Ten Foods To Avoid With Gout

Content

• Got Gout? Heres What To Eat And Avoid
• Path To Improved Health
• What Foods To Avoid For Gout
• Ten Foods To Avoid With Gout
• Exploring The Health Benefits Of Apple Cider Vinegar

Gout is caused by deposits of urate crystals in the joints. Simply changing your diet won’t completely manage the condition. Avoid beef, pork, lamb, and liver along with such seafood selections as herring, mackerel, mussels, sardines, tuna, and smelt. University Health News content is medically reviewed or checked to ensure that it is as accurate as possible.

Got Gout? Heres What To Eat And Avoid

Purines are natural chemicals found in many common foods, especially some meats, vegetables, and legumes like beans. People whose diets are rich in some purines have a higher risk of gout attacks. Protein is important for the body, and though you may need to limit protein from some animal sources, you can still get protein from other sources. Low-fat dairy seems to decrease the risk of gout and is a good source of protein in the diet. Other protein foods you can eat include eggs, nuts and nut butters, beans, and tofu. If the amount of purines in the body is more than it can process, uric acid builds up in the blood, in a condition called hyperuricemia.

According to the Arthritis Foundation, foods that are low in purine and that improve the excretion of uric acid from the body are ideal for patients suffering from gout. Fortunately for anyone dealing with gout, foods low in purine are fairly easy to introduce in your diet. Gout is caused by the buildup of uric acid crystals in the joints and is one of the few forms of arthritis that can be affected by diet. Scientists estimate that 6 million adults report having had gout at some time in their lives, according to the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases. Strawberries are also 90% water, making them a great addition to a gout diet, which requires ample hydration to combat the dehydration that often triggers gout attacks. Many people are often concerned about their protein intake when restricted from eating red meat.

Path To Improved Health

Diets rich in animal purines are five times more likely to lead to gout than diets rich in plant purines. Indeed, the purines from plants that we eat have not been shown to present any greater gout risk. Certain yeasts and yeast extracts are high in purines and should be avoided with gout. Supplements and foods with these should be avoided to keep uric acid levels down.

If you're overweight, getting your weight under control could reduce your incidence of gout. Nuts are a high-calorie food, so you'll want to limit your intake of them to avoid consuming excess calories. Eating 10 to 15 nuts a day could actually help you lose weight, by regulating blood sugar and giving you a boost of protein and fiber. Meats such as red meats and organ meats such as liver, kidney, sweetbreads, and brain must be avoided during gout. These contain high levels of purine and hence can prove fatal during gout. Other meats such as pheasants, veal, and venison should also be strictly avoided.

Legumes such as peas, peanuts, beans and soy products contain moderate levels of purines. The foods to completely remove from your diet are most organ meats , game meats, anchovies, sardines, herring, mackerel and scallops. Rapid weight loss and fasting actually can increase the amount of uric acid in your body. Gout may make your life uncomfortable, but it doesn’t have to become unmanageable. By monitoring your diet and making good food choices you can try your best to avoid flare-ups and joint pain.

Is Orange Juice Good for Gout?

Orange Juice and Gout Risk
Many sugar-sweetened juices can increase your risk for gout, but naturally-sweetened juices like orange juice may also be a gout risk trigger.

If you are overweight or obese, it is important to lose weight. However, avoid fasting and rapid weight loss because these can bring on a gout attack. Drink plenty of liquids to help flush uric acid from your body. Avoid high-protein diets, which can cause you to produce too much uric acid . It is essential to drink plenty of water when on a low purine diet to help the kidneys remove the uric acid in the body.

As the water is turned into urine, it carries uric acid out of your body. Adult men need over 3 liters of liquids daily and women need over 2 liters. About 20 percent of that comes from moisture in your food, but water ideally should account for most of the rest. Foods that are high in purine include beer, red meat, lamb and pork.

Sugary foods also tend to be high in calories, so they make it easier to eat more than you're likely to burn off. Although there's debate about whether sugar has a direct effect on uric acid levels, sweets are definitely linked to overweight and obesity. Alcohol can raise the level of uric acid in your blood and contribute to a gout attack.

Patients often ask me about desserts, as well as entrees with rich sauces. When eaten in moderation, desserts and other rich foods do not affect gout flare-ups. Rich foods may not cause flare-ups directly, but they can cause weight gain. Doctors used to believe that beer was bad for gout because of its alcohol content, but recent studies have shown that other alcoholic beverages may not be as harmful.

Consuming too many sugary sodas has been found to provoke attacks, but no association has been found with artificially sweetened sodas. Other foods loaded with high-fructose corn syrup can also bring on gout pain. Studies suggest that purines found in meats and seafoods may provoke gout episodes in some people.