Can Gout Risk Be Reduced By Weight Loss?

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What is gout?

Gout is a type of arthritis that is caused by the presence of too much uric acid in the blood system. Uric acid is the by-product of the breakdown of purines (certain protein in cells and many foods). The level of uric acid may increase in the body due to: If your kidneys are unable to remove it from the blood system, if you are suffering with a rare genetic abnormality, or because your lifestyle and diet increases the levels of uric acid in the blood. When high levels of uric acid remain in the boy for a prolonged period of time, needle-like crystals will start to accumulate in your tissues, resulting in painful and swollen joints. Diet is so crucial in both causing gout and reducing it in the body. Eating lots of diet that are rich in protein will result in overweight bodies, bodies that are highly susceptible to gout attacks and development.

Can losing weight help my gout?

Shedding of extra weight can reduce the level of uric acid in the body, as well as reducing the number of acute attacks in the body. In addition, weight loss is responsible for reducing stress on the joints charged with duties of carrying weight. Joints such feet, hips, ankles and knees are the most burdened with the duties of carrying more body weight. However, it is important to note that while you are trying to eat little food in order to reduce extra weight, you must avoid crash dieting. Going for long periods of time without food as well as instant weight loss can increase the level of uric acid and as a result trigger attacks of gout. A combination of eating a balanced diet together with regular exercises is the best form of reducing extra weight from the body. According to a major study carried out in 2005, reducing extra weight is the best in which a person can prevent against the attacks of gout. The report continued to opine that obesity is one of the major risk factors for individuals developing gout. Hyon K. Choi, MD, DrPH, and colleagues, Massachusetts General Hospital, collected data from than 47000 middle-aged men in a period of 12 years. Results from this study showed that those men who were overweight were the more attacked by gout. However, they observed that the more they shed extra weight the more their arthritic symptoms subsided. They estimated that a weight loss amounting to about 10 pounds was enough for a person suffering from arthritis to experience improvement to symptoms.

More Pounds, More Gout Risk

Gout likes to attack when there is a huge presence of uric acid in the blood. High levels of uric acid will result in more of it accumulating in the joints. The joints in which there is high presence uric acid crystals will start to swell up causing painful symptoms. Gout attacks will normally go away after few days, but will come back with severe symptoms which will also last for a long period of time. According to Choi’s team, whatever the diet one ate, any individual who was found to gain more weight was the most affected by gout. They concluded that those men who gained more than 30 pounds of weight or more weight while at the age of 21 were twice more likely to develop gout than those who did not gain weight during their time in adulthood. They found out that those men who lost about 10 pounds of weight dropped their risk of developing gout by about 45%.

Eating healthily is key

Eating a well-balanced diet is a god measure to curbing gout attacks. A good and balanced diet ensures that body weight is well maintained and it also gives the body the necessary nutrients responsible for body weight regulation. One ought to eat a variety of diets from the four main food groups available. These diets include:

  • Plenty of vegetables and fruits: consumption of plenty of vegetables is good for fiber in the body, while plenty of fruits are useful in proving the body with vitamins, phytonutrients and minerals.
  • Plenty of cereals, bread and other potatoes: You should ensure you have eaten plenty of grains and other cereals for maximum energy. Ensure to use the skin of potatoes for minerals, vitamins and fiber.
  • Eat moderate amounts of meat and fish.
  • Take moderate amounts of dairy products-take three portions dairy products e.g. 30mg piece of hard cheese, 200 ml glass of milk and a pot of yoghurt.
  • Reduce or if possible eliminate the consumption of highly processed drinks and foods.

High Blood Pressure, Water Pills Also Play Role

Extra weight is not the only risk factor for gout attacks. According to Choi and his colleagues, some medical conditions like high blood pressure can also lead to gout attacks. In addition, usage of water pills increases the risk to gout attack.

Should I drink lots of water?

Yes, taking lots of fluids reduces the chances of uric acid crystals from accumulating in the kidneys. In general terms, eight glasses of water or simply 1.5 liters of fluids a day is enough h for this purpose. You should take all drinks except alcohol, and other caffeine –containing fluids such as coffee and tea. The problem with caffeine is that it can act as mild diuretic, meaning that it can cause you to passed urine more frequently. However, there is good news to tea and coffee drinkers; they normally develop a natural tolerance to the consumption of these substances b y and will only experience dehydration if they happen to consume more than they normally consume. According various research studies, caffeine alone may not have a direct risk to gout development. But tea may risk those people with lower blood levels of uric acid as compared to those consuming the s\me amount of tea but are in normal conditions.

References

Eggebeen AT (2007). “Gout: an update”. Am Fam Physician 76 (6): 801–8. PMID 17910294.

Schlesinger N (March 2010). “Diagnosing and treating gout: a review to aid primary care physicians”. Postgrad Med 122 (2): 157–61. doi:10.3810/pgm.2010.03.2133. PMID 20203467

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Churchill Otieno
Churchill Otieno, holds a degree in Communications and Public Relations. He is an accomplished independent researcher, experienced, professional writer based in Chicago, IL past Mombasa, Kenya. He is an author and publisher for Consumer Health Digest - Joint Pain Center category since 2013. He has an additional credentials in health and lifestyle fitness. He has been writing articles on health for more than two years with interest on bone, joint health, arthritis, osteoarthritis etc. He is also a contributor to healthcentral.com and many other popular websites. His mission is to educate, empower and advocate people whose lives have changed due to arthritis joint pain. He also strive to support the families and caregivers as they learn how to advocate and care for the afflicted person.