Diet For Gout Patients - Food, Good and Bad, to Include in a Gout Diet Plan

What foods should a diet for Gout patients contain or not contain? If you're reading this article then you are either afflicted with Gout or know someone who is. This disease is agonizing and can be very frustrating. Maybe you have lost sleep as a result of the "fire" of gouty pain in your big toe? Missed special occasions? Taken time off work, and unable to accomplish what you would like to do in your free time? The culprits are those cruel, needle like crystals of uric acid that form in your bodies soft connective tissue and joints. These gremlins can do more damage and give you painful kidney stones if they are allowed free reign. Every diet program for gout should take a look at reducing uric acid levels within your blood, and that means low purine foods.

Purines aren't all bad! They are natural substances found in nearly all foods, and all your body's cells. Purines are a part of the chemical composition of our genes and are components of our genetic material and the genetic material of all plants and animals. The problem is when they are broken down within the body. This leads to uric acid!

So let's have a look at some of the foods to include and exclude in your gout diet.

Food - Good For Gout

There are two foods which have been extensively reported as being really helpful in the battle against Gout. The first is more akin to an additive rather then a food - baking soda. If taken properly this can alleviate symptoms in 2 hrs! The link to the eBook below tells you how to do this. The second really effective food is cherries! Cherries and cherry juice contain anthocyanins which have anti-inflammatory properties. Also cherries can lower the uric acid level. Other berries can also help, mainly because they can neutralize uric acid, or they have anti-inflammatory properties:

• Strawberries


• Blueberries


• Grapes

Food - Bad For Gout

You might not like what I'm going to say next. Too much alcohol is a leading cause of Gout. Gout and alcohol don't go well together! But just how much is excessive? Two drinks a day for males and one drink a day for females. Alcohol, particularly beer interferes with the elimination of uric acid from the body. This is because when alcohol is metabolized, lactic acid is produced which hinders the excretion of uric acid by the kidneys.

These are more commonly eaten foods, very high in purines that need to be avoided completely in a diet plan for those who have Gout:

• Anchovies, Sardines, Mackerel


• Meat extracts, Yeast extracts


• Gravy, Broth


• Sweetbreads

Generally, foods lacking in vitamins A, B5 and E can lead to the development of Gout symptoms.

Now I guess your thinking - he's going to say eat lots of fruit and vegetables. Well actually some fruits and vegetables can worsen the symptoms of Gout, particularly acidic ones. So here they are, any diet designed for Gout ought to keep away from these, but remember these are less important to lowering your intake of high purine foods.

• Cranberries


• Oranges


• Tomatoes

These items really aren't as bad as the heavy weight purine foods like mackerel etc, so cutting out these is of secondary importance.

Don't forget the power of supplements to enhance any diet for gout. Just as cherries have anti-inflammatory properties, so other foods have properties that can reduce uric acid in the blood. There are lots of supplements that can help alleviate symptoms and get gout under control. See the link below for more information.