of starchy carbohydrates. For this, you can include potatoes, rice, bread, pasta, quinoa, couscous, oats, and barely in your diet. The best thing is that these foods contain purines in small amounts. Remember, opting for wholegrain varieties is always a much better choice because they also contain fiber and other nutrients.

3. Moderate Use of Fish, Meat, and Poultry

You should limit the intake of fish, meat, beans, eggs, and pulses. You should also consider drinking a glass of orange juice in a day to provide your body with enough vitamin C to absorb iron. You may consider using your hands to control the serving size – don't exceed a serving that's larger than the thickness and size of your palm.

4. Try Some Milk and Dairy

It is important to include some milk and dairy products in your diet to maintain a balance, but you should opt for low-fat dairy products, such as low-fat yoghurt, skimmed milk, and low-fat cottage cheese. These foods are high in protein and low in purine content, so they will help prevent high levels of uric acid in your blood.

Gout Diet – What to Avoid

It is important to know what to add to your gout diet, but it is equally important to learn about the foods that you cannot afford to overindulge in.

1. Limit Sugary Foods

For starters, avoid sugary drinks, foods, and snacks that contain fructose because a high intake of these foods will increase uric acid levels in your blood. It may also increase insulin resistance and create other problems as well.

At the same time, you need to limit your intake of sweets, cakes, biscuits, sugary drinks, fruit juices, and high-fructose corn syrup. It is therefore important to eat less of yoghurts, bread, frozen pizzas, jarred sauces, cereals, and some condiments such as ketchup, jams, salad dressings, and mayonnaise.

It is important to check labels and stick with fresh ingredients instead of using processed foods. You need to understand that even though fruits contain fructose as well, but you don't have to worry too much about it because fruits usually don't contain concentrated forms of fructose.

2. Limit Purine Intake

Purines are found naturally in many foods. Your body breaks down these compounds, but their residue contributes to increasing uric acid in your body. It is therefore important to add fewer purine-rich foods in your gout diet sheet.You should start by reducing meat, especially red meat such as pork, beef, and lamb. It is equally important to avoid eating too much of poultry and seafood because they also contain purines.

Don't have more than one serving of fish/meat/poultry per day, and it is an even better idea to have at least a couple of meat-free days each week. You can add some meat free sources of protein to your diet though – this includes low-fat dairy products, eggs, cheese, tofu, and nuts. You can also opt for haricot beans because they have low purine content. For clear information about the purine content in foods, check out the following link: http://www.acumedico.com/purine.htm

3. Limit Fat Intake

Always keep in mind that saturated fats will always reduce your body's ability to get rid of uric acid. You will be better off sticking with plant-based protein, such as legumes and beans, and low fat dairy products. Too much of fat intake will also lead to obesity that has direct links to gout.

4. Avoid Alcohol

It is a good idea to avoid alcohol completely when you're worried about gout. It is so because alcohol keeps your body from eliminating uric acid. Drinking beer is even bad. You should limit your alcohol intake and avoid it completely when you're having a gout attack.