If you are one of many people who suffer from gout, then chances are that you’ve heard people saying that the is the disease of kings and that the cause of it is too much beer and rich food. This can lead people to thinking that their kids are not at risk from gout, as I’m quite sure your kids don’t drink a lot of 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.

Over the past twenty years, kids have changed in the way they eat, drink and exercise. Computers and fast food have more of an influence which means they spend less time doing outdoor exercise and playing sports. Processed foods and drinks tend to form most of a kid’s diet which is not good for them. Kids do not care to drink much normal water which would be much better for them.

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.

You need to think about how your child’s diet will affect them not only now, but years down the line when they are older. You could be allowing them to get into bad eating habits which will stick with them for a long time. Because of this you should try to steer them away from foods or beverages which are high in their fructose content.

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.

Your shopping trip is the very core of gout prevention for your family, if you don’t buy foods that are high in fructose and you don’t allow foods that are high in uric acid creating chemicals into your fridge then your family won’t be able to eat them and you are taking a huge step towards preventing not just gout, but most likely diabetes and any number of other illnesses that are caused or worsened by our diet.