Manage Gout By Avoiding These 25 Foods High In Purines

Content

• Why Should I Follow This Diet?
• So, What Should You Eat If You Have Gout?
• What To Eat When You Have Gout
• Foods Contributing To Chronic Disease

Patients with gout are generally advised to include both animal and vegetable sources of protein in their diet. Research suggests that a diet rich in vegetable purines is significantly less likely to cause gout. Consuming foods or drinks sweetened with fructose increases uric acid levels and the number of gout attacks. Sweetened condiments should also be avoided, as many manufacturers now use high-fructose corn syrup. Many people manage to reduce their uric acid levels through a combination of medication, lifestyle changes, such as losing weight, and following a recommended diet. Gout is a painful form of arthritis caused by a build-up of uric acid in the blood.

You should also be sure to get 12 to 16 cups of fluid daily. Always read product labels to be sure the item doesn’t contain fructose or corn syrup. Also, try to limit the number of times you eat out per week to ensure you aren’t loading up on unwanted fructose.

Why Should I Follow This Diet?

If you’re susceptible to sudden gout attacks, avoid the main culprits — high-purine foods. Gout is a type of arthritis that involves sudden pain, swelling and inflammation of the joints. Here's what you might eat during a typical day on a gout diet. Limit or avoid sugar-sweetened foods such as sweetened cereals, bakery goods and candies.

What is the best thing to drink if you have gout?

Drink plenty of water, milk and tart cherry juice. Drinking coffee seems to help as well. Be sure to talk with your doctor before making any dietary changes.

Several supplements have been shown to lower uric acid levels and may therefore help manage gout. Several foods and beverages have been associated with an increased risk of gout, particularly those high in purines. Alcohol consumption, especially beer, is also associated with an increased risk of gout because it increases your body’s production of uric acid and limits its excretion. In addition to these risk factors, diet and excess body weight are also linked with an increased risk of gout. Cherries have anti-inflammatory properties that help reduce the swelling associated with gout.

So, What Should You Eat If You Have Gout?

Gout Diet Foods Menu Whether you get gout can depend on your diet. Some foods like red meat, alcohol, and high-fructose corn syrup in sodas can raise your risks. Limiting foods that cause gout in your diet can protect you from this painful joint condition, a type of arthritis.

While most fruits are very low in fructose, a few are very high. Frequent consumption of these could theoretically causes problems for gout sufferers. This is a highly contentious area, because several studies have linked higher fruit intake with less incidence of gout. High sugar drinks may not be the only stimulant of gout flare ups.

What Is Gout And What Causes It?

Some people can lower their uric acid levels through diet alone. Purines make up 15 percent of the uric acid found in the body. Too much uric acid can lead to problems, including kidney stones and gout.

What To Eat When You Have Gout

Crystals of sodium urate accumulate inside and around joints causing severe joint pain and inflammation. Seafood�Seafood often has high levels of purine, but Mayo Clinic notes that the benefits of eating seafood generally outweigh the risk of gout attacks. Still, you might want to avoid anchovies, shellfish and sardines.

Frequent alcohol intake is known to cause chronic hyperuricemia, increasing the risk of gout and 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.

A flare happens when uric acid settles into affected joint spaces and forms crystals that cause both inflammation and pain. Drinking plenty of water every day has been proven to reduce the risk of gout attacks. Gout has a storied history, with rumors of famous sufferers ranging from Alexander the Great to King Henry VIII to Benjamin Franklin. Once known as the “Rich Man’s Disease” or the “Disease of Kings,” gout was thought to be an affliction of the wealthy. Modern medical research has taught us that gout is more likely caused by the frequent consumption of alcohol and red meat specifically, rather than lavish lifestyles in general. These habits caused the well-off to suffer from the disease more often than the average person who couldn’t afford those luxuries in their diet.

Gout triggers can be individual, so pay attention to the fruits you eat and if they seem to set off a gout attack. vegetables, whole grains, low-fat dairy products, eggs and most beverages. Aside from organ meats, game meats and certain fish, most meats can be consumed in moderation. You should limit yourself to 4–6 ounces (115–170 grams) of these a few times per week . You should also avoid high-fructose foods, as well as moderately-high-purine foods, which contain 150–200 mg of purines per 3.5 ounces. Instead, they may raise uric acid levels by accelerating several cellular processes .

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. Consider substituting eggs, which are nutritionally comparable to organs but lower in fat.

Eat these foods sparingly and fill your diet with other healthy veggies. This leads to higher uric acid levels in your blood and urine. If you or a loved one is living with gout, it’s important to know how to decrease your risk of a painful flare. Achieving a healthy weight, limiting foods high in purine, and good control of other medical conditions can decrease your risk.

Eat Plenty Of Fruits

On the other, the diuretic effect of alcohol can increase the risk of gout. Uric acid crystals form more readily in joints if the surrounding tissue doesn’t contain enough fluid. Beer in particular contains a relatively high amount of purines too, which could also be a factor. It is best to avoid foods with added sugars if you suffer from gout. Fool your sweet tooth and eat strawberries and kiwi in place of cakes and cookies.