Principles of Gout and Diet
Every gout sufferer is concerned about food, but you cannot consider gout and diet, unless you make sure that it is built on sound principles.
You must plan your gout diet using the same principles that your doctor uses to plan your gout treatment.
Your gout diet needs to recognize and improve three distinct phases:
- Stop gout triggers
- Reduce gout pain
- Lower uric acid
You need to understand how a good gout diet relates to the three basic phases of gout management.
Stop Gout Triggers
In gout treatment you begin by removing any obvious triggers, such as diuretics or dehydration. Gout diets need the same planning and must stop irregular eating times and other bad eating habits. They should not classify high purine foods as forbidden – this is where most so-called gout diets fail. Food avoidance is fatally flawed; balanced food is vital, and will allow you to make the first steps in managing pain.
Manage Gout Pain
Food is not a painkiller, however gout and diet plans must recognize that pain relief is completely separate from reducing uric acid. Some foods, with anti-inflammatory properties, will reduce the severity of gout pain. Increase these foods and you will improve your natural defenses against gout pain. This puts you in a stronger position to manage the all important uric acid lowering.
Manage Uric Acid
Most uric acid in your body does not come directly from food – it comes from your own body tissue as cells die. Though excess animal protein can slightly raise uric acid levels, your body produces much more from poor diet. Irregular eating and poorly balanced meals cause your body to produce more uric acid than a plate of purine rich food.
Gout and diet starts with understanding the three phases of gout management. Your diet must stop gout triggers, help with gout pain and lower uric acid. It is also vital that the diet supports good general health, as many gout sufferers also suffer from heart disease, high blood pressure and other conditions. Specific diet guidelines only make sense when you can relate them to the three phases of gout management.
Please discuss your gout and diet experiences and problems on the GoutPal Forum.
Read more about gout and diet in the Gout Diet section.
~GoutPal
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