What Is A Good Diet For Gout That Reduces The Risk Painful Flare

Content

• Which Foods Increase Uric Acid In Your Blood?
• Gout And Wine

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.

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. Most notably, cherries and cherry juice extract have been shown to decrease the likelihood of recurrent gout attacks.

Which Foods Increase Uric Acid In Your Blood?

Purines that enter the body via food are called exogenous purines. These purines are metabolized by the body as part of the digestive process. We asked Emer Delaney, a dietitian who has worked in some of London’s top teaching hospitals, to explain how diet and lifestyle can affect the condition. University Health News content is medically reviewed or checked to ensure that it is as accurate as possible. If you feel that any of our content is inaccurate, out-of-date, or otherwise questionable, please contact us through the feedback form on this page. Foods low or moderate in purine are a key part of avoiding painful attacks.

Unlike fruit with its natural sugar, artificial sugars are widely recognized as gout flare dangers. 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. Certain types of seafood — anchovies, mussels, crab, shrimp, sardines, herring, trout, mackerel, and more — have moderate to high levels of purines.

Gout And Wine

For most people, uric acid dissolves in the blood and travels out of the body in urine. However, for people with gout, the uric acid builds up in the blood and hardens into small crystals. The crystals collect in the joints and under the skin, which causes gout. Alcohol itself is not high in purines, but it can make gout worse.

Is rice bad for gout?

A 2016 study found that reducing the glycemic index lowered uric acid levels in participants. Limiting foods with a high glycemic index such as white bread, pasta, and white rice may help to reduce uric acid levels and possibly prevent gout onset or flares.

Foods that you eat, and don't eat, can impact your gout by increasing or decreasing your blood uric acid levels. In women who drank 1 to 3 cups of coffee daily, the risk of gout was 22% lower, and in those who drank 4 or more cups daily the risk was 57% lower, compared with no coffee consumption. From this review, the researchers concluded that drinking 4 or more cups of coffee per day lowers uric acid levels and decreases the incidence of gout.

What Foods To Avoid With Gout

Older patients may find it especially challenging to manage gout. 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.

Our immune system reacts to these crystals as a threat, and the result is painful inflammation with swelling, redness, heat, stiffness—and by all accounts, a great deal of pain. If you live with gout or have a family history of gout that puts you at increased risk, it’s important to know how you can 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. Talk with your health care provider if you have additional questions about managing gout. It is important to consult a physician for an accurate diagnosis before starting any treatment. Depending on the severity of your condition, you may require medication in addition to the diet modifications outlined in this article.

Health & Wellness Tips

Almost any ‘non-diet’ drink contains a significant amount of added sugar, often in the form of fructose. Not only does added fructose contribute to uric acid build up, it also contributes negatively to making the other chronic diseases worse. Added sugar is one of the biggest enemies of the obesity epidemic, and comorbid conditions that go along with it.

Is cheese bad for gout?

Dairy Foods and Gout
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.

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