Why Having a Low Purine Diet Can Help With Gout

One of the main reasons that people will be considering having a low purine diet to help their gout is that it is known to reduce the levels of uric acid in your system. Uric acid is produced when the purines that are found in food and drinks are broken down in the liver, and are then passed on to the bloodstream. By reducing the sources that cause this uric acid to be produced, this can help reduce the suffering with gout.

However, for the most part the uric acid in the blood comes from the purine molecules which are actually found in RNA and DNA, and whilst reducing the supply is one factor; you will also usually need to look at actually taking the uric acid out of the blood stream.

If you are trying to avoid taking medical solutions, be it for philosophical or physical reasons, will look at the levels of purine in their diet carefully, as this is one certain way of helping to reduce problems with gout without having to resort to medical solutions. Whilst it is impossible to completely avoid purines, finding the food and drink low in purines really can help.

When it comes to actually finding out about the levels of uric acid in your system, then of course this can be checked by a hospital or a medical centre, but there are also uric acid testing kits which you can purchase and will help you check and monitor your uric acid levels. One of the best monitors on the market is produced by British company Arctic Medical, called UASure. When compared with the testing accuracy in laboratory equipment its results were good, and this is often recommended by healthcare specialists.

There are a number of foods which you should be considering removing or at least significantly reducing in your diet when preparing a low purine diet. Most offal meats, such as liver, kidneys and hearts are high in purine, and anything containing meat extracts will also have high levels, such as gravies and stock cubes. Sadly for many people, beer and other alcoholic drinks are also considered to be high in purines, as well as bakers’ yeast. You will also have to steer clear of mussels, trout, tuna and pilchards.

However, if you are looking for foods and drinks which are known to be low in purines, then many of them are foods which you will already know to be generally healthy foods. Eggs, berries and fruit, along with bread, pastas and noodles, and nuts and seeds are also well knows to be low in purines. Some other foods that are perhaps not naturally associated with health are ice-cream, biscuits and cookies, cakes and chocolate. If you like pickles, then you will be pleased to know that pickles are low in purines.

If you have been suffering from gout, then you may want to consider taking a few of these tips to reduce your intake of purines.

Author Bio: To learn more about Foods To Avoid With The Gout, visit Recipes For Gout.

Category: Wellness, Fitness and Diet
Keywords: gout foods to avoid, low purine gout diet, uric acid test kit, foods for a gout diet, high purine