Diet in gout is almost a necessity, as this disease is associated with metabolic disorders. What foods can you eat if you have gout, which should not and which should be limited?
Gout is a disease caused by metabolic disorders. This happens when urate crystals - salts of uric acid - accumulate in the joints. These crystals begin to form when the level of uric acid in the blood is high - and this in turn happens when the body either produces too much of this acid or the kidneys cannot cope. In such cases, sharp needle-like crystals begin to form in the joints and surrounding tissues. These needles cause pain, inflammation, swelling - generally symptoms of gout. Very often deposits accumulate in the joints of the feet, especially in the big toe.
Why is diet important for gout? It's simple: the body produces uric acid from purines, chemical compounds that are already present in it. But purines are not only found in the human body, they are abundant in certain foods: for example, meat and seafood. In addition, some foods provoke the formation of uric acid, which means that the raw materials for urate crystals are alcoholic beverages, especially beer, as well as drinks with fructose - fruit sugar. If you are at risk (for example, you have kidney disease or you are hypertensive) - with the wrong diet the chances of "getting" gout increase. If the disease has already been diagnosed, it is simply necessary to eat properly, otherwise the attack cannot be avoided.
It used to be thought that mostly men were at risk, but lately more and more women are getting sick, so it's important to follow a diet for both sexes. The diet for gout in women, as well as in men, significantly reduces the likelihood of exacerbations. At the same time, it does not matter which joints are affected by the disease: it is important to follow a diet for both gout on the legs and arms, and in general a change in eating habits is the main recommendation of doctors for this disease.
At the same time, the purpose of the restrictions is not only to reduce the consumption of purines and the intensity of uric acid production, but also to reduce weight if the patient is overweight. The fact is that in obesity and even just extra pounds (of course, excess in the medical sense of the word, appearance has nothing to do), the concentration of uric acid in the body increases, and proper nutrition helps to get rid of both pounds and thiseffect. Important: you absolutely should not "rush to all the bad" and lose weight with grueling diets, it will only hurt you, the acid level, on the contrary, will increase. It is better to get rid of the excess gradually. Eat right and eliminate potentially dangerous foods and you will not be afraid of exacerbations.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Gout: Food List
First of all, it is necessary to eliminate foods high in purines from the diet. After all, if your body doesn't get excess purines, it won't produce excess acid from them, so why give it building material. There are many purines in products such as:
- Red meat. Lamb, beef, pork, beef are far from the best choice for patients with gout. You can eat all this, but portions should be limited.
- Meat offal. The liver, kidneys, brain, any "internal" meat can cause deterioration. Yes, all this can be delicious, but when gout is on the other side of the scales - thank you, no.
- Game. Of course, it does not appear often on the table (well, if you or your partner are not avid hunters), but if you are suddenly offered to try the exotic in the form of deer or roasted pheasant, refuse.
- Fish and seafood: purines just float in them. Cod, herring, trout, mackerel, sardines, tuna, plus crab, shrimp, mussels and many other seafood can significantly worsen the condition of a person with gout. It is true that some doctors believe that the benefits of seafood can outweigh the harm, but only if consumed a little.
What is even better to refrain from? The following foods have also been shown to increase uric acid levels in the body:
- Sweet drinks: lemonade and industrial sweet juices.
- Alcohol: Beer and wheat spirits such as vodka and whiskey. It is possible a little, but if we talk about a diet for gout during exacerbations - at that time it is impossible.
- Excess sugar: honey, agave syrup, other foods high in fructose.
- Yeast additives.
- Semi-finished products (they sometimes contain something incomprehensible).
Also, it would be great if you could give up white bread, cakes and cookies. By themselves, they are not too dangerous, but they have few nutrients and this also provokes the body to produce uric acid.
Of course, a steak or sandwich with liver pate will not cause an attack, the most important thing is to follow a diet for gout and high uric acid content.
What you can eat for gout: permitted foods
We agree that the list of things to avoid in your diet is quite impressive, but that doesn't mean you should eat only sunlight. Here are some foods you can eat for gout.
- Vegetables. You can eat absolutely any, including those that are high in purines (such as spinach) - they are not as well absorbed by vegetables.
- Fruits and berries. Almost anything is possible, and some are even necessary - cherries have been shown to reduce the concentration of uric acid, which means that it is especially useful as a nutrient in gout.
- Legumes. And again, every, even lentils, even soy, even green beans.
- Whole grains. Oats, brown rice, barley are just examples.
- Nuts.
- Dairy products. In general, they are all more or less safe, but it is better to eat and drink those where the percentage of fat is reduced.
- Eggs.
- Lean meat (chicken, turkey).
- Coffee, tea, green tea. There are studies that show that coffee does not significantly reduce the risk of exacerbation of gout, but too much coffee can have other health consequences, so it is best not to overdo it.
- Vegetable oils: coconut, olive, flaxseed.
- Any spice.
Very useful for gout or drinking tendencies as much as possible. Another recommendation is to consume foods rich in vitamin C. Of course, this should not be orange juice from the store, but the orange itself or tea with lemon is good.
Diet for gout: Table with food
So what can and can't be eaten with gout? Based on the above, we have compiled short lists of products to check
Yes
- Vegetables
- Fruits and berries
- Legumes
- Whole grains
- Nuts
- Dairy products
- Eggs
- lean meat
- Coffee, tea, green tea
- Vegetable oils
- Any spices
Attention
- Red meat
- Seafood
- Fish
- White bread, pastries
Rarely or never
- By-products
- Game
- Juices, lemonade
- Honey and other high foods
- fructose
- Semi-finished products
- Alcohol
- Yeast additives
Of course, eating out with a gout exacerbation suggests that foods from the Caution column move down to the Rare or Never column. If the joints hurt, it is better not to overload them with additional deposits, even the slightest.
Gout food: menu
So, everything is clear with the allowed and forbidden products, but how to combine the possible so that it is tasty and not repeated very often? We have prepared a sample menu for you for a week and we have tried to diversify it as much as possible so that you have something to choose from. Of course, you can supplement it from the list of permitted products (and a few of those used with caution).
Monday
Breakfast: green tea, "lazy oatmeal" of kefir or yogurt with berries. Just pour kefir or yogurt on oatmeal with fruit and leave in the refrigerator overnight. You will see, it is very tasty!
Lunch: Quinoa salad with boiled eggs and fresh vegetables, miso soup.
Dinner: Wholemeal pasta with chicken and vegetables.
Tuesday
Breakfast: coffee, cottage cheese, peach or a few slices of melon, bran flakes.
Lunch: brown rice with roasted turkey.
Dinner: scrambled eggs with mushrooms and spinach.
Wednesday
Breakfast: vegetable salad, a handful of nuts.
Lunch: lentil soup with chicken broth.
Dinner: Burger (wholemeal bun, turkey cutlet, cheese, vegetables).
Thursday
Breakfast: tea, fruit yogurt and bran cereals.
Lunch: chickpea pilaf with chicken, vegetable salad.
Dinner: lean fish steak garnished with green beans.
Friday
Breakfast: coffee, scrambled eggs with tomatoes and peppers.
Lunch: potato casserole with minced beef (replace with chicken during the period of deterioration).
Dinner: fruit salad.
Saturday
Breakfast: milk, pancakes with low-fat sour cream.
Lunch: Grilled vegetables with chicken skewers.
Dinner: smoothies with berries, a few sandwiches with cheese and herbs (it is better to use wholemeal bread).
Sunday
Breakfast: tea, wholemeal milk porridge with berries.
Lunch: Lasagna (again it is better to use whole grain leaves as a base and minced chicken).
Dinner: julienne with chicken and mushrooms, homemade mulled wine based on forest fruit compote (just add your favorite spices, apples and citrus fruits and heat it).
As a snack you can use all kinds of vegetables, fruits and berries. Remember that cherries and citrus fruits are especially useful, and it is also important to drink very plain water. Dehydration worsens gout.
In general, the gout diet is quite easy, the list of foods is quite extensive and you can come up with many combinations of them. Of course, it is much easier to follow the diet in the summer, due to the fact that vegetables are cheaper and their variety is much greater. However, you can always pay attention to seasonal vegetables: for example, in September the watermelon season continues, in December the shops are full of tangerines, then they are replaced by pomelo. . . The same cherries can be frozen in the summer, and in the winter can be used to prepare compotes or pies from them (the latter are better not to have yeast) dough and rarely), and lemons are available all year round without any restrictions.
Gout is not a death sentence, the frequency of exacerbations can be significantly reduced if you eat well and control uric acid levels. And even if you eat a steak once a month and drink it with dark beer, it is unlikely to cause an attack if you usually follow the diet.