Gout Causes
Gout occurs when there is excess of uric acid in your joints, turning into crystals of urate. The accumulation of urate crystals in your joints cause symptoms like intense pain and inflammation. The symptoms of gout might appear at once without a warning which is known as a gout attack. High levels of uric acid in your blood comes from excess protein in your blood which ultimately turns into urate crystals leading to gout. The split up of purines in the body results in the production of uric acid which is a byproduct of a metabolic process. Purines are present naturally in the body and are also present in some foods we eat like organ meats and red meat such as liver. High intake of foods rich in purines can lead to formation of urate crystals in the joints.
Some foods that are rich in purine include sardines, trout, anchovies, tuna, scallops, and mussels. In addition, alcoholic drinks particularly fizzy drinks and beer promote high levels of uric acid in the body. Typically, uric acid present in blood dissolves and goes through our kidneys into urine. However, sometimes when the body excretes too little uric acid or starts producing too much uric acid, there is a buildup of uric acid in the body. The excess amounts of uric acid start building up and forms needle-like sharp urate crystals in a surrounding tissues or directly in a joint that causes swelling, intense pain, and inflammation. You are more likely to get gout if you are consuming foods rich in purine or if your uric acid is higher than normal levels by whatever reason. Factors that might increase your uric acid levels in blood and become the cause in the development of gout include the following: [2]
Diet
Having a diet rich in shellfish, red meat, and other foods having loading amounts of purines increase the uric acid level of blood. In addition, drinking sugary beverages with excess amounts of fructose and alcoholic drinks can also increase the blood uric acid levels. The studies confirm that consumption of alcohol especially beer can increase your risk for developing gout by elevating blood uric acid levels.