About three years ago, my dad began to experience great discomforting both his knee and elbow. After a month of the continuing pain he decided to see the doctor and was told he had gout. Curious as to what exactly gout is I looked it up, according to WebMD, “gout is a kind of arthritis caused by a buildup of uric acid crystals in the joints” (WebMD, 2014) After asking the doctor various questions we were surprised to find out that the condition is in result to consuming red meat. My dad was told to change his diet and steer away from eating red meat.
There are various foods that can lead to a gout episode. The foods one should avoid when suffering from this condition include: scallops, herring, beer, red meat, turkey, sugary drinks, asparagus, and organ meats. Seeing that my dad is a fan of red meat I decided to look into what exactly it contains that leads to gout. Red meat is rich in purines which is a chemical compound, that when broken down turns into uric acid. The uric acid isn’t necessarily bad for the body and is usually eliminated once it passes through the kidneys. Although, when one consumes red meat on a regular basis, too much uric acid is produced and cannot be completely dissolved. This build up of uric acid leads to the condition hyperuricemia. The formation of uric acid crystals, which is due to hyperuricemia then causes gout to advance.
Of course, studies are not saying that the consumption of the gout-triggering food is forbidden, but rather that it has to be eaten with moderation and not on a daily basis. Although those who have already been diagnosed with gout tend to be more vulnerable to pain attacks with even little consumption. There are foods that can help one to stay away from gout, such as low-fat dairy foods, coffee, fruits, and NON-SWEETENED fluids.
Photo courtesy of www.webmd.com
Works Cited
Harding, Anne (n.d.) 8 Gout-Causing Foods. Retrieved from www.health.com
NIH (2012) Gout. Retrieved from www.niams.nih.gov
WebMD (2012) Diet and Gout. Retrieved from www.webmd.com
My dad actually has to stay away from fish since his diagnoses, even just a few fish sticks will cause him great pain later in the night. I am not sure what it is about fish that has such an affect on him, he can still eat pork and beef in moderation without experiencing any pain. According to the article below, fish have high levels of purine which is on of the triggers for a gout attack. http://www.activebeat.com/diet-nutrition/10-trigger-foods-for-gout/
This is very interesting! If we killed off all of the cows, we could reduce pollution and control gout (just kidding). I think it is important to eat any meat in moderation. I’m sure that there are a lot of health benefits from eating cow one day, then pig another, and maybe fish the next day. I wonder if there is any natural foods that can help digesting foods that are high in uric acid?
My dad actually had gout a few years ago, as well! I remember him being in so much pain and not wanting to do anything for several days other than sit and watch TV in a dark room in my house. It hurt my heart to see my dad hurting so badly. The doctor told him to change his diet and since then he has been okay. I find it so strange that just by eating red meat somebody has the potential to cause their body to suffer so terribly. My dad is a very healthy guy and it really surprised me that his diet was the reason for the gout. Here is a website that talks about some common foods that may lead to gout: http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20448674,00.html