Gout is a type of arthritis that causes severe pain, redness, and swelling of the joints. It mostly affects the big toe, but can affect any joint in the body. The main trigger for gout is high levels of uric acid concentration in the blood, causing crystals to accumulate in the joints. If you’ve ever suffered from a gout flare up, you’ll try your best not to experience another. The pain from gout can last for days or up to weeks. To prevent gout symptoms from occurring, many patients avoid the following gout food triggers:
1. Alcohol
Alcohol is a grout trigger because it prevents your kidney from releasing uric acid from the body. This makes uric acid accumulate to high levels in your body. It also affects uric acid secretion, which increases the levels in the blood. So, you should avoid drinking alcoholic drinks. Note that not all alcoholic drinks have high purines concentration. For example, beer has higher purine content than spirits.
2. Red meat and organ meat
You should also avoid organ meat like liver or brains. Red meat is also not good for someone suffering from gout as it will trigger pain and swelling. To be safer, you should stop taking beef, bacon, and lamb pork. These kinds of meat have high purine levels, increasing uric levels in the blood. In the end, the uric acid will accumulate on the joints triggering gout.
3. Seafood
You should also stop taking seafood to avoid gout flare. Foods like crab, scallops and shrimp meat also have high purine levels that, if your body breaks, result in high uric acid. But since fish is beneficial to the body, it’s advisable to talk to your doctor and see how to incorporate it into your diet. Particularly high purine seafood include shrimp, trout, herring, tuna, mackerel, haddock, and sardines.
4. Sugary or high fructose drinks
When you have gout, avoid drinking fruit juices and sugary sodas, which will trigger your pains. Taking foods rich in fructose will result in high purines in the body. Additionally, your doctor will advise you to stop taking added sugars like honey and agave. Remember, fructose takes less time to form uric acid, heightening your problems.
5. Wild game meats
Game meats are a common trigger food for gout patients. That means the moderation of wild game meats—like turkey, veal, and venison—may help relieve gout symptoms.
A gout flare can cause unimaginable pain and swelling of the joints. It’s advisable to avoid certain foods that tend to trigger gout symptoms. Keep a food diary and track your symptoms after eating certain foods. Also, ensure you are well hydrated and watch your weight as it increases the risk of developing gout.
