Health Articles

^[1]Gout used to be considered a problem of only the most elite and wealthy. Today gout is affecting more and more people in every socio-economic group. From the rich to the poor gout is rising in America and other developed countries. 2 to 5 million Americans are suffering with gout today.

Gout is a painful, arthritic condition mainly afflicting the big toe. The big toe becomes stiff, inflamed and painful as a result of excess uric acid leading to crystals formed in joints. These high levels of uric acid are called hyperuricemia and the pain comes from the body’s natural anti-inflammatory response to the crystals.

Elevated levels of uric acid also lead to other health problems too.  Some of the most commonly associated health problems from hyperuricemia (high levels of uric acid) are the following:

High Uric Acid Levels Lead to Health Issues

• Diabetes
• High cholesterol
• High blood pressure
• Kidney disease
• Heart disease

Gout seems to run in families so if your parents had it you’re more likely to one day developing gout. This also predisposes your children to getting gout.

Causes of Gout

Gout is said to be caused by lifestyle and eating choices. Today the staple American diet has shifted to one full of highly processed foods. Many of these highly processed foods contain high fructose corn syrup which is believed to be a leading contributor to gout.

In fact, a recent study showed that men who consumed two or more sugary drinks per day were 85% more likely to develop goutthan those men who only consumed less than one sugary beverage a month. This high sugar intake increases the levels of uric acid in the body. High levels of sugar in the body lead to a number of serious health problems including gout.

It’s also been shown that half of all gout sufferers are obese or overweight. And again, a high intake of sugar is shown to lead to obesity.

Another cause of gout is consuming too many high purine foods. These are organ meats, anchovies, herring, asparagus, and even mushrooms.  Eating less high purine foods is one way to try to ward off gout.

Treatment of Gout

There are pharmaceuticals that are used to treat gout but I urge you to use these as a last resort. Some of the pharmaceuticals used to treat gout are NSAIDs, Colchicine, corticosteroids, Corticotropin (adrenocorticotropic hormone),Febuxostat, Aloprim, and Zyloprim.

Not only do many of these drugs not work for gout sufferers the side effects of these toxic pharmaceuticals are not worth the risk. This is especially true when diet and lifestyle changes can end or successfully help to manage gout.

Some of the side effects of these dangerous pharmaceuticals are the following:

Side Effects of Pharmaceuticals Used to Treat Gout

• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Diarrhea
• Constipation
• Rash
• Dizziness
• Headaches
• Drowsiness
• Fluid retention
• Shortness of breath
• Kidney failure
• Liver failure

When there are all natural alternatives available to you to fight off gout I suggest you try these methods before you opt for pharmaceuticals and their dangerous side effects.

6 All Natural Ways to Beat Gout

Studies show that many of the dietary items we consume lead to gout as well as other health problems. Changing your diet and lifestyle may be the easy solution to beating gout. One of the first things to do is eliminate certain foods and beverages from your diet to beat gout.

1. Eliminate or reduce sugar intake

As many studies are now illustrating, gout is common in people with excessive sugar intake, especially high fructose corn syrup (HFCS.) It’s wise to read the labels of all your food and drinks. If you find HFCS then eliminate that from your diet. In addition, look for sugar added under the guise of other common names for sugar; look for ‘cose’ at the end of words and these are probably types of sugar you don’t want to be consuming.

2. Eliminate grains

Grains in the body are converted to sugars so again you want to limit or avoid grains altogether. They are also very inflammatory to your body.

3. Limit alcohol consumption

Again, alcohol becomes sugar once ingested so eliminate this completely unless you have a healthy body already. Any substance that will be converted to one or another type of sugar by the body should be avoided at all costs. In order to get your uric acid levels down you must consistently avoid sugar in your diet.

4. Eliminate soda and diet soda

Soda and diet sodas are loaded with sweeteners either natural or artificial. It’s vital to eliminate them from your diet altogether if you want to be gout. Remember the study I mentioned earlier in which just two to three sweet beverages a week increased men’s chance of getting gout by a whopping 85%.

5. Consume cherries and strawberries daily

In order to combat the inflammation try adding fresh, organic cherries and strawberries to your diet. Cherries are rich in anthocyanicns and bioflavonoids both which help to relieve and prevent arthritis. In addition, both are high in antioxidants which will help to fight off free radical damage.

6. Exercise

Since obesity is linked to gout, it’s a good idea to exercise regularly if you’re trying to relieve gout from your life. Include burst training ^[2]and weight training to maximize your health benefits from exercise. Exercise should be a part of your life no matter if you have gout or not. Burst Training is the best way to get in shape and keep your body healthy. Click here for my burst workout ideas. ^[2]

As with many health problems there are all natural treatment methods that often involve lifestyle changes that should take place before you opt for pharmaceuticals or other methods.  The same is true for gout. Try these solutions and live an overall healthy lifestyle and you’ll be pain free from gout in no time.

Sources: medscape.com ^[3], mercola.com ^[4], mercola.com2 ^[5]