Low Purine Diet

A low-purine diet is one which eliminates the foods that are high in purine, and which also cuts out many types of alcohol as well.

This is done because certain foods and drinks are well known for causing gout attacks.

All animal offal including brain, heart, liver, kidneys, tongue is all high in purine and are very likely to bring on a gout attack. And bacon is almost guaranteed to trigger another gout attack. It has done it to me, more than once... I guess I am a slow learner!

Red wine is another no-no to anyone predisposed to gout, and drinking Port or Sherry is pretty much guaranteed to bring on an acute gout attack. Even ordinary beer is inadvisable, though if you really feel you can't go without beer, then a light ale should be slightly safer for you than a dark beer. (But there's no guarantee you'll get away with it.) White wine, too, is relatively safer. But in very great moderation, please. Only with your afternoon meals.

...just one little taste of the wrong food can trigger an acute attack of gout.

You see, a person can have gout and not be in pain. Perhaps they haven't had their first gout attack yet (this is called asymptomatic gout), or else it's been a while since their last gout attack and they thought they were okay.

Remember that just one little taste of the wrong food can trigger an acute attack of gout. I mean like instantly! It happened to me once when I decided I was going to cook some old-fashioned pea and ham soup. I went to the local butcher's shop and bought some bacon bones to add flavor to the soup. I prepared it at home and cooked it. Then when I finally tasted the soup, I got a severe and very, very painful gout attack immediately.

And all I had had was one lousy spoonful.

Next: The Good News About Gout