A diet for gout is almost the first necessity, because this disease is associated with metabolic disorders. What foods can you eat if you are sick with gout, which should not and which should be limited?
Gout is a disease caused by metabolic disorders. It occurs when urate crystals - uric acid salts - 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 handle it. In such cases, crystals, similar to sharp needles, begin to form in the joints and surrounding tissues. These needles cause pain, inflammation, swelling - in general, gout symptoms. Very often, deposits accumulate in the joints of the legs, especially in the big toe.
Why is it important to diet 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, there are a lot of them in certain foods: for example, meat and seafood. In addition, some types of food 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 in a risk group (for example, you have kidney disease or you are hypertensive) - with an improper diet, the chances of "getting" gout increase. If the disease has already been diagnosed, it is simply necessary to eat right, otherwise the attack cannot be avoided.
Previously, it was believed that mostly men were at risk, but more and more women are getting sick lately, so it is important for both sexes to follow the diet. Diet for gout in women, as in men, significantly reduces the likelihood of exacerbations. At the same time, there is no difference which joints are affected by the disease: it is important to follow a diet for gout on the legs and arms, and in general, changing food habits is the main recommendation of doctors for this disease.
At the same time, the purpose of restrictions is not only to reduce the consumption of purines and the intensity of production of uric acid, but also to reduce weight if the patient has extra pounds. The fact is that with obesity and even just extra pounds (of course, extra in the medical sense of the word, appearance has nothing to do with it), the concentration of uric acid in the body increases, and proper nutrition helps to get rid of both kilograms and this effect. Important: you should categorically not "rush to all the bad" and lose weight with exhausting diets, it will only harm you, the acid level, on the contrary, will increase. It is better to get rid of the excess gradually. Eat correctly and eliminate potentially dangerous foods, and you will not be afraid of exacerbations.
Dos and Don'ts for Gout: Food List
First of all, you need to remove from the diet foods high in purines. In the end, if your body does not receive excess purines, then it will not make excess acid from them, so why give it material for construction. There are many purines in products such as:
- Red meat. Lamb, veal, pork, beef are far from the best choice for patients with gout. You can eat all this, but portions should be limited.
- Meat offal. Liver, kidneys, brain, any "internal" meat can cause aggravation. Yes, all this can be delicious, but when gout is on the other side of the scale - thank you, no.
- Game. Of course, she does not appear on the table often (well, if you or your partner are not avid hunters), but if suddenly you are offered to taste exotics in the form of venison or baked pheasant, refuse.
- Fish and seafood: the purines just float in them. Cod, herring, trout, mackerel, sardines, tuna, plus crabs, shrimp, scallops and many other seafood can greatly worsen the condition of a person with gout. True, some doctors believe that the benefits of seafood can exceed the harm, but only if they are consumed a little.
What is even better to refrain from? The following foods have also been shown to raise the level of uric acid in the body:
- Sweet drinks: lemonade and industrial sweet juices.
- Alcohol: Beer and wheat-based spirits such as vodka and whiskey. A little bit is possible, but if we are talking about a diet for gout during an exacerbation - at this time it is impossible at all.
- Excess sugar: honey, agave syrup, other high fructose foods.
- Yeast additives.
- Semi-finished products (they sometimes contain something incomprehensible).
Also, it would be great if you can 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, one steak or a sandwich with liver pate will not cause an attack, the main thing is to generally follow a diet for gout and high uric acid.
What you can eat for gout: allowed foods
We agree that the list of things to avoid from the diet is quite impressive, but that does not mean that you should only eat sunlight. Here are some foods you can eat for gout.
- Vegetables. You can eat absolutely any, including those with a lot of purines (for example, spinach) - they are not absorbed so well from vegetables.
- Fruits and berries. Almost everything is also possible, and some are even needed - it has been proven that cherries reduce the concentration of uric acid, which means that it is especially useful as a nutritional component for gout.
- Legumes. And again, any, even lentils, even soybeans, 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 in which the percentage of fat is reduced.
- Eggs.
- Lean meat (chicken, turkey).
- Coffee, tea, green tea. There are studies that show coffee does not significantly reduce the risk of flare-ups of gout, but too much coffee can have other health consequences, so it's best not to overdo it.
- Vegetable oils: coconut, olive, linseed.
- Any spice.
Very useful for gout or a tendency to drink 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 an orange or tea with lemon itself is fine.
Diet for Gout: Food Table
So what can and cannot be eaten for gout? Based on the above, we have compiled short lists of products for you to check
Yes
- Vegetables
- Fruits and berries
- Legumes
- Whole Grains
- Nuts
- Dairy Products
- Eggs
- Lean Meat
- Coffee, tea, green tea
- Vegetable oils
- Any spices
Caution
- Red Meat
- Seafood
- Fish
- White bread, pastries
Rarely or never
- By-products
- Game
- Juices, lemonade
- Honey and other high-content foods
- fructose
- Semi-finished products
- Alcohol
- Yeast Supplements
Of course, eating out for flare-ups of gout implies that foods from the "With caution" column move down to the "Rarely or never" column. If the joints hurt, it is better not to overload them with additional deposits, even the most insignificant ones.
Food for gout: menu
So, everything is clear with permitted and prohibited products, but how to combine what is possible so that it is tasty and not very often repeated? We have prepared for you a sample menu for a week and tried to diversify it as much as possible so that you have plenty to choose from. Of course, you can make any additions to it from the list of permitted products (and a little bit from those that are used with caution).
Monday
Breakfast: green tea, "lazy oatmeal" on kefir or yogurt with berries. Just pour kefir or yogurt on the oatmeal with berries 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: Whole grain pasta with chicken and vegetables.
Tuesday
Breakfast: coffee, cottage cheese, peach or a few slices of melon, bran flakes.
Lunch: brown rice with baked turkey.
Dinner: scrambled eggs with mushrooms and spinach.
Wednesday
Breakfast: vegetable salad, a handful of nuts.
Lunch: lentil soup with chicken broth.
Dinner: Burger (whole grain bun, turkey cutlet, cheese, vegetables).
Thursday
Breakfast: tea, yogurt with berries and bran cereal.
Lunch: chickpea pilaf with chicken, vegetable salad.
Dinner: lean fish steak, garnished with green beans.
Friday
Breakfast: coffee, scrambled eggs with tomatoes and bell peppers.
Lunch: potato casserole with ground beef (replace with chicken during the aggravation period).
Dinner: fruit salad.
Saturday
Breakfast: milk, pancakes with low-fat sour cream.
Lunch: Grilled vegetables with chicken skewers.
Dinner: berry smoothie, a couple of sandwiches with cheese and herbs (it's better to use whole grain bread).
Sunday
Breakfast: tea, whole-grain milk porridge with berries.
Lunch: Lasagna (again, it's better to use whole grain leaves as a base and minced chicken).
Dinner: julienne with chicken and mushrooms, homemade mulled wine based on berry compote (just add your favorite spices, apples and citrus fruits and warm it up).
Any vegetables, fruits and berries can be used as a snack. Recall that cherries and citrus fruits are especially useful, and it is also important to drink plenty of plain water. Dehydration makes gout worse.
In general, it is quite easy to follow a diet for gout, the list of foods is quite extensive, and you can think of many combinations of them. Of course, it is much easier to follow the diet in 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 summer and in winter they can be made into compotes or pies (the latter are better not with yeastdough and infrequently), and lemons are available all year round without any restrictions.
Gout is not a death sentence, the frequency of flare-ups can be significantly reduced if you eat well and control your uric acid levels. And even if you eat a steak once a month and drink it with dark beer, it is unlikely that it will provoke an attack if you generally follow the diet.