One of the most painful joint ailments a person can get is gout.  Unfortunately, gout is often hereditary.  If you have this disease and it runs in your family, unless you are very strict in avoiding foods that can cause gout, you are almost guaranteed to have a future attack.  This is true for most patients even if they take gout medications.  Here are three foods to avoid with gout that you can eliminate from your diet to assist you in reducing your likelihood of having future gout attacks.

Eating any type of organ meat is bad for you if you suffer from this malady.  Most physicians suggest patients stay away from meats like beef, but the real problem is not the beef itself, it is certain parts of the beef.  The worst part to eat is organ meat.  In fact, this is true for just about any animal.  So stay away from liver, heart, or gizzards in the case of turkey or chicken.

The reason for this is organs have the highest concentration of purines.  Purines break down into uric acid once they are in the body and if uric acid gets out of control, it can cause a gout attack.

Game meat is another type of meat you should avoid.  Most game meat is also high in purines.  This seems contradictory in that most game meat is actually very good for you, because it tends to be lean.  Unfortunately, it is good for you unless you have gout.  The worst attack I ever had was after eating a few meals of venison.  I was unaware at the time venison was loaded with purines.

The third type of food you should avoid is shellfish.  Shellfish such as shrimp, lobster, or crab is also packed full of purines.  Not to mention, lobster and crab are bottom feeders and are not healthy to eat.  If you have gout, you should avoid eating shellfish at all costs.  If you insist on eating it, please eat in very small amounts.  The symptoms of gout from these attacks can be severe.

Organ meat, game meat, and shellfish are three groups of food that can cause gout.  Avoiding these foods can help reduce not only the number of attacks you have in the future but also their severity.