If you are experiencing pain and swelling in your joints, chances are that you have gout. Gout happens when uric acid is crystallized and deposited in joints and tissues of your body. It is in the big toe where gout most commonly occurs, although other body parts could also be affected, like the fingers, wrists, elbows, ankles and feet.

The causes of gout can be traced to a person’s diet. Some types of foods cause gout. Pain and swelling brought about by gout could therefore be reduced by avoiding intake of foods that cause gout. The foods that cause gout may surprise you.

Chemicals called purines are the culprits behind the occurrence of gout. Foods that cause gout have high purine content. What the body does is break down these purines into uric acid. Your body, however, is unable to secrete enough of uric acid once you already have gout. As a result, there is uric acid build-up and crystallization in the joints.

Gout-stricken individuals should therefore limit intake of high-purine foods that cause gout. The extreme pain experienced from gout attacks could be dramatically reduced by eating the right food.

Foods that cause gout which should be avoided include yeast-based products. Among these are alcoholic drinks like beer and wine, as well as sweet breads. Also no-no items for gout sufferers are offal or organ meats, including kidney, liver, tongue and heart.

Foods that cause gout also include some fish and shell fish. These are sardines, herring, anchovies, mussels, scallops and shrimps. To reduce the likelihood of gout attacks, it is also advisable to limit intake of foods with creamy and rich sauces, gravies, consomm? and meat extracts.

There are also some types of vegetables that you should avoid if you have gout. Included in these are lentils, peas, beans, spinach, cauliflower and asparagus. The diet of persons with gout should also exclude even foods containing moderately high purines. This means less or no salmon, bacon, haddock, trout, goose, pheasant, turkey, veal and mutton.

As with most ailments, there are home remedies to prevent gout. While there are lots of foods that cause gout, you have also have a wide choice of foods that could contribute in reducing gout pain. For your gout’s sake, you can turn to fresh fruits, like oranges, bananas, pineapple, cherries, strawberries, and blueberries. Also helpful for those who have gout are some vegetables, particularly the green leafy varieties such as cabbage, parsley and celery, along with tomatoes.

A diet containing foods rich in vitamin C, such as red bell peppers, red cabbage, potatoes and tangerines, is also advisable for gout pain relief. Similar benefits could also be derived from intake of low-fat dairy products such as butter, milk and cheese. Drinking plenty of water (6-8 glasses daily) also helps, as well as having carbonated beverages, tea, coffee and fruit juices. Who knew that helping your gout was as simple as natural home remedies for gout.

There are many types of medications to treat your gout. However, there are gout medications, like steroidal and non-steroid-based anti-inflammatory drugs, that have serious side-effects bringing damage more than foods that cause gout. Medical consultation, therefore, would be necessary prior to taking these medications.