There is still no cure for gout, but a new study reveals that taking certain probiotics can lower its risk.
Gout is the most common inflammatory arthritis that affects more than 9.2 million people in the U.S. It is characterized by swelling, redness and tenderness in one or more joints caused due too high levels of uric acid in the body.
These are the most common symptoms to look out for:
intense joint pain
swelling and redness
joint tenderness
discomfort in movements
What are the risk factors?
Studies have shown that men are at a higher risk of getting gout. Factors like high blood pressure, insulin resistance, obesity, diabetes, poor kidney function and congestive heart failure can elevate the risk of getting gout.
Treatment for gout
Although there is no permanent cure for the disease, the condition can be kept under control by treating the symptoms of an attack and by identifying the triggers to prevent future attacks.
The most common triggers include drinking too much alcohol, injury to the joint, an illness that results in a fever, a fatty meal and dehydration. Self-management strategies, such as avoiding certain food and making healthy lifestyle choices can help reduce flare-ups of gout.
Foods to avoid
Purines are chemicals found in certain foods and drinks that break down to form uric acid as the byproduct. Since gout is caused by high levels of uric acid in your body, the condition can be managed by maintaining a low-purine diet.
A low-purine diet includes avoiding sugary drinks, alcohol, high fructose corn syrup, red meat, turkey and certain seafood such as scallops, mussels, codfish and tuna.
What are probiotics? How does it help
Probiotics are good bacteria and yeasts that naturally live in a body and keep the digestive system healthy. It is often taken in the form of supplements to increase and balance the amount of “good” bacteria in the gut.
Probiotics have been found helpful in treating several conditions like eczema, yeast infection, diarrhea and urinary tract infections.
A new study conducted by researchers at Complutense University of Madrid reveals that a particular probiotic strain that normally lives in the gut – Ligilactobacillus salivarius – is efficient in converting uric acid.
The findings of the study, published in the journal Frontiers in Microbiology, suggest that people who receive L. salivariusprobiotics have fewer gout episodes and would need lesser gout-related drugs.
The probiotic strain also helps in managing oxidative stress, liver damage and metabolic syndrome, researchers said.
Gout is a form of arthritis characterized by swelling, redness, and tenderness in one or more joints caused due too high levels of uric acid in the body. pixabay