According to Medline Plus, gout, a form of arthritis, is due to uric acid building up in your blood. This occurs if your body is producing too much uric acid, is not eliminating enough of it, or you are eating food with high levels of purine. Often occurring suddenly, it causes swollen, red, hot and stiff joints, usually beginning with your big toe. There are a variety of foods and medications that can help you prevent and treat gout. Talk to your doctor about what options are best for you.
Low-Purine Foods
According to the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, the breakdown of purine produces uric acid. For this reason, it is important to eat low-purine foods, limiting your intake of foods high in purine. Low-purine foods include all fruit and dairy products, some proteins such as eggs, nuts and peanut butter, refined breads and pasta, and most vegetables, including broccoli, carrots and zucchini, says Boston University. NIAMS suggests you avoid beef kidneys, asparagus, liver, game meats, gravy, mushrooms and sweetbreads.
Dark-Colored Fruits
Some studies suggest that cherries can lower your levels of uric acid. MayoClinic.com suggests talking to your doctor about whether adding cherries, blackberries, blueberries, grapes or raspberries to your diet is right for you.
Oranges and Grapefruits
Since oranges and grapefruits contain high amounts of vitamin C, eating them may help you to reduce your uric acid levels. However, there is currently no research studying vitamin C as a gout treatment, and MayoClinic.com warns that very large doses of vitamin C may increase your uric acid levels.
NSAIDS or Corticosteroids
Many medications are effective in the prevention and treatment of gout. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, or NSAIDs, often help people during a gout attack. Low daily doses of NSAIDs can also prevent future attacks, notes MayoClinic.com. These include ibuprofen and naproxen. Colchicine may be an option for you if you cannot take NSAIDs. They can also treat and prevent an attack at varying doses. Corticosteroids are another option if you cannot take NSAIDs. According to the University of Maryland, they may be especially beneficial for elderly patients.
Blocking Uric Acid Production
Some medications can actually limit your body's ability to make uric acid, helping to decrease the number of gout attacks you experience. These kinds of medications, xanthine oxidase inhibitors, include allopurinol and febuxostat, says MayoClinic.com.
Increasing Uric Acid Removal
Another medication option is probenecid, which improves your kidneys' ability to remove uric acid. This may help your body to decrease uric acid levels and therefore lower your chances of a gout attack.
