How to avoid gout-triggering foods

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PITTSBURGH, May 21 (UPI) -- Experts at a U.S. health education group advise changing diet to avoid foods that may trigger gout.

Health professionals at the Gout & Uric Acid Education Society invite those suffering from gout -- the most common form of arthritis -- to consult their updated, simplified dietary guidelines at: www.gouteducation.org.

"The revised dietary guidelines for gout are easy to incorporate into daily life," nutritionist Madelyn Fernstrom of the University of Pittsburgh said in a statement. "These guidelines comprise a lifetime model for eating -- whether or not you have gout."

Some of the dietary guidelines recommended for gout management include:

-- Avoiding red meat, shellfish and alcohol, especially beer. These foods are high in purine, a chemical that can contribute to elevated uric acid levels associated with the pain of gout. Uric acid is also a marker for diabetes and kidney disease.

-- Avoiding soft drinks, fruit juices and prepackaged baked goods with high sugar content. These often include high-fructose corn syrup, which increasingly is being associated with gout.

-- Eating a balanced diet including low-fat or non-fat dairy products, nuts and vegetables.

-- Drinking plenty of water.