Got Gout?

by Yvonne Horner

Being overweight is a common factor in most gout patients. A big reason for the connection between the two is diet. High purine foods are a major contributing factor to gout. Many of these same high purine foods are not healthy and aid in weight gain.

Decreasing the amount of high purine foods are central to overcoming both obesity and hyperuricemia, the main risk factor in getting gout. High purine foods are usually loaded with unhealthy fat making if difficult to lose weight. Foods such as hamburgers, hot dogs, and bacon would be in these categories. It would be best to eliminate these foods altogether from your diet, but at the very least eat them in moderation.

Studies have shown that drinking several soda pops a day actually raises your chances for gout by up to fifty percent. This is partly due to the dehydrating effects of soda which makes your kidneys work harder. Proper renal function is critical to getting rid of gout as it helps excrete excess uric acid.

Diet Sodas are not helpful in getting rid of weight. They also do not help with gout. They can decrease hydration and some health studies show that they are worse than drinking normal sodas. Water is a much better alternative. Water is easier on your kidneys and does a better job helping you get rid of excess uric acid.

You can keep the coffee. 4-6 cups of coffee was found in a Canadian study to lower uric acid levels by 50%. Decaffeinated coffee was also found to lower uric acid. I personally drink organic Green Mountain decaffeinated coffee. I use my own grinder and grind the grounds at home.

Making drastic changes at the same time is usually not a good way to go about things. Most people are not good at making such big changes quickly and therefore get discouraged and quit. Try for losing one pound a week. This is fairly simple to accomplish and you can make small changes instead of big ones. You will be more likely to stay on a healthy lifestyle regimen.

Creating an atmosphere where you will stick to a healthy weight loss program will provide great long term benefits to you. Your renal system will work more efficiently which will help you reduce or eliminate future gout attacks. Not only that, but you will reduce your risk of heart disease, stroke, and hypertension.

Several alternative therapies can help you lose weight and stay healthy. Adding fruits to your diet is one of them. Not only will they help you lose excess pounds, they contain elements that treat painful gout symptoms and the root causes of this painful disease.

About the Author

Yvonne provides information on how you can use cherries for gout as well as other gout treatments you can use to get rid of gout.