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 shouldn't 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 start 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 that acid or the kidneys cannot 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 - in general, symptoms of gout. Often, deposits accumulate in the joints of the legs, especially in the big toe bone.
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 many of them in certain foods: for example, meats and seafood. In addition, some foods cause the formation of uric acid, which makes the raw material for urate crystals alcoholic beverages, mainly beer, as well as drinks with fructose - fruit sugar. If you are part of a risk group (for example, you have kidney disease or are hypertensive) - with an inadequate diet, the chances of "catching" gout are increased. If the disease has already been diagnosed, just eat well, otherwise the attack cannot be avoided.
Previously, it was believed that mainly men were at risk, but more and more women are getting sick recently, so it is important that both sexes follow the diet. The diet for gout in women, as in men, significantly reduces the likelihood of exacerbations. At the same time, there is no difference in the joints affected by the disease: it is important to follow a diet for gout in 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 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 eliminate the poundsand that effect. Important: you should not "run for all ills" and lose weight with exhaustive diets at all, this will only harm you, the acid level, on the contrary, will increase. It is better to get rid of the excess little by little. Eat properly and eliminate potentially dangerous foods, and you will not be afraid of exacerbations.
What to do and what not to do with gout: list of foods
First, it is necessary to remove purine-rich foods from the diet. Ultimately, if your body doesn't get too much purine, it won't produce too much acid from it, so why give it building material? There are many purines in products like:
- Red meat. Lamb, veal, pork and cow are far from the best choice for patients with gout. You can eat it all, but portions should be limited.
- Meat offal. Liver, kidneys, brain, any "internal" flesh can cause aggravation. Yes, all of this can be delicious, but when the drop is on the other side of the scale - thank you, no.
- Game. Sure, she doesn't show up at the table often (well, if you or your partner aren't avid hunters), but if they suddenly offer you to taste exotic in the form of roast deer or pheasant, refuse.
- Fish and seafood: purines simply float in them. Cod, herring, trout, mackerel, sardines, tuna, as well as crabs, prawns, scallops and many other seafoods can greatly worsen the condition of a person with gout. It is true that some doctors believe that the benefits of seafood can outweigh the damage, but only if they are eaten little.
What is even better to avoid? The following foods have also been shown to increase the level of uric acid in the body:
- Sweet drinks: lemonade and sweet industrial juices.
- Alcohol: distilled beverages based on beer and wheat, 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 point it is impossible at all.
- Excess sugar: honey, agave syrup, other foods rich in fructose.
- Yeast additives.
- Semi-finished products (sometimes they contain something incomprehensible).
Also, it would be great if you could give up white bread, cakes and cookies. They are not very dangerous in themselves, but they have few nutrients, which also causes the body to produce uric acid.
Of course, a steak or a liver pate sandwich does not cause an attack, the main thing is usually to 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 in the diet is quite impressive, but that does not mean that you only need to eat sunlight. Here are some foods that you can eat to fight gout.
- Vegetables. You can eat absolutely anyone, including those with a lot of purines (for example, spinach) - they are not well absorbed by vegetables.
- Fruits and berries. Almost anything is also possible, and some are even needed - it has been proven that cherry reduces the concentration of uric acid, which means that it is especially useful as a nutritional component for gout.
- Vegetables. And again, anyone, even lentils, even soybeans, even green beans.
- Whole grains. Oats, brown rice, barley are just a few 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 fat percentage is reduced.
- Eggs.
- Lean meat (chicken, turkey).
- Coffee, tea, green tea. There are studies showing that coffee does not significantly reduce the risk of gout attacks, but too much coffee can have other health consequences, so it is better not to overdo it.
- Vegetable oils: coconut, olive, flaxseed.
- Any seasoning.
Very useful for gout or a tendency to drink as much as possible. Another recommendation is to eat foods rich in vitamin C. Of course, this should not be orange juice from the store, but an orange or tea with lemon is fine.
Diet for gout: Food table
So, what can and cannot be eaten for gout? Based on the above, we have compiled small product lists for you to check out
Yes
- Vegetables
- Fruits and berries
- Vegetables
- Whole grains
- Nuts
- Dairy products
- Eggs
- Lean Meat
- Coffee, tea, green tea
- Vegetable oils
- Any spices
Watch out
- Red Meat
- Seafood
- Fish
- White bread, cakes
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 because of gout attacks implies that the foods in the "Cautiously" column go down to the "Rarely or never" column. If the joints hurt, it is best not to overload them with additional deposits, even the most insignificant.
Drop food: menu
So, everything is clear with allowed and prohibited products, but how to combine what is possible so that it tastes good and doesn't repeat itself very often? We have prepared a sample menu for you for a week and we try to diversify as much as possible so that you have plenty to choose from. Of course, you can make any addition from the list of allowed products (and a few of those that are used with caution).
Monday
Breakfast: green tea, "lazy oatmeal" on kefir or yogurt with berries. Simply place kefir or yogurt on oatmeal with fruit and leave it in the refrigerator overnight. You will see, it is very tasty!
Lunch: Quinoa salad with boiled eggs and fresh vegetables, miso soup.
Dinner: Whole pasta with chicken and vegetables.
Tuesday
Breakfast: coffee, cottage cheese, peach or some 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 stock.
Dinner: Hamburger (whole grain bread, turkey cutlet, cheese, vegetables).
Thursday
Breakfast: tea, yogurt with berries and bran.
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 ground beef (replace with chicken in the aggravation period).
Dinner: fruit salad.
Saturday
Breakfast: milk, pancakes with skimmed cream.
Lunch: Grilled vegetables with chicken skewers.
Dinner: red fruit smoothie, some sandwiches with cheese and herbs (it is better to use whole grain bread).
Sunday
Breakfast: tea, porridge of whole milk with red fruits.
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 wild fruit compote (just add your favorite spices, apples and citrus and heat).
As a snack, you can use any vegetables, fruits and berries. Remember that cherries and citrus fruits are especially useful and it is also important to drink plenty of water. Dehydration worsens gout.
In general, dieting with gout is quite easy, 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 the summer due to the fact that vegetables are cheaper and their variety is much greater. However, you can always be on the lookout for seasonal vegetables: for example, the watermelon season continues in September, in December the stores are full of tangerines, then they are replaced by pomelo. . . The same cherries can be frozen in summer and in winter, jams or pies can be made with them (these are best not with yeast and rarely), and lemons are available all year round, without any restrictions.
Gout is not a death sentence, the frequency of outbreaks 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 to provoke an attack if you follow the general diet.