Diet Restrictions for People With Gout

Diet Restrictions For People With Gout

Increased levels of purines in the body (a product of DNA) can raise the level of uric acid in the blood. Gout results from the uric acid crystals which accumulate in joints， typically in the joint at the base of the big toe. If the ailment is not properly treated， joint damage and kidney problems from uric acid deposits or kidney stones may result. Drink more water to help eliminate more uric acid from the body.

People with gout should avoid foods that are high in purine， such as shellfish (crab， lobster， shrimp， oysters， caviar， mussels) and animal organs (liver， gizzard， kidney， chitlins， etc.). Other foods include sardines， anchovies， meat bullion and broths. Avoid coffee， dairy， white refined sugar and other sugar substitutes (Equal， Stevia， Sweet n Low， Splenda， etc.). These are acids and put the kidneys under extra pressure to eliminate the excess acid in the body. Most importantly， avoid alcohol because it often is the catalyst to induce gout symptoms.