Gout

Do you have gout?  If you do, do you know what foods to avoid or limit?

Gout is actually a form of arthritis caused by the way the patient's body metabolizes uric acid. Usually, we carry a small amount of this acid in our blood stream but if the level gets high, crystals can be deposited in the cartilage and tissue of the joints causing stiffness, redness, pain and swelling.
Certain foods contain high levels of purines (which our bodies turn into uric acid) so they should be avoided to prevent triggering gout. Triggers are red meat, organ meats (liver, kidneys, etc), beans, shellfish, peas and lentils, Alcohol intake should be limited.

Beans, due to a high purine content, can trigger (not cause...too much uric acid is the cause) a gout attack. Nuts are safe as they are very low in purines. So, the difference between beans and nuts are the level of purines they contain.

If a gout sufferer eats too many beans or other high purine food, the first symptom usually experienced is a hot, red, swollen joint (most often the big toe). The pain is usually bad enough that the person doesn't want to wear socks or have a sheet over their foot. The pain will subside in a week or two with no medication but with a prescription medication, usually in two or three days.