Is gout caused by diet?

Being overweight increases the risk of developing gout and losing weight reduces the risk of gout. Research suggests that reducing calories and losing weight even without a purine-restricted diet lowers uric acid levels and reduces the number of gout attacks. Too much uric acid in the body causes gout. The body produces most of the uric acid naturally, about two-thirds of it.

The rest comes from the diet, often in the form of purines. Purines are substances found in animal and plant foods that the body converts to uric acid. If you can't expel uric acid through your kidneys, it can build up in the bloodstream and be deposited as needle-shaped crystals in the joints. These crystals cause the intense inflammation and severe pain of a gout attack.

A low-purine diet is designed to help control hyperuricemia and its complications, such as gout. But diet is also a reasonable lifestyle for general health. It reduces sugar, alcohol and meat and emphasizes plants and alternative sources of protein. This has many benefits besides reducing uric acid and won't deprive you of any important nutrition.

If you're at risk of developing gout or experiencing another gout attack, it's worth trying a low-purine diet. Ask your healthcare provider if this is a good fit for you. Gout is a type of arthritis caused by too much uric acid in the blood. Too much uric acid can cause fluid to build up around the joints, which can cause uric acid crystals.

The formation of these crystals causes joints to swell and swell, causing severe pain. Gout attacks can be triggered by stress, illness, rapid weight loss, drugs, alcohol, or foods high in purines and fructose. However, they can also occur without an obvious trigger. Others, such as Dr.

Hyon Choi, an internationally recognized expert in gout, and a rheumatologist at the University of British Columbia and Vancouver General Hospital and an epidemiologist at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, think that some people can help themselves with diet alone, especially if they have a single mild attack. Many people avoid outbreaks of gout and can reduce the severity of their symptoms, and may even stop having gout. While big toes seem to be especially prone to gout inflammation, gout attacks can occur in almost any joint in the legs or arms, including the instep, ankles, heels, knees, wrists, fingers, and elbows.