If you’ve ever watched the play/movie 1776, you may recall a scene where Ben Franklin is carried to Congress and carefully sits down, propping his foot up. He says something along the lines of “I wish King George felt like my big toe all over.” That was an allusion to gout, which Franklin suffered from.

Franklin was wealthy, and at the time, the affliction was called “Rich Man’s Disease.” That was because men are usually the victims, and rich food was considered the source.

To a certain degree, they were right. Premenopausal women rarely have this disease, and some meats are extremely high in purine. The breakdown of purine is what causes the flareups. However, beer and most protein sources can be just as bad.

The most important category of food to avoid is organ meat. It doesn’t matter what critter it came from, cow, sheep, chicken, avoid it all. For those of you who love chorizo, this could be somewhat of a problem, as its main ingredients are in that category.

Seafood can be another major trigger, especially shellfish. However, salmon oil, used to give us Omega-3 fatty acids, has been known to cause flareups. You may also want to watch such supplements as glucosamine, as its source is from shellfish.

If you enjoy a nice beer on a hot summer afternoon, you will not be happy with this next bit. Beer is doubly bad for gout. First, the yeast has purine. Second, alcohol causes dehydration, which can increase the concentration of uric acid in the blood stream. Most alcohol will do that, though a glass or two of red wine may be more beneficial than harmful.

If you’re like me, you don’t appreciate articles that concentrate solely on the negative. I was taught that if I’m going to take the time to point out a problem, I ought to spend the time to show possible solutions, and there are a few.

In the beverage department, cherry juice is tops for helping both eliminate the uric acid crystals and reducing the inflammation associated with a flare up. In fact, many 100% fruit juices will do the same. Citrus could be an exception to this, as it is acidic and could encourage crystal formation.

Vegetable protein usually contains less purine than animal sources, but there are some cuts of chicken, pork and beef that are in the acceptable category. The loin portions particularly, due to a decrease in fat, are most beneficial.

For Omega-3s, you may want to look to flax seed oil. It is a natural, vegetable resource for this cholesterol lowering constituent. You’ll still want the benefits of the Omegas, and this could be your best bet.

Talk to your doctor about these suggestions. There are medications that can help, but they could interact with any sort of herbal supplement, including the ones above. That is your best way to make sure you avoid unnecessary flare ups and avoid side effects that could be a problem.