Low Purine Diet Explained With List Of Foods To Eat Or Avoid

Content

• What Foods Should I Limit?
• Causative Factors & Foods To Avoid With Gout
• Become A Member Of Our Health And Wellness Email List
• Nutrition And Healthy Eating
• Do Acidic Foods Lead To High Uric Acid?
• Drinks You Should Avoid On Gout

Please note the date of last review or update on all articles. In the past, doctors often handed their patients a list of foods high in purines and instructed them not to eat those foods. By itself, that hasn't been shown to be particularly helpful. Use of this web site constitutes acceptance of the LIVESTRONG.COM Terms of Use , Privacy Policy and Copyright Policy .

Then there’s the fact that only about 1/3 of uric acid in the body comes from dietary purines; the other 2/3 is produced by the body itself. In other words, no matter how many purines you eat or don’t eat, the majority of uric acid is coming from somewhere else anyway. The root cause of gout is too much uric acid in the blood . Uric acid is actually one of the body’s primary antioxidants, but as always, it’s possible to get too much of a good thing.

What Foods Should I Limit?

Having a diet high in purines, which the body breaks down into uric acid. Purine-rich foods include red meat, organ meat, and some kinds of seafood, such as anchovies, sardines, mussels, scallops, trout, and tuna. While some of these foods can be healthy in people who do not have gout, it is recommended that they are in general minimized in people who suffer from the disease.

While the condition typically strikes a single joint at a time in younger patients, it may affect a number of joints simultaneously in older patients. It might be harder for an older adult to get enough exercise and manage medications. But, say experts, it’s worth the effort, because treatment can decrease the severity of attacks and reduce the risk of future attacks. Gout develops when the body cannot properly process high levels of uric acid and it crystallizes in the synovial joint fluid. In addition to its common incidence in the big toe, gout is also found in other joints in the foot, ankles, knees, hands, and wrists.

Causative Factors & Foods To Avoid With Gout

Coffee’s chlorogenic acid promotes uric acid excretion, while the chemical xanthines lower uric acid production. Avoid organ meats such as liver because they have higher levels of purines, which can cause flare-ups. Moderate intake of lean meats such as chicken and turkey should not affect your condition. Seafood such as shrimp and lobster tends to be higher in purines, though, so don’t make it a regular part of your diet.

Plenty of healthy options are available to prevent the disease. The DASH diet is the most popular of these to date, and people who follow the DASH diet have been shown to have lower rates of gout . High salt diets are strongly associated with hypertension and congestive heart failure. A diet low in salt is a well described treatment for people with these conditions and is literally prescribed for this purpose.

Slow and steady weight loss is ideal and support from a dietitian should be sought to help develop a sustainable and balanced weight loss plan. Rapid weight loss is not recommended as it can increase the amount of uric acid in the body leading to an increased chance of a gout attack. Alcoholic drinks tend to be high in purines and consuming more than the recommended amount can increase the risk of a gout attack. It is thereforerecommended to limit alcohol intake, avoid binge drinking and avoid all alcohol if you have painful gout or are having a gout attack. Try limiting alcohol to a maximum of 14 units per week for both men and women and 1-2 units per day with a minimum of two alcohol-free days a week. Beer, stout, port and fortified wines tend to be higher in purines and should be restricted.

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.

There is less evidence about why these foods and drinks increase the risk of gout, but some connection has been found. If you are overweight, losing weight can protect you from gout flare-ups. However, losing weight fast can do more harm than good for gout, as rapid weight loss can raise uric acid levels in your bloodstream. Consider consulting a dietician, who can help you choose a diet plan that works for you. Gout Buildup of uric acid crystals in a joint causes gouty arthritis.

Nutrition And Healthy Eating

Please note the date published or last update on all articles. No content on this site, regardless of date, should ever be used as a substitute for direct medical advice from your doctor or other qualified clinician. To confirm the diagnosis, the doctor may order lab tests and imaging, or take a sample of fluid from an inflamed joint to look for the crystals associated with gout. Recent research has focused on the genetic causes of gout. Gout runs in families; a person whose family members have it are more likely to also develop the condition. For example, certain enzyme defects can reduce the body’s ability to break down purines.

Do Acidic Foods Lead To High Uric Acid?

In addition to avoiding high-purine foods, you should also limit the amount of alcohol—especially beer—you drink. Full-fat dairy products like whole milk and ice cream are often discouraged for people with gout. However, studies have shown that increasing the amount of dairy products you eat, including cheese, yogurt, and ice cream, may reduce your risk of developing gout. The key is choosing dairy products that are low in fat or fat-free — and fortunately, almost every kind of cheese, yogurt, milk, and ice cream comes in tasty low-fat versions.

Strawberries are also a recommended berry for those with gout. Not only do they contain flavonoids, but also copious amounts of vitamin C, which has been linked to gout relief. Dietitians recommend eating more alkaline proteins, which are present in plant-based foods. Other types of seafood that are lower on the purine scale and should be eaten in moderate amounts are lobster, eel, crab, and shrimp. Alexis Wisniewski is a writer and researcher with a deep love for good food and holistic nutrition. She enjoys exploring cultures and sub-cultures through their food traditions, and—when home in Chicagoland with her husband and two boys—is committed to organic, local ingredients.

For men, regular drinkers had double the risk of non-drinkers . It is well-established that frequent alcohol intake dramatically increases risk of gout . 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.

While whole grains contain some amount of purines, the benefits of whole grains in a diet outweigh the moderate levels of purine. Even simple carbohydrates such as white rice and pastas have a minimal impact on gout. So don’t worry, having gout doesn’t mean you have to live without starches – though it is always best to stick with the whole grain option when you have the chance. one survey, 73% of people with gout surveyed said they had limited physical activity due to gout.

Cherries For Gout

You can learn which foods affect your gout more than others. Reactions to different foods can vary from person to person. Take your medicines as prescribed and follow the other guidelines your healthcare provider has given you. Gout is a form of arthritis that results in painful crystals of uric acid forming in one or more joints.