Nowadays, almost everyone knows that uric acid crystals formed in the joints and connective tissues cause the gout symptoms. They form when your uric acid level is high. This will cause excruciating pain in the joints of the big toe, knees, ankles and fingers.

Basically, the normal body metabolizing process will break down the purines in the body and the broken down product of purines will be uric acids. Purines are known chemical compounds that are found in the cells of your body. They are essential and it is important to support life and provide your body with energy and the protein required for essential body functions.

It is the uric acid that all gout sufferers are trying desperately to avoid. You know that uric acid accumulation in the body will cause the excruciating gout pain; it is paramount that you try to prevent that at all costs.

You have to know that purines exist in varying amounts in foods and must also know what foods to avoid for gout. You must also find those foods in your diet that are high or very high in purines. With that information, you will know which foods to avoid for gout.

So let us start with the foods that are high in purines that gout sufferers should definitely stay away from, starting with grouse, fatty red meat, mincemeat, venison, pheasant, heart, liver, kidneys, gravy, broth, mackerel, herrings, anchovies, sardines, scallops, shrimps, prawns, yeast extracts and dried legumes. Gout sufferers must always avoid alcohol at all cost. Alcohols such as liquors, spirits and stay away from beer as well.

You need to start cutting down your intake of foods mentioned in the list above. You can slowly wean yourself off some them if you cannot stop eating them in a short time. For instance, you take 3 pieces of sardines daily for a long time, now you can cut that down to 2 pieces daily for one week and cut down another piece for the following week. This is how you can slowly reduce the intake of high purine foods.

Please do bear in mind that different people will react differently towards the foods that causes gout attacks. This is because every individual's metabolism differs from one another. For example, John might get gout attacks from eating too many shrimps, while Harry can eat shrimps often without any symptoms and attacks. That is the kind of difference that you should look out for.