Gout Relief

I had minor gout recently. As it was minor -- painful and affected walking but not wide spread--, I didn't take medication, but followed the following food recommendation by The American Medical Association.

The changes included avoiding certain foods (e.g. food with yeast) and consuming certain things like drinking more coffee black or with low fat milk.

Gout Treatment
With proper treatment, people who have gout do not usually progress to the chronic tophaceous phase of gout. What is the proper treatment of gout? Medications can be prescribed to help control gout and there are lifestyle recommendations. People with gout are advised to:

• Avoid alcohol or drink alcohol in moderation
  
• Drink plenty of water and other fluids
  
• Lose weight if overweight but avoid fasting or quick weight loss schemes
  
• Avoid eating foods high in purines
  

Note: purine produces Uric acid in the body; uric acid deposited in joints could become crystal -like and hurt the joints i.e. gout.

Purine-Rich Foods

According to the American Medical Association, purine-containing foods include:

• Beer, other alcoholic beverages.
  
• Anchovies, sardines in oil, fish roes, herring.
  
• Yeast.
  
• Organ meat (liver, kidneys, sweetbreads)
  
• Legumes (dried beans, peas)
  
• Meat extracts, consomme, gravies.
  
• Mushrooms, spinach, asparagus, cauliflower.
  

What Should You Eat?

Dietary restrictions suggest what people should not eat, but what should people eat? What foods will help control gout attacks? The American Medical Association recommends the following dietary guidelines for people with gout, advising them to eat a diet:

• high in complex carbohydrates (fiber-rich whole grains, fruits, and vegetables)
  
• low in protein (15% of calories and sources should be soy, lean meats, or poultry)
  
• no more than 30% of calories in fat (with only 10% animal fats)
  
  Recommended Foods To Eat
  
• Fresh cherries, strawberries, blueberries, and other red-blue berries
  
• Bananas
  
• Celery
  
• Tomatoes
  
• Vegetables including kale, cabbage, parsley, green-leafy vegetables
  
• Foods high in bromelain (pineapple)
  
• Foods high in vitamin C (red cabbage, red bell peppers, tangerines, mandarins, oranges, potatoes)
  
• Drink fruit juices and purified water (8 glasses of water per day)
  
• Low-fat dairy products
  
• Complex carbohydrates (breads, cereals, pasta, rice, as well as aforementioned vegetables and fruits)
  
• Chocolate, cocoa
  
• Coffee, tea
  
• Carbonated beverages
  
• Essential fatty acids (tuna and salmon, flaxseed, nuts, seeds)
  
• Tofu, although a legume and made from soybeans, may be a better choice than meat
  
• Foods considered moderately high in purines but which may not raise the risk of gout include: asparagus, cauliflower, mushrooms, peas, spinach, whole grain breads and cereals, chicken, duck, ham, turkey, kidney and lima beans.
  

It is important to remember that purines are found in all protein foods. All sources of purines should not be eliminated.