If you suffer from gout, you know how severely painful it can be when it attacks. To lower your chances of gout recurring, the best cure is to lower the uric acid in your blood by switching to a low-purine diet. Some foods have high purine content. If the body’s purine intake increases, it triggers high uric acid levels (Hyperuricemia) in the body that could develop into crystals accumulating in the joints. This in turn may lead to painful gout attacks.
A good gout diet prevents gout attacks
A good gout diet reduces the consumption of foods that are high in purines, or indirectly, foods high in uric acid. Avoiding or reducing these foods will lower production of uric acid in the body and will keep uric acid crystals from forming in the joints. A good gout diet limits consumption of some animal products and alcohol (beer in particular). Many animal-based food products contain high purines and therefore foods that are going to cause high in uric acid levels in the blood.
If overweight, lose weight but avoid high-protein weight-loss diets. This can cause the body to produce more uric acid, which is what you were trying to avoid in the first place. Drink plenty of fluids to help the body flush excess uric acid from the body.
Foods high in uric acid are:
- Fish and poultry. Protein from animals are inherently high in purine, therefore considered foods high in uric acid. Herring, mackerel and anchovies must be avoided. Severely limit fatty fish and seafood as well. These are tuna, shrimp, lobster and scallops. Avoid turkey and pheasant.
- Meat. Beef, pork and lamb are all foods high in uric acid and associated with a high risk of gout as well. Limit or better yet, – avoid – high-purine animal internal organ meats such as liver, lungs, brain, sweetbreads, etc. Since all meat contain purines, limit your intake of these foods daily.
- See a sample list of foods at the bottom of this article.
Other points to remember:
- Reduce fat intake. Saturated fat hinders the body’s ability to flush uric acid effectively . Choose plant-based protein, this include legumes, beans, and dairy products that are fat-free/low-fat. These will help the body cut down the level of saturated fat in the diet. A high-fat diet also contributes to weight gain, which is associated with gout.
- Avoid alcohol. Beer, liquor and wine all interfere with the body’s ability to expel uric acid. Beer especially, has been linked to gout attacks. Drinking up to 10-ounce servings of wine a day is not likely to increase your risk. However, if you are currently having a gout attack, avoid all types of alcohol.
- Avoid foods containing high fructose corn syrup. Fructose increases uric acid. It is the only carbohydrate known to do so. Avoid beverages that contain high-fructose corn syrup. These are soft drinks, juice drinks and syrups. Drinks that are 100% fruit juice does not seem to increase the body’s production of uric acid as much. Excess intake of high fructose corn syrup also contributes to weight gain, which is associated with gout.
- Consume complex carbohydrates instead. Change to a diet with more whole grains, fruits and vegetables. Avoid refined carbohydrates, found in white bread, buns, candy and cakes.
- Select fat-free or low-fat dairy products. Studies reveal that low-fat dairy products help reduce the risk of gout.
- Drink plenty of water. Water and other fluids help flush uric acid from the body through urine. Drink at least 8 glasses a day. Also, some evidence suggest that in men, drinking up to six cups of coffee per day may also reduce the risk for gout.
Here’s a sample list of specific foods high in uric acid / purines:
- Fish, sardines
- Liver, calf’s
- Sweet bread, calf’s
- Ox liver
- Ox spleen
- Pig’s heart
- Pig’s liver
- Pig’s lungs
- Pig’s spleen
- Sheep’s spleen
- Baker’s yeast
- Brewer’s yeast
Here’s a sample list of specific foods moderately high in uric acid / purines:
- Beans, white
- Beans, soya
- Heart, sheep’s
- Kidney, calf’s
- Liver, chicken’s
- Ox heart, kidney, lungs, tongue
- Chick peas
- Pig kidneys, tongue
- Poppy seeds
- Pork belly, chop, chuck, fillet, hip bone, leg, muscles, shoulder
- Sunflower seeds
The above lists are in no way a complete list, but it should give us an idea on what foods to avoid.
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