You could be eating something right now that is causing your gout to get worse. While you're suffering, you need to know about which gout foods to avoid to prevent you from aggravating or prolonging your condition. When you're done with this article, you'll know the types of food to limit or eliminate completely.

If you're chronically tormented with gout, your diet should contain foods low in protein. That means no large amounts of seafood or red or dark meat. Shellfish, salmon, scallops, sardines, anchovies, and dark fish fillets should be taken off your food list, as well as liver, heart, mussels, sausages, or any other animal organs.

You should also add purine-rich foods on your 'gout foods to avoid' list. Too much purine contributes to uric acid build-up in your body, which causes crystallization in the joints and gout pain. Even some vegetables should be restricted in the meantime, such as mushrooms, cauliflower, asparagus, radishes, and spinach.

Foods high in carbohydrates should also be avoided while you're experiencing gout, because carbs increase the intensity of uric acidity in your body. Wheat bran, whole grain breads, oatmeal, and yeast contribute to making the gout attack last longer and become more painful.

Consuming any alcohol should be stopped during the continuation of the gout outbreak. Drink tea and coffee instead, if drinking water (which is best) doesn't appeal to you. Water helps your body flush the toxins out that lead to uric acid build-up and crystallization in the joints.

Many gout victims also eat similarly to people with a history of heart disease. Now that you know which gout foods to avoid, you should figure out which foods to include more of in your daily diet. Foods rich in vitamins and minerals, like most vegetables and fruits (especially cherries) and dairy products, are good to eat. These foods will help your body maintain a low amount of uric acid.