Easy Way to Identify Foods High in Uric Acid In Order to Prevent Gout

It's important to avoid foods high in uric acid when you're a gout sufferer. The problem is how do you identify them? Here you'll discover a list of high uric acid foods that you should consider avoiding or, at the very least, eating much less of if you want to prevent more gout attacks.

Generally speaking, gout sufferers have one thing in common; they have high uric acid levels in their blood. It's these high levels that lead to gout symptoms. Here's how it works...

When you have higher-than-normal uric acid levels, over a period of time, crystals can form and circulate in the bloodstream. When this happens they can lodge in the joints and connective tissue. This occurs mostly in the big toe but can happen anywhere, e.g. ankles, knees, hands, elbows, and so on.

The presence of these crystals of urate in the joints and tissue triggers your body's natural inflammatory response which then causes inflammation, redness, swelling, stiffness, heat and, of course, agonizing pain. These we know as the symptoms of gout.

There are several reasons for high uric acid, but one important one is foods high in uric acid, or rather, high in purines. You see, uric acid is produced as a byproduct when chemical compounds in our bodies, known as 'purines,' break down during the normal metabolizing process. But purines also exist in food. So food can contribute to high acid levels which ultimately leads to gout.