Can I Prevent Gout?
Dietary Choices That Help Prevent Gout
The following is a list of ways in which you can help prevent gout.
Limit Your Intake of Purines
Purines are chemical substances found in meat and seafood. As the body tries to break down these foods, uric acid is created. This uric acid is a natural product of the digestion of purines. It is supposed to be removed from the bloodstream by the liver and kidneys. However, Due to genetic factors, as well as other reasons, this uric acid is not properly removed from the bloodstream.
As uric acid is created during the digestion of purines, it starts to build up in the blood and is eventually deposited in the joints throughout the body. The big toe is usually the first one attacked. This can cause you to experience severely debilitating pain to the point that you will find it hard to even walk a few steps.
Reducing the intake of purines will limit the amounts of uric acid produced. Some of the foods rich in purines include salmon, sardines, herring, mushrooms, and asparagus. Organ meat, like kidney and liver, contain lots of purines as well. These foods may also be rich in other useful nutrients, so they shouldn’t be completely avoided but rather limited.
It is recommended to adopt a few preventative measures by opting for a healthy diet as opposed to one that is loaded with purines.
As you cut down on purines, your body should produce less uric acid; thus, preventing gout from attacking the body.
There are a few measures that you can take to prevent gout. If you are already suffering from gout, there are still measures that you can adopt to limit the debilitating pain that results from the condition.
Limit Your Consumption of Red Meat
A lot of uric acid is produced as a by-product of consuming large quantities of red meat. Reducing the amount of red meat consumed will give your body enough time to eliminate the uric acid before your next meal. You can opt for organ meat or even try a few soya based alternatives to consuming red meat. If you limit your consumption of red meat, say to once a week, your body will not overproduce uric acid. Eating red meat daily will have a long-term impact on your health and will likely lead to gout.
Consume Dairy Products
Dairy products, like cheese, help reduce the risk of gout. This is especially true for low-fat dairy products like yogurt and skim milk. It would be advisable to include as much of these in your diet as possible. Consuming yogurt daily ensures that your body receives the required nutrients and stays hydrated as well. Eating more dairy based products can even help reduce the levels of uric acid in your blood and help prevent gout. For those who already suffer from gout, consuming more dairy can help lessen the debilitating pain caused by the condition.
Avoid Alcohol
Alcoholic drinks are associated with the development of gout; thus, limiting alcohol intake can help reduce the risk of gout. Alcohol is a toxin in the sense that it increases the toxicity of your blood, stresses your liver, and even causes liver damage. Apart from this, alcohol even causes dehydration, resulting in your body manufacturing more uric acid.
It is important that you either avoid alcohol altogether or reduce your intake to a minimum. By reducing the amount, or avoiding it altogether, you should enable your liver to function seamlessly.
Drink Coffee
Coffee has been shown to help in preventing the development of gout; however, it is important not to overdo it on this caffeinated beverage.
There are studies still being conducted to research the effects of coffee on the human body. Overall, coffee does help stimulate your brain and has also been shown to be somewhat effective in preventing gout. However, this does not mean that you should drink four to six cups of coffee a day. Binge drinking coffee can cause other health complications. Drinking coffee, in moderation, is recommended to help prevent gout.
Vitamin C
Vitamin c will help your body excrete uric acid through urine and should always be included in your diet. There are also vitamin c tablets available for those who can’t take it naturally.
Orange juice is one of the best methods of ensuring you receive an adequate daily intake of vitamin c. Since the juice is loaded with vitamin c and contains no fat, you should be able to drink as much orange juice as you like. Apart from the vitamin c content, fresh squeezed OJ is also a rich source of dietary fiber, which aids digestion and even helps prevent serious health conditions such as heart attack and stroke.
More importantly, orange juice helps to cleanse toxins from the body. Therefore, it is recommended to have a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice every day for breakfast.
Drink More Water
Drinking more water can also help reduce the uric acid levels in your body. Water cleanses the body of toxins, including uric acid. Ensure that you drink plenty of water daily to help reduce your risk of developing gout.
Try Eating More Celery
It has been shown that eating more celery can help reduce uric acid buildup in the body. Celery is loaded with various antioxidants. These antioxidants can help prevent inflammation, kidney disease, liver disease, skin infections, and irritable bowel syndrome among others.
You can eat the celery as it is, steam it, or add it to your soup. If your body receives the required amount of celery, you should be able to keep uric acid levels to a minimum. What’s more, celery seed extract has been known to be quite proactive in reducing the buildup of uric acid in the body.
Cherry Juice
Cherries are loaded with antioxidants which can help prevent inflammation of the joints, liver disease, kidney disease, and other associated health conditions. You can eat cherries as they are or pulp them and drink the cherry juice.
Whichever method you use, the health benefits remain the same. Cherries, especially black cherries, are quite good for those suffering from gout and often go a long way in the prevention of gout as well. Make it a point to eat a few cherries each day or drink up some cherry juice to help greatly reduce the uric acid levels in your body.
Nettle Tea
Nettles are known to be rich in Phytonutrients and are an active anti-inflammatory agent.
Consuming nettle tea can be an effective way of bringing down the levels of uric acid in your blood. Nettle tea can be found at any shop. Try it over a specific period and you should start noticing the effects right away.
