Children and Gout
If you suffer from gout you may have heard the comments about it being the disease of kings and how it is caused by to much beer and rich food. This would make you think that your children are at no risk at all from gout, as I am sure you don’t let your kids drink beer.
A build up of uric acid crystals around your joints causes gout and it normally starts in the big toe and can then travel around the body from here. These uric acid crystals don’t consider what your age is, they dont consider that you may be too young to feel the nasty burning pain that comes when gout attacks.
The last twenty years or so have brought about changes in children’s habits. In general, children will not spend so much time outdoors playing sports or doing exercise. They also tend to eat more processed food and beverages. Many children are not happy to drink just water, instead they prefer sodas and flavoured drinks which tend to contain a lot of fructose.
The intake of soda drinks, especially those which contain high levels of fructose can lead to the levels of uric acid in the body being increased. Consequently, gout cases have also increased over recent years. Whereas in previous years, gout has been referred to as a disease for kings. Soda drinks have become very popular, therefore cases of gout have also increased.
People who suffer from gout can greatly reduce the number of attacks they have by simply controlling their diet. It sounds easy, but some will not have the focus to stick to a healthier diet despite the obvious benefits. If you are in a routine then it can be hard to break it, even more if you are a little older. But it can be done and can have a very positive effect on your gout.
Have you thought about the long term effects of your child’s current diet? If you haven’t, then you need to because if you are letting them pick up bad habits in relation to their diet, you could be causing them long term damage. Therefore you should try to help them get into good eating habits so that they will see the benefits as they get older.
Because of the effect our work has on our personal lives, it can sometimes be hard to spend enough time shopping and cooking with good quality foods. We tend to go for fast foods because they are more convenient and we just haven’t got the time to ensure that our children are fed properly.
Gout prevention for the entire family should start with how you do your food shopping. Not buying foods that contain large amounts of fructose can make a big difference, as can avoiding foods which are high in uric acid creating chemicals. If you don’t buy them in the first place, then neither you or your children can eat them. Not only are you less likely to start suffering symptoms of gout, you are also helping to avoid other diseases such as diabetes.