The Causes of Gout - The Danger of Purines
There are several causes of gout, a painful condition caused by excessive build-up of uric acid in the blood.
Some of the risk factors or causes of gout include genetics, obesity, lead exposure, and consumption of foods with high purine content.
The intake of purine-rich foods is one of only several causes of gout that can be controlled.
It takes an enormous amount of discipline to do this, however, as you may find it frustrating to eliminate from your diet some of your favorite foods which have high purine content.
What are purines and why are they considered one of the causes of gout? Purines are chemical compounds normally found in our body's cells and in the food we eat.
The breakdown of purines into uric acid is an essential function of our bodies because uric acid helps protect the linings of our blood vessels from damage.
A problem occurs, however, when the levels of uric acid become abnormally high.
The uric acid then crystallizes and gets deposited in the joints, kidneys and other organs, leading to gouty arthritis.
While we need purines in our diet, it is therefore important that we keep their levels in check, or else they will become one of the causes of gout.
Not all purines are the same, however, and to say that everything we put in our mouths causes gout is a stretch.
As a general rule, purines from meat and fish are the main causes of gout compared to purines found in vegetables.
Purines from dairy products, on the other hand, are not considered one of the causes of gout; in fact, they may even help prevent it.
When a person's diet has been determined as one of the causes of gout, he is advised to follow a special low-purine diet.
When his condition is already in a severe stage, he is asked to reduce his daily purine consumption to 100-150 milligrams.
Please take note that a 3.
5-ounce serving of herring, anchovies, sardines, mackerel, mussels, kidney, liver, and other meat products already provides up to 1,000 milligrams of purines.
Other foods that are triggers or causes of gout are legumes (green peas, dried peas, lentils and beans), mushrooms, asparagus, cauliflower, spinach, wheat bran, wheat germ, and oatmeal.
Drinking beer is likewise one of the known causes of gout because beer contains yeast.
Gout patients must take not that a high-fat, high-protein diet is one of the major causes of gout.
That said, it would be best for them to fatty white meats, roast chicken and beef, and processed foots.
A diet that is low in protein and fat and high in complex carbohydrates is the best for gout sufferers.
Alkaline foods help counter high levels of uric acid.
Some examples of alkaline foods are bananas, potatoes, oranges, figs, dandelion greens, and chocolates.
Make sure, however, that these foods are not harmful to other health conditions that the person is suffering from.
Some of the risk factors or causes of gout include genetics, obesity, lead exposure, and consumption of foods with high purine content.
The intake of purine-rich foods is one of only several causes of gout that can be controlled.
It takes an enormous amount of discipline to do this, however, as you may find it frustrating to eliminate from your diet some of your favorite foods which have high purine content.
What are purines and why are they considered one of the causes of gout? Purines are chemical compounds normally found in our body's cells and in the food we eat.
The breakdown of purines into uric acid is an essential function of our bodies because uric acid helps protect the linings of our blood vessels from damage.
A problem occurs, however, when the levels of uric acid become abnormally high.
The uric acid then crystallizes and gets deposited in the joints, kidneys and other organs, leading to gouty arthritis.
While we need purines in our diet, it is therefore important that we keep their levels in check, or else they will become one of the causes of gout.
Not all purines are the same, however, and to say that everything we put in our mouths causes gout is a stretch.
As a general rule, purines from meat and fish are the main causes of gout compared to purines found in vegetables.
Purines from dairy products, on the other hand, are not considered one of the causes of gout; in fact, they may even help prevent it.
When a person's diet has been determined as one of the causes of gout, he is advised to follow a special low-purine diet.
When his condition is already in a severe stage, he is asked to reduce his daily purine consumption to 100-150 milligrams.
Please take note that a 3.
5-ounce serving of herring, anchovies, sardines, mackerel, mussels, kidney, liver, and other meat products already provides up to 1,000 milligrams of purines.
Other foods that are triggers or causes of gout are legumes (green peas, dried peas, lentils and beans), mushrooms, asparagus, cauliflower, spinach, wheat bran, wheat germ, and oatmeal.
Drinking beer is likewise one of the known causes of gout because beer contains yeast.
Gout patients must take not that a high-fat, high-protein diet is one of the major causes of gout.
That said, it would be best for them to fatty white meats, roast chicken and beef, and processed foots.
A diet that is low in protein and fat and high in complex carbohydrates is the best for gout sufferers.
Alkaline foods help counter high levels of uric acid.
Some examples of alkaline foods are bananas, potatoes, oranges, figs, dandelion greens, and chocolates.
Make sure, however, that these foods are not harmful to other health conditions that the person is suffering from.
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