Got Gout?

Gout is a painful rheumatic arthritic disease that affects at least 1% of the population in Western countries, especially men over age 40, according to the website for the American Journal of Managed Care. Unfortunately, gout is on the rise. Long associated with red meat and alcohol consumption, the disease is now being linked to obesity, metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular disease.

Eating a diet rich in certain food byproducts called purines may also put a person at risk for gout. Purines can cause a condition known as hyperuricemia, which occurs when uric acid builds up in the blood and creates painful crystals that cause gout. Experts recommend that people at risk for gout avoid alcohol and the following foods, which are high in purines:

• anchovies
• bouillon
• broth
• goose
• gravy
• herring
• mackerel
• mussels
• organ meats, such as grains, heart, kidneys and sweetbreads
• sardines
• scallops
• yeast supplements
  Source: American Journal of Managed Care; www.post-gazette.com.