Drink These Drinks to Prevent Gout

No one wants to experience an attack of gout, but the reality is that about five percent of men over the age of sixty-five suffer from this disease that often involves intense pain in the affected joint; and it’s growing in frequency as people live longer lives. Gouty attacks are by no means restricted to older men, they also occur in women and in younger people – although less frequently.

Once a person suffers the initial pain and discomfort of an attack of gout, they’ll do almost anything to avoid the pain and discomfort again. Unfortunately, prescription medications such as Allopurinol that lower the risk of gout by decreasing uric acid production have side effects. What if there was a natural, inexpensive way to prevent gouty attacks naturally? According to a recent article published in Family Practice News, two common beverages found in most people’s refrigerators may be effective in warding off painful gouty attacks.

Drink More Water

A study involving 535 people with a history of gout showed that drinking more water can help to ward off gouty attacks. Those who drank between five and eight glasses of water each day had a forty percent lower risk of developing an attack of gout compared to those who drank only one glass of water per day. The incidence of gouty attacks dropped by almost half in people who drank more than eight glasses of water a day. What could be simpler than drinking more water to prevent gout?

Drink Skim Milk

Another study looked skim milk as a way to prevent an attack of gout, and found that skim milk lowered levels of uric acid in the blood by about ten percent. Gouty attacks occur when too much uric acid builds up in the blood, so anything that lowers uric acid levels help to prevent gout. Don’t try substituting soy milk for dairy milk. Soy milk actually increased uric acid levels in this study.

The Bottom Line?

Add more dairy product to your diet and drink more water to lower the risk of gouty attacks. Other studies have also confirmed that the milk proteins found in dairy products lower uric acid levels by increasing excretion of uric acid by the kidneys. In addition, drinking water helps to prevent dehydration which can trigger an attack of gout. Prevent gout naturally by drinking more water and skim milk. It’s inexpensive prevention with a low risk of side effects.