Alcohol and Gout - What You Need to Know

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Gout is a medical condition that is characterized by recurrent bouts of sudden stiffness, burning pain, and swelling of a joint, most commonly the big toe. The attacks of gout can recur and over time, the condition can harm the joints, tendons, and other tissues if not treated early.

Although it most often affects the large joint of the big toe, gout can affect other joints including the knees, ankles, feet, elbows, wrists, and hands. It frequently affects one joint at a time. But in chronic cases, it can affect several joints.

Gout is caused by excessive uric acid in the blood, but not all people with elevated uric acid levels develop gout. Gout can seem to flare up without any specific cause.

Some factors are known to bring about gout attacks such as obesity. A high purine diet or a diet that is rich in meat and seafood is another contributing factor. Other factors that may elevate uric acid in the body are certain medicines, rapid weight loss, chronic kidney disease, high blood pressure, and hypothyroidism.

It has been noted that men who drink alcohol may double their likelihood of developing gout. Researchers believe that although genes and environmental factors may lead to gout, regular alcohol consumption has caused an increase in cases of gout in the past three decades. Compared to other alcoholic beverages, beer contains much higher amounts of purines.

The researchers believe that alcohol consumption increases the risk of gout. Alcohol has high purine content that leads to an increased purine load. The digestive process then breaks down the purine compounds, leading to the formation of uric acid. When the uric acid is deposited in the joints, it leads to gout formation by stimulating an intense inflammatory reaction. The result is painful, red, and swollen joints.

Alcohol may also contribute to obesity, which in turn is associated with inadequate excretion of uric acid.
To prevent gout, avoid fish, particularly anchovies, crab, mackerel, sardines, and shrimps. Other foods to avoid are meat, organ meats, and meat extracts. People with history of gout should avoid excessive alcohol consumption or refrain from drinking alcohol altogether.

A gout supplement with cherry extract can help alleviate gout symptoms and has helped many gout sufferers.

The Use of Cherry Extract in Gout Treatment

Image via WikipediaNatural treatments for gout are becoming more popular lately. This is because these are more inexpensive than drug based ones and they really work. Research has shown that cherries are very promising in gout management.

Cherries belong to the genus Prunus. The native range of the wild cherry can be found through most of Europe, Asia, and Africa.

Cherries are rich in anthocyanins, shown to reduce pain and inflammation in rats. Anthocyanins are very powerful antioxidants. These are particularly found in concentrated amounts as pigments in berries. Anthocyanin pigments have shown the ability to protect against a lot of human diseases. These are members of the flavinoid group of phytochemicals. Laboratory tests have shown potential health benefits against aging, cancer, bacterial infections, and inflammation.

In gout, uric acid overload in the body leads to the formation of tiny crystal deposits in the joints. Joint inflammation or arthritis is due to the formation of crystals. Gout is a chronic condition and it is a progressive disease involving the joints. The attacks are very painful with rapid onset of joint inflammation, pain, heat, and redness of the affected joint tissues.

Medications that reduce inflammation are very important in the treatment of gout. Prevention of future attacks is equally important as treating acute gout attacks. To avoid attacks, ensure adequate fluid intake and reduce alcohol intake. Weight reduction is another way to manage gout. Dietary changes and avoiding foods rich in protein and purines are important.

Pain relievers, NSAIDS, colchichine, allopurinol, and corticosteroids are the usual gout medications. In addition to gout medicines, gout supplements have shown to aid in preventing gout attacks. Cherry extract has very powerful anti inflammatory properties. Preliminary research suggests that eating around 20 cherries a day or around one cup can cut the risk of recurrent gout attacks by fifty percent. Take supplements with wild cherry to easily and conveniently manage gout, with equally excellent results.

Learn the Basics of Gout

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Gout is a type of arthritis that can lead to sudden attacks of stiffness, joint swelling, and burning sensation on the affected joint. The big toe is most commonly affected but any joint in the body can develop gout. Repeated attacks of gout can occur and these can happen anytime of the day. If not treated early, these repeated gout attacks can cause damage to the joints and the surrounding tissues.

Gout is caused by high levels of blood uric acid. Having increased levels of uric acid does not necessarily mean the development of gout, since there are a lot of patients who never develop gout even with high levels of uric acid. Unfortunately, some patients with elevated blood uric acid levels form urate crystals along the joint. These crystal formations are the reason for the pain and swelling.

People who are overweight and those who are heavy drinkers of beer or alcohol have a greater risk of developing gout. Eating too much of meat and fish, particularly the internal organs like the liver and kidneys, can increase blood uric acid since these foods are high in purines. When the body breaks down purines, it forms uric acid. If more purine rich foods are consumed, then this leads to higher levels of uric acid.

Generally, the usual sign of gout is pain, swelling, redness, and tenderness to touch of the big toe that occurs during nighttime. This can last for weeks or months before the pain lessens. Months or years may pass before another gout attack happens.

To ease the pain of gout, it is helpful to rest the affected joint. Pain and swelling can be controlled by taking pain relievers or other anti inflammatory medications.

The best way to control gout pain is to prevent it from occurring. Dietary modifications such as limiting meat and fish intake can naturally reduce uric acid levels. Drinking a lot of fluids and taking in medications that lower uric acid greatly reduce the symptoms. A natural gout supplement can be used to assist with the symptoms of gout. This is a good alternative and does not cause any abdominal problems unlike pain killers.

Got Gout? Avoid These Common Foods

Image via WikipediaPeople should be aware that there are a lot of factors that contribute to gout attacks. These include certain medical conditions such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol in the blood, and arteriosclerosis or narrowing of arteries.

Medications like diuretics and even low dose aspirin can trigger gout attacks because these increase levels of uric acid. The risk also increases if other family members have gout symptoms. Males are also more prone to have it than females.

Probably the most controllable of these risk factors is the diet. Unknowingly, there are certain foods that can increase the risk of gout. These include high protein and high purine foods. These cause increased levels of uric acid in the body which can form into crystals in the joints. These crystals cause inflammation and pain, commonly in the big toe.

Seafood such as scallops, mackerel, anchovies, herring, sardines, and salmon are some of those with the highest purine content. Shrimp and crab should also be avoided.

Organ meats such as liver, kidneys, brains, heart, and beef tongue are high in purines. These should be limited or avoided especially during attacks of gout.

Similarly, meats like beef, pork, and lamb should be limited. Game meats like pheasant, squirrel, grouse, and deer meat have fairly high purine levels. Limit the serving size of meats to two to three ounces per day. Poultry such as turkey and chicken are considered as having moderately high amounts so these can be consumed in moderation.

Processed meat such as hot dogs, bacon, lunch meats, sausages, bologna, salami, and pepperoni can also cause gout when consumed in excessive amounts.

Vegetables that are considered to be moderately high in purines include peas, lentils, asparagus, mushrooms, and cauliflower. These vegetables should be taken in moderation so as not to increase the gout risk.

Cherries have been shown to possess anti inflammatory properties. In a study, a cup of cherries appeared to prevent future flare ups of gout. Extract of cherries or gout supplement that contains wild cherry can also be taken along with the usual medications for gout to prevent attacks.

How is Uric Acid formed in the Body?

Image via WikipediaMost of us have heard of the term GOUT. But not many individuals are familiar with what Gout truly is, unless they've experienced gout's agonizing pain personally, or watched a loved-one temporarily suffer the symptoms.

Gout is a disorder of metabolism. It all starts with something called Purines. Purines are found in the foods that we eat. Purine-rich foods include such indulgences like alcohol, particularly beer, meats, seafood, and certain vegetables and legumes. These purines are naturally broken down via metabolism in the human body, into a product called Uric Acid. The Uric Acid is excreted through our kidneys. The breakdown of purines into uric acid is a natural process in human metabolism. But, when our body has difficulty excreting the uric acid, it is then when gout flare-ups begin. This excess of uric acid builds up into certain joints of the body, and in the foot, the most common location is in the big toe joint.

Why does the body have difficulty excreting the uric acid? Most frequently, after ingestion of these protein-rich foods, the body cannot keep up with excreting the extra uric acid, and these uric acid levels build up. Sometimes, there is a defect in one's metabolism where the individual is missing a certain enzyme that breaks the purines down into uric acid, resulting in excessive uric acid build-up with nowhere to go!

This abundance of uric acid likes to live in certain locations in the human skeleton, like knees, elbows, ears, and in the big toes! Once settled into their favorite location, the area becomes extremely red, swollen, and painful! It is so painful that a common description of pain is "so uncomfortable that a bed sheet touching my toe is excruciating!"

Again, the initial presentation of gout in the big toe presents as a red, hot, and swollen toe/joint that is significantly painful. X-rays are usually taken in the office, but it takes approximately 10 years for x-rays to show x-ray signs. So remember that x-ray's probably won't show anything at all, but soft tissue swelling.

Gout is a diagnosis based on your doctor's clinical suspicion. In other words, we suspect gout when the patient presents with the red, hot, swollen joint, has a history of gout, has eaten purine-rich foods recently, and sometimes when they've bumped or stubbed the toe. (That's right; sometimes trauma can precipitate a gout attack!).

What treatment should you expect if you present to your foot doctor with gout? X-rays are possibly a cortisone injection into the joint to break up inflammation and pain; an oral medication, specifically prescribed for acute gout, and labwork to review your uric acid levels. That's it! Usually, the symptoms are improved in a day or two, and resolved in 5-7 days. Sometimes patients are prescribed gout medications for daily intake for life to protect you from future gout flare-ups.

What can you do to protect yourself from another painful gout flare-up? First and foremost...diet control! Limit those purine-rich foods mentioned above! Gout is nicknamed "The Rich Man's Disease." Why?? Because those purine-rich foods like meat and seafood are expensive! Secondly, take your gout medication daily to prevent a new flare-up.

Although gout has a predilection for certain populations, it can affect anyone. Patients with symptomatic gout are now found surprisingly in young ages recently.

In addition to regular medications, gout supplements in easy pill form have helped relieve symptoms in countless gout sufferers.

Top Risk Factors for Developing Gout

Image by Vanessa Pike-Russell via FlickrGout is a painful form of arthritis that usually affects the big toe. Because of elevated uric acid levels in the blood, the joints become red, swollen, and stiff. The uric acid crystallizes and accumulates in the joints, usually at the joint at the base of the big toe. Under normal conditions, uric acid dissolves in the blood and passes out through the kidneys into the urine. However, there are cases where the body either produces too much uric acid or the kidneys excrete too little uric acid.

It may also affect the ankles, heels, instep, knees, wrists, fingers, and elbows. It is described as pain that occurs suddenly, often at night, and without warning. There are factors that increase the uric acid levels in the body such as excessive alcohol use. It has been found out that beer is the type of alcohol that is most strongly associated with gout. This is mostly noted in younger adults who often engage in binge drinking.

Individuals with a family history of gout are also at an increased risk of developing the disease. About one out of five people with gout has a family history of the condition.

Diet plays a major role in gout development. It is particularly related to excessive consumption of meat and seafood. It is best to stay away from foods that are high in protein and high in purines such as mussels, scallops, sardines, herring, hearts, kidneys, liver, and anchovies.

Men are at a greater risk for gout development and men commonly experience the initial gout attack between the ages of 30 and 50. In women, the risk increases after menopause. By the age of 60, the incidence is about the same in men and women.

There are also certain medications that can lead to increased uric acid levels because they impair the ability of the body to remove uric acid. Some drugs include diuretics, niacin or nicotinic acid, salicylates such as aspirin, cyclosporine, and levodopa.

The treatment for gout are lifestyle and diet changes, prescription medications, and gout supplements particularly those that contain wild cherry such as GouTrol.