Alcohol for gout

Before answering the question of whether it is possible to drink alcohol with gout, let's try to understand how alcoholic drinks affect the human body in general, what happens to it under the influence of this liquid.

Alcohol reduces the efficiency of the kidneys. They excrete uric acid worse with urine, which leads to its deposition and crystallization. Initially, this product begins to be deposited in the joints. Gradually, salt conglomerates provoke the development of an inflammatory process, with all the ensuing consequences: swelling, severe joint pain, and over time, limited joint mobility.

Therefore, if a person already has a history of gout, drinking even a small amount of alcohol will only worsen the already difficult situation with the joints. The risk of complications and an unpredictable prognosis is especially high in people suffering from chronic alcoholism.

Drinking alcoholic beverages is strictly prohibited if the patient has a history of gout. Even short-term but heavy abuse of alcoholic beverages can provoke a severe attack, which will have to be stopped by serious drug therapy.

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What alcohol can you drink if you have gout?

Most scientists and medical workers who deal with this problem are categorical in expressing their opinion that alcohol in any form is not only harmful, but also dangerous for the body of a patient suffering from gout. But even in medical circles, opinions on this issue are divided. A number of doctors still believe that a natural alcoholic drink that does not contain any preservatives or flavoring additives in small doses is, on the contrary, beneficial for the body.

Prepared from natural products, such a drink can raise the immune status and have a strengthening effect on the musculoskeletal system, which includes joints.

So what kind of alcohol can you drink with gout? How can you find that justified "golden mean" that will allow you to bring noticeable benefits without causing harm?

One or two glasses of quality wine is all that a person suffering from gout can afford.

Vodka for gout

Any alcohol slows down the already weak excretion of uric acid by the kidneys. Therefore, vodka is not recommended for gout. Scientists conducted an experiment, one experimental group did not drink alcohol at all, becoming a control group, the second - drank five doses of the product during the day (150 ml of a 40% drink), the third - drank seven doses of the product during the day (210 ml of a 40% drink).

As further examination showed, the first group of people had less frequent attacks and had mild symptoms.

In the second group of patients, the frequency of attacks of exacerbation of the disease was twice as high as in the control group.

The third group of patients suffered the most, showing a relapse rate 2.5 times higher than the control group.

Therefore, in order not to expose yourself to risk, it is advisable to give up vodka altogether. But if this requirement cannot be fully met, you should follow the recommendations given above.

The only thing that alcohol can do for gout is to serve as a warming compress for the affected area.

Wine for gout

In case of gout, wine, in small quantities (one or two glasses), if it is a home-made product or the product of companies with a solid, unblemished reputation, will not hurt. This is what some experts think. Preference should be given to dry wines, choosing either white or red to your taste.

But this is all strictly individual: if for some patients such a dosage is harmless, then for others such an amount can become a catalyst for an exacerbation of the disease.

There is an interesting observation by Boston scientists who found that wine consumption provokes more gout attacks in men than in women.

Beer for gout

If a person's medical history is burdened by the disease discussed in this article, then he/she is strictly forbidden to drink beer. This prohibition applies not only to the alcoholic but also to the non-alcoholic version of this drink.

Most men consider beer to be a "diuretic that cleanses the kidneys." But this is a big misconception.

Beer contains a high level of purines. That is, any, even minor, consumption of beer can provoke an exacerbation of the disease. And you won’t have to wait long for an attack.

At the same time, the alcoholic product increases the density of the blood. This fact worsens the process of delivery of nutrients to various organs and systems, including joints, which only worsens the situation.

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What is the correct way to drink alcohol when you have gout?

If you can’t force yourself to give up alcohol or avoid drinking it, you should know a few rules on how to drink alcohol correctly with gout in order to avoid an exacerbation of the disease.

The most important thing is to prepare your body for the upcoming feast.

1. Some advise preparing the body for drinking a few hours before the main event by taking a small dose of an alcoholic beverage. This will increase the level of alcohol dehydrogenase, an enzyme in the blood, which will further facilitate better processing and elimination of alcohol. But in a situation where the patient has a history of gout, doctors do not recommend doing this.
2. It is advisable to take one of the means that will reduce the level of alcohol absorption by the digestive tract mucosa shortly before the banquet. This can be a small portion of butter or vegetable oil (it will be enough to swallow one tablespoon of the product). The oil will envelop the mucosa with a thin film, starting to work as a protective film.
3. You should not drink alcoholic beverages on an empty stomach.
4. It is advisable to start a meal with a hot menu. Such dishes, when mixed with a drink, do not allow alcohol to so actively affect the mucous membrane of the digestive tract, worsening its absorption.
5. Half an hour to an hour before the banquet, you can take one of the adsorbents. For example, it can be activated carbon, it adsorbs part of the alcohol, reducing the dose of alcohol. The dosage of carbon is selected based on the patient's weight: one tablet for every ten kilograms of weight, washed down with the required amount of water.
6. You need to watch what you drink. No moonshine or low-grade counterfeit. Drinks should only be high-quality and natural.
7. Do not mix different alcoholic beverages.
8. After drinking an alcoholic beverage, it is advisable to wash it down with alkaline mineral water (Borjomi, Essentuki 4 or Essentuki 17).
9. You should not overindulge in the amount of food you consume.
10. Never drink alcohol while undergoing treatment using pharmacological medications. This combination can cause a number of complications, including internal bleeding.

As recent studies have shown, small doses of quality alcohol have a beneficial effect on the cardiovascular system of the body and relieve stress quite well. But this does not apply to gout.

If we take 30 g of a strong drink (at least 40% strength) as an alcoholic unit (portion), then a number of scientists and medical workers consider the daily safe dose for men to be one to two units, for women no more than one. The same portion corresponds to 100 ml of dry wine or 300 ml of a drink such as beer. While others argue that even this amount increases the level of uric acid in the body and the risk of developing gout or its exacerbation.