Curiously enough, gout is not caused by eating a fruit but is a disease that is caused by the body itself in response to high levels of uric acid in the body. It is know fact that a diet that is very high in protein aggravates this condition. Therefore when one is placed on a diet for gout, protein rich food is the first to go off the menu.
The protein content of guava and any fruit is not significant enough to cause gout and is therefore a safe fruit to have. However, if you are buying guava in a jelly or jam form that has high sugar content, this might create problems and make an existing case of gout worse.
Gout is caused by high levels of uric acid in the body.
Uric acid is created as a normal outcome of cell death in the body and is excreted from the body; however, if the levels are too high then the uric acid will collect in the joints and start to crystallize. These crystals are sharp and damage the surrounding tissue causing inflammation. Gout sufferers have many problems even moving the joints and if the condition is not rectified then, an arthritic joint can develop whose crystals start to form at the joints. One of the reasons that uric acid increases so much in the system is because of a substance called Purine. Purine is present in the body as a natural factor because of cell breakdown and is also ingested into the body when consuming high protein foods. Purine is converted to uric acid by a metabolic process and it should be excreted from the system after that. Purine is obtained mostly from other animal sources like meat, fat and also from alcohol. It has been shown that people who drink a lot of alcohol are prone to this disease.
From a dietary perspective, one who suffers from gout should immediately shift to a vegetarian diet that is rich in leafy green vegetables. Protein deficiency due to the reduction in consumption of meat can be compensated for by the intake of vegetable protein and dairy instead. Synthetic fructose as used in soft drinks should also be avoided as these have high purine content. Sucrose-based drinks should also be avoided and simpler glucose should be the only sugar consumed. In addition to this, a high water intake is prescribed to literally, wash the system clean of excessive uric acid.
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Causes of Gout In a word, no. Gout is a form of arthritis in which the tissue around joints is inflamed due to an excessive build up of uric acid in the body. There is no single cause for the disease. A number of factors can contribute to the development of gout — heredity, excess of protein in the diet, alcohol, as well as other diseases such as diabetes and hypertension. No single food item, such as guava, can cause gout. Even if you are referring to a gout attack itself — an episode involving swelling of a joint, decreased mobility, and pain — these too are brought on by a variety of causes, including several foods that are high in a substance called purine, which contributes to the level of uric acid in the body. However, guavas do not cause uric acid levels to increase, so there is no reason to link them with gout any more than any other fruit.
Foods that do affect levels of uric acid in the body include animal products (especially internal organs, which are a delicacy for some people), fish and other sea food, spinach, mushrooms, cauliflower, beans, and oats. In addition, alcohol (beer in particular) and soft drinks that are rich in sugar increase uric acid levels.
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