Are gout and arthritis one in the the same thing? Not exactly.
Gout is just one of more than 100 'types' of arthritis that people suffer from.
It accounts for approximately 5% of all cases of arthritis and has to be one of the most painful.
There are mainstream drugs that are commonly given on prescription which, although they can be effective in reducing the pain and other symptoms of gouty arthritis, won't actually cure it.
There is no proven 'medical' cure for gout.
Plus, there are many unfortunate side effects with these drug-based therapies.
That's why an ever increasing number of gouty arthritis sufferers are turning to natural, more holistic, remedies for their gout.
And an essential part of this approach is diet.
The symptoms of gout are generally caused by the presence of needle-like uric acid crystals in your joints, which are formed from excess uric acid in your bloodstream.
In turn, this uric acid is formed as a result of the breakdown of chemical compounds called 'purines'.
These occur quite naturally in our body cells and in much of our foods.
But some foods have much higher levels of purines than others, and it's these foods that a gout victim must avoid if possible.
Typical high-purine food types to avoid are, red meat, game, offal (liver, kidneys, etc.
), poultry, shellfish, beans, peas, gravies, broths, mushrooms, cauliflower, asparagus, lentils, etc.
You must also avoid alcohol.
Low-purine foods that you can eat are things like, fresh vegetables and fruit (excluding those above), low-fat dairy products, complex carbohydrates (cereals, pasta, etc.
), essential fatty acids (tuna, salmon, etc.
), high vitamin C foods (potatoes, cabbage, etc.
), etc.
Drinking at least 12 eight ounce glasses of water a day is also recommended.
An effective diet for gout is a key part of your total gout natural remedy.
But, of course, there are many other considerations such as weight, general health, family history, medications, and so on, that can affect a good outcome.
And there are many other natural remedies that might be suitable for your gout like, herbs, vitamins, supplements, etc.
You need to investigate all these issues and more to get the natural gout remedy that's right for you.