Uric Acid Diet

Uric Acid Diet: Avoiding the Gout

Protein is part of every diet particularly those who are active in bodybuilding. However, proteins are known as the culprit behind gout attack because it contains Purine that produces uric acid crystal.

Gout is the most painful type of arthritis that is usually caused by the increase of the uric acid crystals on the body joints. Symptoms include swelling, redness and inflammation of the affected joints. Uric acid level elevates because of the increase of purine intake, obesity and the fast weigh loss program. Other causes of gout are the increase of uric production by the body or the less elimination of the kidney therefore increases of purines in the blood.

The gout has several stages and can be detected in the blood by doctors. To avoid gout, diets will be modified to reduce the uric acid present in the body using the uric acid diet.

In uric acid diet the foods recommended should contain fibers that can be derived from whole grains, vegetables and fruits, low fat foods and low protein content. More than six glasses a day is encouraged to take during the uric acid diet to flush out the uric acid crystals deposited in the body joints.

Although protein is the main source of purines, the uric acid diet does not completely remove purine on the diet. There are purine rich foods that are still allowed to be eaten such as asparagus, spinach and mushrooms. They do not trigger gout attacks. Alcohol should be avoided since it can increase the purines in the body but coffee, soda and tea are allowed and do not contribute to the gout attacks.

Modification of your diet should be done upon consultation with a doctor so that you will not be removing food nutrients from your diet. Gout, when detected does not necessarily implies that uric acid crystal are deposited in the joints. There are gout cases called Asymptomatic gout where there are increase on uric acid in the blood but do not show any symptoms therefore does not need any medications. Undergoing a diet should be under the supervision of a medical doctor to ensure that you are on the right track. But if recommended to do so, following religiously the dietary restriction will retard the progress of the gout into another stage that might lead to chronic gout. Chronic gout can damage the joints and even the kidneys.