The old saying “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure” is particularly true when it comes to gout pain. Gout is a form of arthritis, which may begin suddenly and result in severe pain, stiffness, and swelling of one or more joints. It occurs when high levels of uric acid in the blood cause crystals to form and accumulate in and around a joint. Uric acid is produced when the body breaks down a chemical called purine. Purine occurs naturally in your body, but it’s also found in certain food items. While genetics can make a gout attack more or less likely, there are other gout triggers that you can and should control.
- Avoid High Purine Foods
Examples of high-purine foods include seafood, shellfish, and some meats such as bacon, turkey, veal, venison, and organ meats like liver. Some alcoholic beverages (i.e. beer) contain high levels of purine and can lead to increased uric acid levels in the blood. Drinking alcohol of any type can trigger a gout attack because it decreases the kidneys’ ability to filter uric acid and the more alcohol consumed, the bigger the chance of a gout attack. Bottom line: people predisposed to gout should drink as little as possible.
- Cut Down on Your Weight
Being overweight or obese quadruples your likelihood of gout because of higher circulating levels of uric acid in the blood. Losing weight also helps lower your uric acid levels and reduces your risk of future gout attacks. But how much weight should you lose? Studies suggest that a weight loss of about eight pounds or more led to long-term reductions in uric acid levels and gout attacks in overweight or obese people.
- Steer Clear of Soda and other Sweets
High fructose corn syrup is a culprit in raising uric acid levels and increasing gout risk. Several 12-ounce servings of regular soda have been shown to increase uric acid in both men and women. People at risk for gout should either switch to diet soda (which does not contain high fructose corn syrup) or limit regular soda to no more than one 12-ounce serving a day. It’s also worth noting that high fructose corn syrup can be found in many fruit drinks, store-bought baked goods, ice cream, candy, processed fast food, breakfast cereals, and other items, so read labels carefully to spare yourself the pain of a gout flair up.