by Ruth Belena

Created on: December 27, 2008   Last Updated: May 27, 2009

A healthy diet for a gout patient is a well balanced diet. Eating more natural unprocessed foods, and taking additional food supplements, can assist in the treatment of gout.

It is good for a gout patient to know which foods will prevent a further onset of this very painful condition, and to avoid the type of food and drink that can cause an attack of gout.

Gout is caused by uric acid in the blood forming sharp edged crystals in the body, rather than dissolving as it should. Gout treatment is usually based on anti-inflammatory medicine, but gout prevention can be aided by taking natural herbal supplements, and by enjoying a good healthy diet.

* Eating apples, or drinking freshly squeezed apple juice, can help to relieve gout pain, because the natural malic acid in apples helps to neutralize uric acid in the human body.

* Cherries have proved to be surprising effective as an alternative treatment for gout pain, and for preventing the onset of gout. A cherry contains a high concentration of anthocyanocides, and it is these that efficiently lower the levels of uric acid. Black cherries are the best ones to eat, or the gout patient can take a herbal supplement made from cherry fruit extract.

* Herbal remedies for gout include devil's claw root, ginger root, licorice and feverfew. These herbs effectively fight inflammation and help cleanse toxins from the body. These herbs can be taken as natural supplements, or can be used to make herbal infusions, and consumed as hot drinks.

The most natural way of treating gout pain, and preventing further attacks, is by ensuring the right foods are present in the patient's daily diet. A good selection of nutritious foods should be included in the diet, based around the ones that will not harm the gout patient:

- A wide range of berries, fruits and green leafy vegetables.

- Eggs, nuts, and seeds for protein.

- Small amounts of lean meat, limited to no more than three ounces per serving.

- Full fat dairy produce should be avoided by anyone with gout. If milk is used, it should be low-fat or skimmed. Low-fat yogurt can be sweetened with cherry or apple.

- Tofu or soy milk can be used as healthier alternatives to meat and dairy products.

The best thing a gout patient can do is to drink more water. It not safe to drink a lot of water all at once, but regular intake of water throughout the day helps to dilute the uric acid in the bloodstream, and it will speed the elimination of toxins from the body. Water can be consumed in the form of hot or cold drinks, but not as sugar based soft drinks. Recent research shows that having two sugar sweetened soft drinks a day increases the risk of gout by 85%.

Any food that will raise levels of uric acid should be avoided. The gout patient should reduce, or replace, their intake of meat, fish, seafood, poultry, sweetbreads, kidneys, liver, brains, offal, full fat cheese, and some vegetables, lentils and peas. A well balanced diet will not have an adverse affect on levels of uric acid, and will prevent further attacks of gout.

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