Gout is severe pain experienced in the joints due to increase in uric acid levels. Increased levels of uric acid lead to the formation of crystals which are sharp needle-like structures around the joints. Gout can also be called as a severe form of arthritis.

Purine is a naturally occurring compound in the body. When we consume foods that are high in purine, their breakdown leads to the formation of uric acid, and this increased level of uric acid leads to gout attacks.

Gout normally occurs in the big toe, but other areas of the body that are vulnerable to gout include foot, ankles, knee joints or even the hands.

What Is a Gout Diet?
A gout diet is a diet that would help you with minimizing the uric acid levels present in the blood. Gout diet would not help in curing gout, but it can help in controlling the gout attacks and reducing the pain experienced in the joints to a great extent.

What Are Gout Causing Foods?
Gout causing foods is a kind of diet that contains high levels of purine which in turn leads to the formation of uric acid. The increased uric acid would further lead to gout pains.

Gout causing foods should be avoided if you are suffering from severe joint pains. Since gout is a common problem in men and the people with excessive weight, they should avoid gout causing foods.

Gout Causing Foods
The following foods should be avoided for keeping Gout at bay:

1. Fish
Fishes contain a high level of purine. If you consume fish on an occasional basis, it may not cause gout problem, but if you eat fish regularly, it could be a problem.

Types of fish that contain high levels of purine are salmons, herrings, cod, tuna, sardines, mackerel, carp, trout, anchovies and cod.

2. Alcohol
Alcohol is the main reason that gout attacks are prevalent in men. Men sometimes get addicted to alcohol which leads to high levels of purine in the body which in turn triggers gout.

Beer is a kind of alcohol that contains high levels of purine. Studies have found that if a person consumes one serving of beer in a day’s time, he increases his chance to develop gout by nearly 50%.

Apart from increasing the uric acid levels in the body, beer also makes it hard for the body to excrete it from the system.

Wine is another example when consumed in high quantities leads to gout.

3. Organ Meats
Organ meats are also known as offal and are the kind of meats which form their source from organs of the animals. Such meats are the highest in purine and must be avoided immediately in case you are suffering from gout.

The most common organs that cause gout include liver, brain, kidney, tongue, lungs, and even the spleens of animals.

Studies have shown that pig’s heart, chicken liver, chicken breast and cow’s tongue are the organs that are quite high in purine, and are a big no for people suffering from gout.

4. Beef
Beef or the meat from cattle is also a source of purine. The entire animal is believed to have moderate to high levels of purine. Beef is also a rich source of fats which in turn may increase your chance of developing Gout.

Ribs, beef fillet, chuck steak and beef in the roasted form are believed to contain the highest levels of purine.

Pork and lamb are also found to be high in purine but do not cause much of a problem when eaten occasionally or in small quantities.

5. Sodas and Fruit Drinks
Sodas and fruit drinks are consumed in high quantities in modern times. These drinks are known as sugary drinks because they contain an artificial sugar called fructose corn syrup.

These drinks cause gout attack as the lead to crystallizing the uric acid present in your body. It should be noted that these soft drinks and sodas are not found to be high in purine but it is believed that the gout conditions occur due to high fructose levels in these drinks that lead to the buildup of uric acid in the body.

6. Fruits
Certain fruits such as apples, oranges, watermelon and raw dates are found to be high in purine.

These fruits are good for health and so they are consumed by the majority. But in case you are obese or suffering from gout attacks, it is strictly recommended to stay away from these fruits.

7. Fried Foods
It is known that fried foods also lead to increase in gout attacks. Fried foods also lead to obesity which may further increase the risk of developing gout.

Fried foods should be avoided in case you are suffering from gout, or have a history related to gout.