Gout appears because the blood has to much uric acid in it and this acid forms small crystals in the tissues found in the joints. These crystals cause inflammation and pain. The joint that gout mostly affects is the one from the left or right big toe.

The small crystals of uric acid can get bigger and cause arthritis or they can affect the kidneys where they turn into kidney stones.

Therefore it is important to know how to prevent gout, or what to do if we just found out that we suffer from it. The key to avoiding the levels of uric acid to raise is a special diet. The only reason why we have too much uric acid inside our bodies is because we eat too much food that contains a lot of purines, the substances from which uric acid is made.

Seafood, red meat, and some vegetables (peas, cauliflower, beans) are the aliments that have the highest concentration of purines. Then come fish, beef and liver, which also have a lot of purines in them, but not as many as the first ones.

It is known that if you drink a lot of alcohol the risk oh hyperuricemia is increased (hyperuricemia is a condition of the body that occurs when there's too much uric acid in it)

On the other hand, there are some types of food that can reduce the leves of uric acid, and that are highly recommended when you have gout. From these, the most important is the apple. Apples contain malic acid, an acid that neutralizes uric acid, so if you eat a lot of apples you may be cured of gout. Banannas and limes can do some good to those with gout. Vitamin C found in the limes can also dissolve uric acid.

Finally, fluids are beneficial because if you drink a lot of fluids these help the body elimminate the uric acid. Some doctors state that if you drink two glasses of milk each day you will reduce the risks of a gout attack with 50%.

Therefore, diet is crucial for those with gout. The proper diet can prevent and cure the illness and the wrong one can make it much worse, so if you have gout ask your doctor to recommend you the best diet and try to maintain it. If you do so you will be completly cured and you'll never have a gout attack again.