A Gout-less Christmas

During the holidays, we tend to do three things: shop for presents, party ‘til we drop, and eat anything like there’s no tomorrow. But then, while eating with abandon is supposed to be in tune with the spirit of the season, extra caution should be exercised. After all, some kinds of food may be dangerous to your health. So, as much as you would like to binge on some yummy goodies at every dinner you eat from now until New Year’s it would be more advisable to have a cup of American ginseng tea to keep your metabolism in check.

Moreover, eating too much of some things can, at worse, cause diseases. One of the conditions that can be aggravated with consumption of some kinds of food is gout. Simply put, gout is a kind of arthritis that causes painful inflammation in some joints.

For gout sufferers, here are some kinds of food that you should avoid during these festive holidays:

Herring

You in all instances refrain from ingesting a lot of this food because of its severe high-purine levels.  This is the reason why you should definitely avoid this kind of food. Its high purine levels will dramatically increase your risk for gout. 

Scallops

Seafood is on top of the list for those foods that should be avoided by those suffering from gout.  Scallops are another kind of food that has high levels of purine.  It is the accumulation of uric acid that makes your body suffers from gout.  It’s not necessary to cut this off from one’s diet but consumption should be kept to a minimum level.

Red meat

Although taken in small quantities, red meat is alright to consume by people suffering from gout. But if given the choice, white meat is the better option for your body’s daily protein requirements. 

Asparagus

This is one vegetable that has high purine levels so this should be taken in minimum quantities. Taking in American ginseng can help control uric acid levels.

Liver

Organs like liver, kidneys and other offal’s are a no-no for people suffering from gout because it can increase uric acid levels in the body.

Beer

Beer should be crossed out from the list of drinks because it increases the body’s uric acid levels and the alcohol in the beer makes it difficult for the body to flush it out from the body. 

Soda

Drinks that are high in sugar is a no-no, especially those that have HFCS or high fructose corn syrup listed as one of its ingredients. The sugar will help stimulate the body to produce more uric acid so downing in a can of soda will definitely increase its levels right away.

Ultimately, gout is caused by high levels of uric acid in the blood. Thus, stay away from foods that contain uric acid, as well as sugar. If you can’t avoid them, try supplements like American ginseng.