Gout: causes and nutritional management

Gout is a disease characterized by acute or chronic inflammation caused by the presence of uric acid crystals within the joint. It is most commonly evidenced in men, however, it has increasingly developed in the population due to diseases such as obesity and hypertension.

Why do I have elevated blood uric acid?

It may be due to increased uric acid production, due to congenital defects in the enzymes of uric acid metabolism, due to leukemia and cell destruction, or due to prolonged fasting (massive protein utilization).

It may also be due to decreased elimination of uric acid by the kidneys. This is the most frequent cause (90% of the cases), due to renal congenital defects (low urine uric acid excretion which increases the concentration in blood); also due to taking diuretics or aspirin, frequent alcohol intake, prolonged fasting, or renal insufficiency.

Symptomatology

Among the symptoms that we can find in a person with elevated uric acid are:

1. Acute pain that can usually occur in the big toe, heel, ankle, instep or any of these joints.
2. Swelling, limitation of movement, fever, chills, and fatigue.
3. Usually occurs at night
4. The crises become more frequent until developing chronic gout where uric acid deposits are found in the form of palpable nodules in the subcutaneous tissue near joints or may generate deformities.
5. They can also be deposited in kidneys leading to chronic insufficiency.

Diagnosis

In order to reach an accurate diagnosis, your specialist may request the following tests:

1. Senovial fluid analysis
2. 24-hour urine
3. In acute crisis, the uric acid level may appear normal because it comes out of the blood and is deposited in the tissues.
4. Ultrasound, X-rays
5. Liver profile
6. Essential fatty acid levels

Lifestyle changes

"In the treatment we are going to talk about that it is a change in lifestyle what the person should do, starting with weight loss if necessary, proper hydration, and exercise as an important preventive measure," explainedDr. Ana Paula Robledo, nutritionist and health coach at Clínica Bíblica.

Nutritional treatment

The following is a list of foods that should be restricted from your diet, in order to minimize the effects they produce in the body:

1. Restriction of alcoholic beverages, especially red wine.
2. Coffee, caffeinated tea, energy drinks, and diuretics.
3. Restriction of foods high in purines: offal, red meats, anchovies, sardines, shellfish, chicken
4. Avoid excess
5. Trans fats and saturated fats: packaged foods, fried foods, fillings
6. Refined carbohydrates: breads, pasta, confectionery
7. Lentils, asparagus

Supplements and nutraceuticals

It should be noted that this section, as explained by the specialist, complements the intake of medicines, and does not replace the diet that a person with this condition should follow.

Nutraceuticals are found in food and contribute an important ingredient that helps me to work on some symptoms.

"I would like to give you a motivation: if you were diagnosed with gout or elevated uric acid in blood, your symptoms are your blessing, it is your body giving you information and opportunity to build a healthy lifestyle," added Dr. Robledo.

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