10 Causes of Gout
Cause #1: Food
While food is an essential part of life, there are certain foods that increase the risk or likelihood of gout. Meat and seafood have been strongly associated with gout as these are foods that are richest in purines, leading to a high yield of uric acid. Examples include shrimp, dried anchovies, dried mushrooms, organ meat (offal), and seaweed. Potatoes and chicken have also been implicated.
Individuals with a risk of gout are advised to cut back on saturated fats that are most often found in fatty poultry, high-fat dairy products, and red meat. They should focus on consuming lean meat and low-fat dairy. While seafood is generally higher in purines, the overall health benefits of eating fish potentially outweighs the risk of gout. Therefore, moderate portions of fish are still recommended.
