Got Gout? Here's What To Eat And Avoid

Content

• Foods That Cause Gout
• Gout, Purines, And Animal Protein
• Gout Diet: Foods To Eat And Not Eat With Gout
• Higher Dietary Salt Intake Reduce Gout Trigger

An even safer alternative to seafood consumption is taking fish oil. These supplements can give you all of the health benefits of fish (including the heart healthy omega-3 fatty acids) without the purine. This is because fish oil supplements are made from the distilled oil of the fish, not the meat of the fish itself. Consumption of organ meats has increased with the popularity of the Paleo Diet. Animal organ meats, such as sweetbreads , tripe , liver, brains, and kidneys are very high in purine and should be avoided if you suffer from gout.

Protect your joints.Joint injuries can cause or worsen arthritis. Choose activities that are easy on the joints like walking, bicycling, and swimming. These low-impact activities have a low risk of injury and do not twist or put too much stress on the joints. Treatment for flares consists of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs like ibuprofen, steroids, and the anti-inflammatory drug colchicine. Despite these findings, experts say that more research is needed before any definitive recommendations can be made about cherries or cherry juice for gout.

Foods That Cause Gout

You’re a bit better off if your occasional indulgence is beef or pork rather than lamb, says Dr. Zashin. Remember that gout triggers can be individual, and what causes a flare-up for one person may not make noticeable difference to another. Have patience and keep your long-term goal of living a healthy life free of gout symptoms in mind. As a result, it's recommended to avoid alcohol with gout.

The extent to which diet impacts risk for gout has been debated in the medical community. In addition to animal proteins and alcohol, sugar-sweetened beverages have been suspected as playing a role in the development of gout. Many people who experience gout also have another chronic condition, such as type 2 diabetes, kidney disease, or hypertension .

Gout, Purines, And Animal Protein

Some people develop gout because their kidneys have difficulty eliminating normal amounts of uric acid, while others produce too much uric acid. Fruits, just like the vegetables, are extremely helpful in providing relief from increasing levels of uric acid. Tomatoes, which are also counted as a fruit rather than a vegetable, are good for your body and their high vitamin C content can help in reducing the uric acid levels. Include vitamin C enriched fruits in your diet to get the best results.

Why Diet Has An Important Role In Avoiding Gout

Moderate consumption of wine doesn't appear to increase the risk of gout attacks. Avoid alcohol during gout attacks, and limit alcohol, especially beer, between attacks. If you’ve already been diagnosed with gout by your physician, fish, poultry and red meat should be avoided as much as possible. Their purine content is too high, which will worsen your condition and bring on more gout attacks in future.

In addition, sugar-sweetened beverages have been associated with an increased risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, weight gain, and dental caries. “When a patient has a good diet it can definitely help decrease their risk for gout flares, ”says Randall N. Beyl Jr., MD, a rheumatologist in Albertville, Alabama. And while researchers continue to explore the best diet for those with gout, purines remain of interest. One of the things that may help you manage your gout is to reduce the amount of purines you eat. Keep in mind that while what you eat can affect how much uric acid your body produces, the effects are small compared to medication.

Gout Diet: Foods To Eat And Not Eat With Gout

For men, regular drinkers had double the risk of non-drinkers . Here’s a list of foods to avoid if you have gout, based on real scientific evidence. When purines we eat are broken down and metabolised by the body, uric acid is formed as a by-product of this process. It’s normal and healthy for uric acid to be formed, but excessive amounts are problematic. Before we can look at foods to avoid with gout, it is necessary to briefly understand what it is.

What can I eat to avoid gout flare ups?

Eat more fruits, vegetables and whole grains, which provide complex carbohydrates. Avoid foods and beverages with high-fructose corn syrup, and limit consumption of naturally sweet fruit juices. Water. Stay well-hydrated by drinking water.

Since stress can be a trigger for gout attacks, consider ways to lower stress. Physical activity is a good stress-buster and can do double-duty with improving body weight. Try to address stressors directly if possible and/or modify your response to stressful situations to reduce the negative impact they have on your body. In recent years, the incidence of gout in younger adults has been increasing. This may be related to the higher number of younger adults who are overweight or obese, as these appear to be risk factors for gout as well.

What Should I Eat If I Have Gout?

At this point in time, we cannot recommend that people avoid soy to reduce the risk of developing gout. If you have gout and find that flare-ups tend to occur after eating soy, you may consider experimenting with different types or amounts of soy foods. We all naturally have uric acid in our bodies, but sometimes we could have abnormal levels either at birth or by eating certain types of food that cause gout. Uric acid can form into crystals that cause pain and swelling. Minimize intake of refined carbohydrates, including both starches and sugar. Concentrated fructose can increase uric acid levels and increase insulin resistance.

This material is provided for educational purposes only and is not intended for medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Data sources include IBM Watson Micromedex , Cerner Multum™ , ASHP and others. Avoid sweeteners high in fructose such as honey, brown sugar, high-fructose corn syrup, golden syrup and palm sugar.

Higher Dietary Salt Intake Reduce Gout Trigger

Putting ice on the affected area to help reduce swelling and pain. Limiting foods high in saturated fats, as well as sugar-sweetened foods and drinks. Pharmacists, who dispense medications and teach people about the medications, including the importance of taking them as prescribed. Nurse educators, who specialize in helping people understand their overall condition and set up their treatment plans.

Diet And Gout

Eating highly processed foods and refined carbohydrates in moderation will not only help with your gout, but your overall health as well. Uric acid is created as a byproduct when either exogenous and endogenous purines are processed by the body. The majority of uric acid is reabsorbed by the body, with the remainder being excreted in the urine and feces.