Diet foods for uric acid diseases:

My husband is having uric acid diseases which foods and fruit should I give him?

Gout is a common uric aid disease which can strike anyone; it is a complex disorder, a form of arthritis.



This uric acid disease is caused due to excess uric acid levels in the body which can be either due to more production or too little excretion by the kidneys. Uric acid gets broken down into purines that are natural waste products excreted from the body.



Excess uric acid can build up in the body causing sharp, needle-like urate crystals which accumulate in the joints or the surrounding tissues causing swelling, inflammation and pain. The primary target for gout is the big toe joint, but it can also affect other large joints of the body like knees, wrist, hands, feet and ankles.



Fortunately this uric acid disease is a treatable disease; along with the medications prescribed by your specialist try the following diet and lifestyle modifications to minimize the recurrence of this disease.
Quick diet tips for gout -

1. As levels of purine are already high in a person with uric acid diseases, purine rich foods in the diet should be limited. Theses include meat and meat products, pork, organ meats, spinach, lentils, peas, asparagus, yeast and shellfish. Meat gravy is also high in purines, thus it should also be avoided.
2. Choose low-fat dairy products and other beans for proteins and include complex carbohydrates like whole cereals, grains and its products in his diet.
3. All fruits are low in purine so you can give him any fruit of his choice. However if your husband is overweight then to get the uric acid levels down it is very important to lose weight on a gradual pace.
   
   
   
   Also minimize some calorie and carbohydrate dense fruits like bananas, sapota, custard apple and mango.
4. Drink a lot of water as this will help to dilute the urine and flush off the excess uric acid from the body.
5. Avoid alcoholic beverages such as beer completely as alcohol can inhibit the uric acid secretion from the body.
6. Vitamin C from orange juice or lime juice helps to reduce the inflammation in people suffering from uric acid diseases.
7. Certain vitamins and foods like vitamin C, cherries, coffee, and other dark colored fruits like raspberries, black berries, purple grapes and blueberries can help to reduce the uric acid levels in the body. But before starting a vitamin supplement or consuming excess of a particular food in your diet talk to your specialist or a health care provider for an approval.