If your kidneys are unable to deal with all the uric acid that you ingest then they will turn it into crystals and send it off round your body. This is the starting point that ends up in the agony that is gout.

While it isn’t terrible to eat foods that are rich in purines once in a while, it is when people eat them to excess that the pain of gout can start to appear.

Switching to a diet that is designed to help reduce the levels of uric acid in your body may not be the instant fix that people hope for when they go to their Dr. It is however a easy to implement and cheaper option and that alone should be enough to make you at least try your new gout friendly diet before rushing off to see your Dr.

Uric acid comes about as the body breaks down purines in foods, to fight or prevent gout, the uric acid in the body must be brought down to safe levels. Logically, in controlling levels of uric acid in the body, you will have to reduce or altogether eliminate eating foods rich in purines.

Most of us enjoy a beer or a glass of wine once in a while, but that enjoyable hour could be part of what is causing the incredibly painful gout attacks that you are experienceing. Alcohol is generally high in purines and your kidneys have to work overtime to deal with all the resulting uric acid.

Working out your own gout diet can be complicated, you can start off by cutting out all alcohol from your diet and also remove red meat all together. At the least you should reduce your intake of red meat to once a week if possible.

In contrast, cherries, especially the blue and darker red or bluish cherries, have been known to lower the level of uric acid. Cherries are rich in flavonoids which are natures healing elements. They are also thought to stop the pain that goes with an attack of gout.Studies also seem to indicate that dandelion may have medicinal properties against uric acid build up.