Got Gout?

by Ron Horner

Gout is a very painful disease. If you are prone to this problem, here are a few therapies to contemplate putting into place to help you lower the risk of further painful outbreaks.

Eating foods loaded With Vitamin C is one way you can help reduce gout pain. This compound is a great prevention supplement since it aids the renal system in eliminating uric acid. Vitamin C also prevents purines from metabolizing into painful uric acid crystals.

Your body turns purines into uric acid. This is not normally an issue in most people, however, people with gout usually are not able to keep the crystals that uric acid can form in check. Because of this they can seep into your joints such as your toes, ankles, or wrists leading to terrible pain.

Pineapples are very beneficial against gout pain. This is because of a property they contain called bromelain. This property is used for reducing inflammation. In fact, it is sometimes used to help people with swelling after surgery.

If you choose to use bromelain as a supplement use only as directed. As with any medical information, you should seek your doctor’s counsel prior to using any supplement. Bromelain is a blood thinner, so don’t forget to inform your physician especially if you are on Coumadin or aspirin.

Because potassium helps make uric acid into a solution versus crystals, potassium is very helpful in getting rid of gout. The government recommended daily allowance is 3500mg per day. Adding potassium rich foods to your diet will help you achieve the benefits you are looking for.

It is very important to stay hydrated, especially if you are prone to gout. When you are dehydrated, uric acid crystals can formulate much more easily. These crystals accumulate in your joints and cause painful swelling and damage. Over time, if you don’t try to prevent this disease, the damage can be disabling. Drinking plenty of water helps prevent this situation and helps you lose weight, which is a major problem among most gout patients.

While you do not have to completely discard foods that can cause gout from your diet, at least eat them in moderation. Reducing the amount of high purine foods in your diet will lower the extra amounts of uric acid you produce. Because most of these foods are not healthy to begin with, you will most likely not only get rid of gout pain, you will also probably lose weight, which will have an accumulative factor in helping you reduce the likelihood of future attacks.

About the Author

Ron answers your questions on are cherries good for gout as well as other treatments for gout you should consider using.