Alcoholic drinks, purine-rich foods not all bad to people with arthritis, says rheumatologist
January 24, 2012 11:13 pm
By Sweetie de la Torre
MANILA, Jan. 24 — Drinking of alcoholic drinks and eating of meat, especially beef and porks, and seafoods as well are not at all to be avoided for people with arthritis, according to rheumatologist.
Dr. Juan Javier Lichauco, a rheumatologist and board member of the Philippine Rheumatology Association, said nowadays they were not strict on such type of foods or drinks as they contributed a small percentage in arthritis attack.
"Actually not all arthritic conditions are related to a particular type of food," Lichauco told journalists shortly after the end of a health forum held at the Annabel's in Quezon City.
"Gone are the days that says that you were told not to eat legumes (relating to rich in purines) pointing as contributory to high uric acid," Lichauco said.
However, said that other person with arthritis had genetic predisposition.
"There is only one type of arthritis linked to food and that is gout, so there is this misconception that you have to avoid eating mongo if you have arthritis," Dr. Paul Santos Estrella, also a rheumatologist, who attended the forum, said.
Accordingly, there are more than 100 different types of arthritis, the most common types of them include osteoarthritis, gout, and rheumatoid arthritis.
Lichauco said that people with arthritis had high uric acid that usually remained in the blood until it passed into the urine through the kidney.
"As I said our body is like a machines so few cells are produce everyday and the old cells die or breaks down into dead cells (then builds) too become uric acid," Lichauco said.
Estrella said that only one percent of the total causes of all arthritis was related to food or purine rich foods.
However, if the patients come to us, pointing that whenever he drinks beer, he gets the attack thus it is obvious to avoid drinking beer, Lichauco said.
Almost all people with gout attack have too much uric acid, triggered by drinking alcoholic drinks, eating too much, surgery, crash diets, trauma to a joint, or even stress.
Lichauco also advised people with arthritis to take care of their kidney as majority of those people with high uric acid have certain kidney problems.
"People with high cholesterol, hypertension, diabetes or into dialysis usually have kidney problems, Lichauco said.
Likewise, in maintaining healthy kidney, Lichauco advised people to refrain from taking pain relievers, or so-called over the counter drugs, which affects kidney.
"Softdrinks, junked foods high in salt or grocery items which is not good for the kidney, which in a way increases one's uric acid, Lichauco said.(PNA) RMA/SDT/utb
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