Summary: Is Food The Answer To How To Treat Gout
Gout is common but widely misunderstood.
There is a misconception that it is directly linked to alcohol consumption and gluttony, but diet is more likely to be a trigger for an attack rather than the sole cause.
Although dietary changes alone cannot get rid of gout, adapting what you eat can boost wellness and help with living with the condition.
And remember, it is a serious, chronic condition, so always follow the advice of a doctor on how to treat gout.
The advice in this article is for information only and should not replace medical care. Please check with your GP or healthcare professional before trying any supplements, treatments or remedies. Food supplements must not be used as a substitute for a varied and balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle.
: 17 August 2021
Can Vitamin D Help In Curing And Preventing Gout
Scientific studies have revealed that vitamin D is good for your joint health. That is why it can reduce the risk of rheumatologic issues like gout. Some research works have revealed that a lower percentage of vitamin D in the blood can cause osteoarthritis. Moreover, deficiency of vitamins can result in rheumatoid arthritis. Thus, there is also a relationship between vitamin D and gout.
Although some foods have vitamin D, it is not easy to obtain it from your daily diet. Fatty fish, including tuna, salmon, and mackerel, have vitamin D. However, the mercury content in them is not safe. Thus, contact with sunrays can be the best alternative to build up vitamin D in your body. There are also vitamin D supplements available in the market. Some multivitamins also have vitamin D3, which is effective for treating gout.
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What Happens At Your Appointment
The GP may ask about your diet and if you drink alcohol.
They may refer you to see a specialist and arrange a blood test and scan. Sometimes a thin needle is used to take a sample of fluid from inside the affected joint, to test it.
The blood test will find out how much of a chemical called uric acid there is in your blood.
Having too much uric acid in your blood can lead to crystals forming around your joints, which causes pain.
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Lifestyle And Dietary Changes
- Exercise daily and reduce weight as excess adiposity is associated with increased uric acid levels
- Limit red meat intake consume low-fat dairy products since they are inversely associated with gout risk and consume vegetable protein, nuts, and legumes as they are not associated with gout risk.
- Reduce alcohol intake and limit intake of sugar-sweetened beverages
How To Prevent Gout
Some things that increase the risk of gout are out of your control your age, gender and family history for example.
However, your body weight and diet are also important factors.
The rise in gout in recent years is linked to our widening waistlines.
Being overweight, eating fatty foods and consuming too much alcohol are established triggers of flares of gout.
And although losing weightand avoiding certain foods may not be the magic answer to how to get rid of gout, it may help to reduce the likelihood of a future attack.
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What Foods Should You Avoid
If youre susceptible to sudden gout attacks, avoid the main culprits high-purine foods.
These are foods that contain more than 200 mg of purines per 3.5 ounces .
You should also avoid high-fructose foods, as well as moderately-high-purine foods, which contain 150200 mg of purines per 3.5 ounces. These may trigger a gout attack.
Here are a few major high-purine foods, moderately-high-purine foods and high-fructose foods to avoid (6,
- meats: These include liver, kidneys, sweetbreads and brain
- meats: Examples include pheasant, veal and venison
- Fish: Herring, trout, mackerel, tuna, sardines, anchovies, haddock and more
- seafood: Scallops, crab, shrimp and roe
- Sugary beverages: Especially fruit juices and sugary sodas
- Added sugars: Honey, agave nectar and high-fructose corn syrup
- Yeasts: Nutritional yeast, brewers yeast and other yeast supplements
Additionally, refined carbs like white bread, cakes and cookies should be avoided. Although they are not high in purines or fructose, they are low in nutrients and may raise your uric acid levels (
Summary: If you have gout, you should avoid foods like organ meats, game meats, fish and seafood, sugary beverages, refined carbs, added sugars and yeast.
Dieting And Weight Loss To Prevent Gout
Losing weight may help lower your uric acid levels and reduce your risk of future gout attacks. A 2017 review of studies in the Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases suggested that a weight loss of about eight pounds or more led to long-term reductions in uric acid levels and gout attacks in overweight or obese people.
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But Is Benefit Possible Through Dietary Sources
While dietary mistakes can trigger gout attacks, the avoidance of trigger foods will help prevent them. Similarly, the amount of vitamin C obtainable through the diet should, over time, help reduce blood levels of uric acid and therefore make an attack less likely. Can we get to 500mg through dietary sources? Easy.
- Kale is the latest wonder veg. 100g of it will give 120mg vitamin C.
- 110g Broccoli will deliver 100mg vitamin C .
- Guavas come in different sizes, but just 100g will supply a huge 228mg of vitamin C.
- Standard servings of various berries, citrus fruits such as oranges, green leafy veg, a kiwi and peas will all provide around 60-100mg of vitamin C too, so its incredibly easy to eat enough to lower uric acid.
Cant imagine eating fruit every day? Try buying a bag of frozen berries, or some kale and pop a handful into a blender for a breakfast smoothie. Here are 4 delicious examples:
Popular Supplements For Arthritis: What You Need To Know
Learn which supplements and vitamins might help with arthritis symptoms, and what risks some can pose.
Several nutritional supplements have shown promise for relieving pain, stiffness and other arthritis symptoms. Glucosamine and chondroitin, omega-3 fatty acids, SAM-e and curcumin are just some of the natural products researchers have studied for osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis .
Some of these natural remedies may offer arthritis symptom relief, especially when you use them in conjunction with traditional treatments. Heres the evidence on some of the most popular supplements used to treat arthritis, and how they work.
Glucosamine and Chondroitin
Glucosamine and chondroitin are two of the most commonly used supplements for arthritis. Theyre components of cartilagethe substance that cushions the joints.
Research on these supplements has been mixed, in part because studies have used varying designs and supplement types. A large National Institutes of Health study called the GAIT trial compared glucosamine and chondroitin, alone or together, with an NSAID and inactive treatment in people with knee osteoarthritis . Glucosamine improved symptoms like pain and function, but not much better than a placebo. Yet a 2016 international trial found the combination to be as effective as the NSAID celecoxib at reducing pain, stiffness and swelling in knee OA.
Fish oil
SAM-e
Curcumin
Vitamins
Supplement Risks
How to Take Supplements Safely
Complementary Therapies
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What If I Don’t Get Treatment
If you don’t get treatment, a gout attack can last for days or even weeks. If you keep having more attacks, more joints will be affected, and the attacks will last longer.
If you have gout attacks for many years, you may develop tophi . These are soft tissue swellings caused by uric acid crystals. Tophi usually form on the toes, fingers, hands and elbows. You may also get kidney disease or kidney stones. Over time, the bone around a joint may be destroyed.
Dietary Supplements For Chronic Gout
What is gout, and what are dietary supplements?
Gout caused by crystal formation in the joints due to high uric acid levels in the blood. People have attacks of painful, warm and swollen joints, often at the big toe. Some people develop large accumulations of crystal just beneath the skin known as tophi. Cure can be achieved if uric acid levels in blood return to normal for a prolonged time, making the crystal deposits dissolve.
Dietary supplements are preparations such as vitamins, essential minerals, prebiotics, etc. Few studies evaluate their benefits and some might not be free of harm.
Study characteristics
After searching the medical literature up to 6 June 2013 we found two studies The first study compared enriched skim milk powder to standard skim milk and to lactose powder, and the second study compared vitamin C with allopurinol – a drug commonly used in gout. In the first study, the enriched milk aimed to reduce the frequency of gout attacks, while in the second study the vitamin C aimed to reduce the uric acid levels in blood. People with gout enrolled in both studies were predominantly middle-aged men in the skim milk study, participants with gout appeared severe as they had very frequent attacks and 20% to 43% presented with tophi, while in the vitamin C study, participants appeared similar to ordinary participants with gout.
Key results – what happens to people with gout who consume enriched skim milk powder
Gout attacks
Withdrawals due to adverse events
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Summary And Quick Facts For Gout And Hyperuricemia
- Gout is one of the oldest known and most common forms of arthritis it is a crystal deposition disease in which crystals of monosodium urate form in joints and other tissues.
- This protocol provides information concerning risk factors for gout as well as diseases associated with gout and elevated uric acid. It also describes emerging therapeutics, lifestyle and dietary changes, and integrative interventions.
- Treatments for acute gout attacks typically manage pain and inflammation, and include NSAIDS, corticosteroids and colchicine. Lifestyle can also have a significant influence on the development of hyperuricemia and gout.
Gout is a form of arthritis in which excess uric acid forms crystals in joints and other tissues causing painful inflammation. Vitamin C, cherries, and other integrative interventions have been shown to decrease uric acid levels and the frequency of gout attacks.
What Are The Symptoms Of Gout
Gout is a very painful condition and a typical gout attack usually develops over a two to three hour period and often resolves within two weeks. The NHS advises that you always see a doctor if you experience the symptoms of gout, which include sudden, severe pain in any joint or red, hot, swollen skin over any joint.
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Gout And Diet: Foods And Drinks To Avoid
What causes gout, what are purines and are there any natural food remedies for the condition? Dietitian Emer Delaney explains which foods to eat and avoid.
Gout is an arthritic condition that can cause sudden, severe joint pain. If you are experiencing symptoms of gout, the NHS recommends that you see a doctor for treatment during an attack and to help prevent further attacks.
We asked Emer Delaney, a dietitian who has worked in some of Londons top teaching hospitals, to explain how diet and lifestyle can affect the condition.
Other Things That Could Spark A Gout Attack
Here are some other things that might cause a gout attack:
- Stress, and anger can cause an excess of uric acid to build up in your body.
- Injury to a gouty joint could rupture small pockets releasing undissolved crystals.
- Sudden drops in the your pH level are thought to bring on attacks.
- Hypothermia causes uric acid to crystalize which can bring on an attack.
The best thing to do before taking any supplements is to talk to your doctor and make sure the supplements you want to take wont cause any adverse reactions.
If you have any questions about supplements and your foot health just ask Dr. Schlam. You can call our office for an appointment at 298-9074.
Hollowbrook Foot Specialist serving the Hudson Valley from Wappingers Falls.
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What Can I Do To Avoid Gout Attacks
Your doctor can prescribe medicines to prevent future gout attacks. These medicines wash the uric acid from your joints, reduce the swelling or keep uric acid from forming.
You should lose weight if you need to. If you have high blood pressure or high cholesterol, get treatment and follow a low-salt, low-fat diet.
Stay away from alcohol and foods that are high in purines.
Drinking lots of water can help flush uric acid from your body.
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What Foods To Avoid
Many of the foods you want to avoid are meats and seafood. Meats such as chicken, pork, beef, or lamb are usually okay in moderation however, if you find they cause symptoms you will want to avoid them altogether. Salmon, as part of a gout diet, is also usually tolerated well in moderation.
- Yeast:beer, nutritional yeast, large amounts of bread, others
- Game meats: venison, veal, bison, others
- Organ meats: liver, tongue, tripe, others
- Fish: including sardines and anchovies
- Other seafood: shellfish, roe, others
- Sugary drinks: sodas, fruit juice, others
- Sugar substances: honey, nectar, high-fructose corn syrup, others
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How Common Is Gout
Gout has become more common over the last 50 years and now affects 3.9% of adults in the US, with 21% having high blood levels of uric acid which puts them at risk. In the UK, gout affects 2.5% of the population.
Gout is nine times more common in men than women until the time of the menopause, when the incidence becomes similar in both sexes. This is because the female hormone, oestrogen, promotes the excretion of uric acid into the urine so it is less likely to build up in the circulation to a level that can precipitate out into the joints to form needle-like uric acid crystals.
Additional Tips For Treating Gout Naturally
Studies show that many of the dietary items we consume lead to gout as well as other health problems. Changing your diet and lifestyle may be the easy solution to beating gout. One of the first things to do is eliminate certain foods and beverages from your diet to beat gout.
1. Eliminate or reduce sugar intake
As many studies are now illustrating, gout is common in people with excessive sugar intake, especially high fructose corn syrup Its wise to read the labels of all your food and drinks. If you find HFCS then eliminate that from your diet. In addition, look for sugar added under the guise of other common names for sugar look for cose at the end of words and these are probably types of sugar you dont want to be consuming.
2. Eliminate grains
Grains in the body are converted to sugars so again you want to limit or avoid grains altogether. They are also very inflammatory to your body.
3. Limit alcohol consumption
Again, alcohol becomes sugar once ingested so eliminate this completely unless you have a healthy body already. Any substance that will be converted to one or another type of sugar by the body should be avoided at all costs. In order to get your uric acid levels down you must consistently avoid sugar in your diet.
4. Eliminate soda and diet soda
5. Consume cherries and strawberries daily
6. Exercise
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What Foods Should You Eat
Although a gout-friendly diet eliminates many foods, there are still plenty of low-purine foods you can enjoy.
Foods are considered low-purine when they have less than 100 mg of purines per 3.5 ounces .
Here are some low-purine foods that are generally safe for people with gout (20,
- Fruits: All fruits are generally fine for gout. Cherries may even help prevent attacks by lowering uric acid levels and reducing inflammation (
- Vegetables: All vegetables are fine, including potatoes, peas, mushrooms, eggplants and dark green leafy vegetables.
- Legumes: All legumes are fine, including lentils, beans, soybeans and tofu.
- Nuts: All nuts and seeds.
- Whole grains: These include oats, brown rice and barley.
- Dairy products: All dairy is safe, but low-fat dairy appears to be especially beneficial (
- Beverages:Coffee, tea and green tea.
- Herbs and spices: All herbs and spices.
- Plant-based oils: Including canola, coconut, olive and flax oils.
Try Natural Remedies For Gout
There are some nutrients that could be helpful.
- Proanthocyanidins can help neutralise uric acid and reduce inflammation
- Quercetin can reduce uric acid and may also provide relief
- Omega-3 fatty acids can reduce inflammation, so add a supplement if youre also cutting out certain seafoods that are rich in purines
- Heard about cherry juice for gout? Its proposed that tart cherry juice could temporarily lower blood uric acid levels, but more research is required to fully understand this link5
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Complementary And Alternative Therapies
A combination of therapies can be very effective at reducing both the length and frequency of attacks. When choosing complementary and alternative therapies for gout treatment, it is best to work with a knowledgeable provider. Herbs and supplements that may be beneficial for some people, may be harmful for others. If you are pregnant, or thinking about becoming pregnant, do not use any CAM therapies unless directed to do so by your physician.
Hyperuricemia And The Development Of Gout
Uric acid is a metabolic “waste product” with poor solubility in body fluids, yet its potential role as a primary antioxidant in body fluids suggests it should be kept at sufficient levels in the blood. Clearly, these diametric properties of uric acid define a range for normal blood uric acid levels. Commonly, the upper limit of this range is taken as 8.6 mg/dL in men and 7.1 mg/dL in women, .15-17 Uric acid levels above this limit are considered as hyperuricemia.
Hyperuricemia is a primary risk factor for the development of gout, although it is likely that many hyperuricemic individuals will not develop symptoms.7 While the risk of a gout attack increases with blood uric acid, the annual occurrence of inflammatory gout is fairly low persons with blood uric acid levels between 7 and 8.9 mg/dL have a 0.5â3% change of developing the disease, which rises to 4.5% at levels over 9 mg/dL.18
Hyperuricemia without symptoms is also a risk factor for other diseases. Although patients with asymptomatic hyperuricemia may never experience the symptoms of a gout attack, ultrasound studies have revealed that up to one-third may have urate deposits and evidence of inflammation in their joints and surrounding soft tissues.19
Gout is commonly divided into distinct “phases” of recurrent attacks of acute gout interspersed with symptom free periods, with cumulative crystal deposition gradually contributing to a chronic condition .
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