The Arthritis Foundation has defined gout as a form of inflammatory arthritis that develops due to having high levels of uric acid in the blood. Gouty arthritis can be extremely painful and the onset of symptoms tend to happen quickly. This condition only affects a single joint at the beginning and moves its way to other joints over time. The affected joint becomes hot, swollen, red and painful. Sometimes the symptoms can mimic an infection of the joint.

If you are suffering from gout then you should consider changing your diet to calm the symptoms. There are a number of different foods you can add to your diet to help you live with gout:

1. Water
No matter if you have gout or not, water is still an important staple that everyone should include in your diet. Water not only keeps you hydrated, but it also helps to keep the uric acid from building up. It releases the uric acid from your body. It’s important that you aim to drink 8-ounces of water a day to help keep gout in remission.

2. Cherries
There are a couple of studies that showcase the benefits of cherries for gout. Cherry juice extract seems to lower the risk of gout attacks by 45%. When consumed up to three servings, cherries were able to decrease your risk by 35%. Cherries contain a high amount of anti-inflammatory antioxidants. These antioxidants are known as anthocyanins. Anthocyanins are found in fruits that are blue, purple, and deep red. The vitamin C in cherries works to lower the levels of uric acid.

3. Bananas
Lowering uric acid in your blood means eating low-purine foods. Bananas are also high in vitamin C and has the ability to lower the risk of an attack. Lowering your risk of gout is much about taking in higher amounts of vitamins.

4. Lemon juice
In a 2017 study, lemon extract and lemon juice work to lower uric acid in the blood. When drinking fresh lemon juice in an 8-ounce cup of water, adults found that after six weeks of consumption lowered levels of acid was experienced amongst people who suffered from gout. Lemon juice works to make the body more alkaline and less acidic. It has the ability to raise the PH level of fluids and blood.

While gout can occur at any time, it can still be addressed through changing your gout diet. Understand how your flare ups happen, as well as why they happen so that you can make informative decisions when it comes to how you treat it.