FOODS THAT CAUSE PAUL

Hokitika Guardian, 1 May 1920, Page 4

FOODS THAT CAUSE PAUL

(By Walter M. Gallichan)

Quo of the problems of civilised humanity is the avoidance of pain-pro-ducing elements in ordinary diet. Excess of uric acid in tin: system may cause acute pain through gout. It is thought by some authorities that rheumatism may arise from another

poison. The question of a diet free from uric acid is extremely urgent among many thousands of sufferers, It is not .surprising that persons with a tendency to gouty affections often become “uric acid phobists,” and that they regard many articles of food with suspicion or actual dread. Some people are so susceptible to rheumatic disorder that pain may arise through drinking the ordinary water of certain districts. On the other hand there are old men who .escape rheumatism in spite of a fairly liberal indulgence in such an acid diet as beef and ale. A proportion of persons appear to tolerate uric acid, while others show scarcely any power of resistance. A pint of beer may cause pain in the joints and even local swelling in highly susceptible subjects. A judicious diet may prevent or cure the acidity of the blood which results in pain. Rheumatic persons should eat little if any beef, mutton, pork, or ham. For fats they .should rely chiefly upon butter, milk, and cheese. Much starchy food, such as potatoes, must he avoided. Some dietetic physioians prescribe a fruit breakfast of figs and prunes and no tea or coffee. Tea is stated to be a risky beverage for rheumatics. Young fresh green vegetables may be eaten with benefit. Lettuce, celery, spinach, and watercress can be recommended in chronic cases of rheumatism. Poultry, eggs, and fish may bo used in moderation. All acid fruits should ho excluded from the dietary., Abstinence from alcoholic drink diminishes the tendency to acidity, but if a stimulant is desired the safest is probably well-diluted whisky. Cider appears to suit some rheumatics, and it it is said that cider-drinking peasants art fairly free from rheumatism. It is not easy to lay down hard-and-fast principles in diet, as the difference in individual idiosyncrasy is great. The gouty should select an easily digested diet with a minimum of fat. They may oat white fish, plaice, turbot, cod, whiting, a little game and poultry, milk puddings, lentils and beans in! moderation, green vegetables, 'and stewed celery. Apples are often recommended as a beneficial fruit in gout. Sweets, soups, broths, fat meat, shell-fish, and dried

fish tend to aggravate the complaint. Port, Burgundy, and most wines, whether acid or sweet, are better left alone. One authority attributes gout to a deficiency of phosphorus in the diet, and advises fish, cheese, milk, vegetables, and fruit. Fat, .starch, and sugar are forbidden by some dietetic healers. Imperfect mastication of food, hasty meals, lack of exercise, and other factors of indigestion cause the acidity or toxin that produces pain in the joints and muscles of the body. Many per- j sons are prone to rheumatism through defective teeth. I Broadly speaking, a diet, of vegetables, eggs and milk is fairly free from uric acid risks, whereas red meats, soups, tea, coffee, and the stronger wines are uric acid yielders. j