Can Alcohol Give You Gout? this is a question !

Question: Can drinking alcohol give you gout?

Answer: Gout, which is one of the most painful forms of arthritis, is caused by a build-up of crystals of uric acid in a joint. Alcohol can lead to increased production of uric acid so it puts you at a higher risk of getting gout.

Alcohol leads to gout in multiple ways:

• It contains purines, proteins that are broken down into uric acid. Purines are found naturally in your body and in some foods.
• It promotes dehydration which raises the uric-acid level in the blood.
• It leads to the production of lactic acid, which can increase the level of uric acid.
• It stimulates enzymes in the liver that break down proteins to produce more uric acid.

Often, gout affects joints in the lower part of the body such as the ankles, heels, knees, and especially the big toes. However, it can also attack the elbows, wrists and fingers.

Pseudogout has similar symptoms and is sometimes confused with gout. However, it is caused by calcium phosphate, not uric acid.

Gout is more common in men. Men are more likely to develop gout in their forties. Women generally get gout after menopause.

Early attacks usually subside within 3 to 10 days, even without treatment, and the next attack may not occur for months or even years. Uric acid buildup can lead to kidney stones. Untreated gout can cause permanent joint and kidney damage.

Most people with gout are able to control their symptoms with treatment. The most common treatments are high doses of oral non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, or corticosteroids, which are taken by mouth or injected into the affected joint. Patients often begin to improve within a few hours of treatment.

More than two drinks a day for men and more than one for women increases the risk of getting gout. Other factors include family history of gout, high blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol, narrowing of the arteries, thiazide diuretics and low-dose aspirin.

No specific dietary changes have been proven to reduce your risk of gout. However, even though there is no absolute proof that a gout diet works, it seems like a sound idea to avoid purines. Foods high in purines include organ meats, anchovies, herring, mackerel, asparagus and mushrooms.

Some iffy stuff:

There are studies that show an association between coffee drinking and lower uric acid levels. The current evidence isn't strong enough to begin a coffee habit.

Vitamin C may reduce uric acid in your blood. However, vitamin C hasn't been studied as a treatment for gout.

Cherries have been linked to reduced uric acid in your blood, but it is unclear if they affect gout symptoms.

uric acid in the blood and these are deposited in small joints

Hyperuricemia is a metabolic disorder of purine, which appears excessive uric acid in the blood and these are deposited in small joints, whose disease is called gout. This deposition can cause destruction of joint tissues leading to chronic arthritis.

With progression of disease symptoms occur more frequently and more prolonged. An injury or a trivial exercise than usual can trigger episodes of swelling and joint pain, and questions arise with crises related to the excesses of food, drink or exercise.

Obesity is usually associated with this disorder. Fasting or a diet low in carbohydrates, can also precipitate a crisis.

Since the purine metabolism is altered, it is recommended to avoid foods very rich in this substance in order to avoid metabolic stress and help the treatment even with the need for medication.

Foods allowed include:

Cereals and derivatives

Milk and milk products

Vegetables except asparagus, mushrooms, peas, spinach, beans and lentils should be used sparingly (1 serving - 1 / 2 cup) per day or 5 days a week (depending on condition)

Fruits

Butter or margarine

White bread, biscuits

Coffee, tea, chocolate

Gelatin desserts, ice cream

Spice

Foods that should be eaten sparingly include:

Fish (one weekly portion)

Birds (a small portion of about 80 grams per day)

Beef (a small portion of about 80 grams per day)

Egg (3 units per week)

Pulses (beans beans, 1 / cup daily)

The foods are strictly forbidden:

Broth in tablets

Consommé

Anchovy, Mussels, Sardines

Heart, Kidneys, Liver

Peru

Fermented foods

Alcoholic beverages, especially beer

Tomato sauce

Sorting Out The Myths

More importantly, how does a person begin to sort the myths from the facts and decide what to buy at the grocery store? According to the University of Washington, Department of Orthopedics:

Obesity can be linked to high uric acid levels in the blood. People who are overweight should consult with their doctor to decide on a reasonable weight-loss program. Fasting or severe dieting can actually raise uric acid levels and cause gout to worsen.

Usually people can eat what they like within limits. People who have kidney stones due to uric acid may need to actually eliminate purine-rich foods from their diet because those foods can raise their uric acid level.

Consuming coffee and tea is not a problem but alcohol can raise uric acid levels and provoke an episode of gout. Drinking at least 10-12 eight-ounce glasses of non-alcoholic fluids every day is recommended, especially for people with kidney stones, to help flush the uric acid crystals from the body.

Foods Higher In Purines

Johns Hopkins lists foods which are higher in purines

Foods very high in purines include:

hearts

herring

mussels

yeast

smelt

sardines

sweetbreads

Foods moderately high in purines include:

anchovies

grouse

mutton

veal

bacon

liver

salmon

turkey

kidneys

partridge

trout

goose

haddock

pheasant

scallops

Gout Medications

Experts at Mayo Clinic suggest that medications for gout have reduced the need for dietary restrictions, but some modification can decrease the severity or frequency of gout attacks. Dietary modification may also be preferred by people who cannot tolerate gout medications.

How To Treat Gout With Diet And Medication

More Reading:

Gout Diet: Foods To Eat

It is well known that a person with gout should avoid purine-rich foods. What should they eat though? What foods will lower the risk of another gout attack?

Gout: Avoiding Purine-Rich Foods

Along with specific prescribed medications, people with gout are usually advised to reduce their intake of purine-rich foods. That dietary recommendation begs the question, what foods are purine-rich?

Gout Prevention And Treatment

Options for preventing and treating gout.

Gout Diet: Foods To Avoid

Diets which are high in purines and high in protein have long been suspected of causing an increased risk of gout (a type of arthritis caused by high levels of uric acid in the body which form crystals in the joints, resulting in pain and inflammation). Results from a study led by Dr. Hyon K. Choi, reported in the March 11, 2004 issue of The New England Journal of Medicine, offer an interesting twist.

Choi's research team followed 47,150 men with no prior history of gout over a 12-year period. The conclusion: during the 12 year period of assessment, 730 men were diagnosed with gout.

Study participants who consumed the highest amount of meat were 40 percent more likely to have gout than those who ate the least amount of meat.

Study participants who ate the most seafood were 50 percent more likely to have gout.

In this specific study, though, not all purine-rich foods were associated with an increased risk of gout. There was no increased risk associated with a diet which included:

peas

beans

mushrooms

cauliflower

spinach

Even though these foods are considered high in purines. Choi's team also found that low-fat dairy products decrease the risk of gout and overall protein intake had no effect. Ultimately, diets shown to be connected to gout are the same kinds of diet linked to cardiovascular disease.

Recommendations For Seafood Should Be Individualized

At this point, it may seem like it gets confusing. Isn't seafood typically recommended as part of a diet which is healthy for the heart? Yet research has revealed that there is a strong, undeniable link between seafood and gout. How does Choi reconcile what seems like conflicting information? He believes "recommendations for seafood should be individualized."

How can I prevent gout?

Individuals often learn what causes their own gout attacks. As previously discussed, certain foods with high concentrations of purines can be avoided. Drinking alcohol should be moderated. Prescription and non-prescription medications should be reviewed with your doctor (it is important that you not discontinue a medication without consulting your doctor, as an untreated condition such as high blood pressure may be worse than a gouty attack). Other common causes of a gouty attacks include dehydration, injury to a joint, surgery, and a febrile illness. Prevention should focus on avoidance of these situations. If surgery is needed, discuss with your doctor whether prophylactic medication to prevent a gouty attack is appropriate.

What is the treatment of a gouty attack?

Initial treatment for a gouty attack is usually with a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications (NSAIDs). These medications, such as over the counter Motrin, or more potent prescription versions, are not always well tolerated by some patients. In those who cannot use NSAIDs, a steroid medication can also be used, either injected or oral. Another medication, colchicine, is very effective in the immediate treatment of a gouty attack, but often causes nausea and stomach upset, so many patients do not tolerate this drug. Future attacks of gout can be prevented by taking a medication called allopurinol. This medication is started after the gout attack has ended (usually after a few days).

Getting to know Gout

In spite of the agony and havoc it can cause, uric acid is a normal constituent of the human body. Ordinarily about one-third of the uric acid in our system comes from food, especially foods like those noted earlier that are rich in purines. The rest we produce ourselves through ordinary metabolism.The body converts purines to uric acid.

The level of uric acid in the blood fluctuates in response to:dietfluid intakeoverall health statusother factorsMen normally have somewhat more uric acid than women do (although the difference begins to narrow after menopause), and in both sexes it tends to increase with advancing age.