A diet for gout is almost the first necessity, because this disease is associated with metabolic disorders. What foods can you eat if you have gout, which ones shouldn't and which ones should be limited?
Gout is a disease caused by metabolic disorders. It occurs when urate crystals - salts of uric acid - build up 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 produces too much of this acid or the kidneys are unable to handle it. In these cases, crystals, similar to sharp needles, 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 legs, especially in the big toe.
Why is it important to follow a gout diet? It's simple: the body produces uric acid from purines, chemical compounds that are already present in it. But purines are not found only in the human body, there are many of them in some foods: for example meat and fish. In addition, some types of food provoke the formation of uric acid, which means that the raw materials for urate crystals are alcoholic beverages, in particular 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 most men were at risk, but lately more and more women are getting sick, so it is important that both genders follow the diet. A diet for gout in women, as in men, significantly reduces the likelihood of exacerbations. At the same time, there is no difference as to 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 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 has extra pounds. The fact is that with obesity and even just the extra pounds (of course, extra in the medical sense of the term, the appearance has nothing to do with it), the concentration of uric acid in the body increases and proper nutritionhelps get rid of both kilograms and this effect. Important: you should definitely not "run to all the bad guys" and lose weight with exhausting diets, it will only harm you, the acid level, on the contrary, will increase. It is better to gradually get rid of the excess. Eat properly and eliminate potentially dangerous foods and you will not be afraid of exacerbations.
Do's and don'ts for gout: food list
First of all, purine-rich foods should be eliminated from the diet. Ultimately, if your body isn't getting 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, veal, pork, beef are far from the best choices for gout patients. You can eat all of this, but the portions should be limited.
- Meat by-products. Liver, kidney, brain, any "internal" meat can cause aggravation. Yes, all of this can be delicious, but when gout is on the other side of the scale, thank you, no.
- Game. Sure, it doesn't appear often on the table (well, if you or your partner aren't avid hunters), but if you're suddenly offered to sample exotic in the form of roast venison or pheasant, decline.
- Fish and seafood: purines float in them. Cod, herring, trout, mackerel, sardines, tuna, as well as 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 outweigh 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 increase the level of uric acid in the body:
- Sweet drinks: lemonade and industrial sweet juices.
- Alcohol: Wheat-based beer and 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.
- Excess sugar: honey, agave syrup, other foods with a high fructose content.
- Additives for yeasts.
- Semi-finished products (sometimes they contain something incomprehensible).
Besides, it would be great to give up white bread, cakes and cookies. By themselves, they are not too dangerous, but they are low in nutrients and this also causes the body to produce uric acid.
Of course, a steak or liver pate sandwich will not cause an attack, as long as you generally have 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 pretty impressive, but that doesn't mean 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 (e. g. spinach) - they are not absorbed so well by vegetables.
- Fruits and berries. Almost anything is also possible, and some are even necessary: cherries have been shown to reduce the concentration of uric acid, which means that it is particularly 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 low.
- Eggs.
- Lean meat (chicken, turkey).
- Coffee, tea, green tea. There is research showing that coffee does not significantly reduce the risk of gout flare-ups, 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 shouldn't be orange juice from the store, but an orange or tea with the lemon itself is fine.
Diet for gout: food table
So what can and what cannot be eaten for gout? Based on the above, we have compiled short lists of products to check out
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
- Fruit juices, lemonade
- Honey and other high-content foods
- fructose
- Semi-finished products
- Alcohol
- Yeast supplements
Of course, eating out for gout flare-ups means that foods from the "With caution" column go down to the "Rarely or never" column. If the joints hurt, it is better not to overload them with additional, even the most insignificant, deposits.
Food for gout: menu
So, everything is clear with allowed and prohibited products, but how to combine what is possible so that it is tasty and not very often repeated? We have prepared a sample menu for you for a week and have tried to diversify it as much as possible so that you have a lot to choose from. Of course, you can add any additions to it from the list of allowed products (and a little 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 hard-boiled eggs and fresh vegetables, miso soup.
Dinner: wholemeal pasta with chicken and vegetables.
Tuesday
Breakfast: coffee, ricotta, 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: hamburger (wholemeal sandwich, 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 peppers.
Lunch: Potato casserole with minced meat (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 (better to use wholemeal bread).
Sunday
Breakfast: tea, whole milk porridge with berries.
Lunch: Lasagna (again, it's best to use whole wheat leaves as a base and minced chicken).
Dinner: julienne with chicken and mushrooms, homemade mulled wine made from berry compote (just add your favorite spices, apples and citrus and heat).
Any vegetables, fruits and berries can be used as a snack. Remember 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, dieting with gout is quite easy, the list of foods is quite large, and you can think of many combinations of them. Of course, it is much easier to follow the diet in the summer because 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 filled with mandarins, then they are replaced by pomelo. . . The cherries themselves can be frozen in summer and in winter they can be used to make compotes or cakes from them (the latter are better not with yeast) dough and rarely), and lemons are available all year round without any restrictions.
Gout is not a death sentence, the frequency of flare-ups can be greatly reduced if you eat right and monitor your uric acid levels. And even if you eat a steak once a month and drink it with dark beer, it's unlikely to cause a fit if you generally stick to the diet.