Dr. Jerry Williams of Urgent Care 24/7 discusses gout or the fact that his patients come in and tell me before that they've got grouch, which Is probably a better name because it's a very, very painful condition.

What is gout? Gout is a condition where a patient has high levels of uric acid and their blood in their body, and it crystallizes out into the joints causing exquisite pain. Patients who have gout and have increased levels of uric acid. This is typically related to dietary issues. Some might say dietary indiscretions, very rich foods, alcohol, etc, can exacerbate patients who are prone to gout.

First and foremost, staying away from a rich diet that's high in alcohol consumption and high in protein and red meat, and even some seafood can prevent gout attacks. Something that some people don't know is actually very helpful in prevention, and believe it or not, it's actually holistic. It's tart cherry juice. I know that sounds crazy, but actually, the substance that's in cherries that makes the cherry a deep red is actually very effective at lowering uric acid levels in patients.

It has to be real cherry juice, can't be the fake stuff. So if you're having a problem you or a loved one has had a problem with gout in the past, let me encourage you to add an eight ounce glass of tart cherry juice to their diet once a day. You should still try to avoid the foods that can help trigger gout. Add eight ounces of fresh cherry juice to your diet once a day, it's incredible how much that helps prevent gout attacks.

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