A gout diet is almost the first necessity, as this disease is associated with metabolic disturbances. 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. It happens when urate crystals - salts of uric acid - build up 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 makes 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 - usually symptoms of gout. Very often, deposits build up 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, chemicals that are already present in it. But purines are not only found in the human body, there is a lot of it in certain foods: for example, meat and seafood. In addition, certain types of food cause uric acid to form, which in turn causes uric acid to form. which means that the raw materials for urate crystals are alcoholic beverages, especially beer, as well as drinks containing fructose - fruit sugar. If you are at risk (for example, you have kidney disease or you are hypertensive) - with a poor diet, the chances of “catching” gout increase. If the disease has already been diagnosed, you just need to eat well, otherwise the attack cannot be avoided.
Previously it was thought that men were primarily at risk, but more and more women are falling ill recently, so it is important that both sexes follow the diet. Diet for gout in women, as in men, significantly reduces the risk of exacerbations. At the same time, there is no difference between the joints affected by the disease: it is important to diet for gout on the legs and arms, and in general, changing eating habits is the main recommendationdoctors for this disease.
At the same time, the purpose of the restrictions is not only to reduce the intake of purines and the intensity of uric acid production, but also to reduce the weight if the patient has poundstoo much. The point 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 bodyincreases and proper nutrition helps to get rid of two kilograms and this effect. Important: you should absolutely not "rush to all the wrong" 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 won't be afraid of exacerbations.
Dos and Don'ts for Gout: Food List
First of all, you must remove foods high in purines from the diet. Ultimately, if your body isn't getting excess purines, it won't produce excess acid, so why give it building material. There are many purines in products such as:
- Red meat. Lamb, veal, pork, and beef are far from the best choice for gout patients. You can eat all of these, but the portions should be limited.
- Meat by-products. The liver, kidneys, brain, any “internal” meat can cause aggravation. Yes, it can all be delicious, but when the drop is on the other side of the scale - thank you, no.
- Game. Of course, it doesn't often appear on the table (well, if you or your partner are not avid hunters), but if suddenly you are offered to taste exotics in the form of venison orbaked pheasant, refuse.
- Fish and seafood: the purines float there. Cod, herring, trout, mackerel, sardines, tuna, as well as crabs, shrimps, scallops and many other seafood can greatly worsen the condition of a person suffering from gout. Certainly, some doctors believe that the benefits of seafood may outweigh the harm, 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:
- Sweetened beverages: lemonade and industrial sweetened juices.
- Alcohol: beer and wheat-based spirits such as vodka and whiskey. A little is possible, but if we are talking about a diet for gout during an exacerbation - at the moment it is impossible at all.
- Excess sugar: honey, agave syrup, other foods high in fructose.
- Yeast additives.
- Semi-finished products (sometimes they contain something incomprehensible).
Also, it would be great if you could ditch white bread, cakes, and cookies. By themselves, they are not too dangerous, but they contain few nutrients, which also causes the body to produce uric acid.
Of course, a steak or 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: foods that are allowed
We agree that the list of things to avoid in the diet is pretty 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 all of them, including those in which there is a lot of purines (for example, spinach) - they are not so well absorbed by vegetables.
- Fruits and berries. Almost anything is equally 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 nutritional component for gout.
- Legumes. And again, all of them, 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 fat percentage is reduced.
- Eggs.
- Lean meat (chicken, turkey).
- Coffee, tea, green tea. Some studies show that coffee doesn't significantly reduce the risk of gout flares, but too much coffee can have other health consequences, so it's best not to overdo it.
- Vegetable oils: coconut, olive, flax.
- 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, it shouldn't be orange juice from the store, but an orange or lemon tea 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 to check out
Yes
- Vegetables
- Fruits and berries
- Legumes
- Whole grains
- Walnuts
- Dairy products
- Eggs
- Lean meat
- Coffee, tea, green tea
- Vegetable oils
- All spices
Warning
- Red meat
- Seafood
- Fish
- White bread, pastries
Rarely or never
- By-products
- Game
- Juice, lemonade
- Honey and other foods high in content
- fructose
- Semi-finished products
- Alcohol
- Yeast supplements
Of course, eating out for gout flares implies that the foods in the "With caution" column are moved to the "Rarely or never" column. If the joints hurt, it is better not to overload them with additional deposits, even the most insignificant.
Gout food: menu
So, everything is clear with the permitted and prohibited products, but how to combine what is possible so that it is tasty and not repeated very often? We have prepared a sample menu for you for a week and have tried to diversify it as much as possible so that you are spoiled for choice. Of course, you can add to it from the list of allowed products (and a little bit of those that are used with caution).
Monday
Breakfast: green tea, "lazy oatmeal" on kefir or berry yogurt. Simply pour kefir or yogurt over the oatmeal with berries and leave in the fridge overnight. You will see, it is very tasty!
Lunch: Quinoa salad with hard-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 bread, turkey cutlet, cheese, vegetables).
Thursday
Breakfast: tea, yogurt with berries 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 ground beef (replace with chicken during worsening period).
Dinner: fruit salad.
Saturday
Breakfast: milk, low-fat sour cream pancakes.
Lunch: grilled vegetables with chicken skewers.
Dinner: berry smoothie, some cheese and herb sandwiches (best to use whole grain bread).
Sunday
Breakfast: tea, whole milk porridge with red fruits.
Lunch: Lasagna (again, it is best to use whole grain leaves as a base and ground chicken).
Dinner: julienne with chicken and mushrooms, house mulled wine made with berry compote (just add your favorite spices, apples and citrus fruits and reheat).
All 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, it is quite easy to diet for gout, the list of foods is quite long, and you can think of many combinations. Of course, it is much easier to follow the diet in the summer because the vegetables are cheaper and their variety is much greater. However, you can still pay attention to seasonal vegetables: for example, in September the watermelon season continues, in December the stores are full of tangerines, and then they are replaced by pomelo. . . The same cherries can be frozen in summer and winter, they can be used to make compotes or pies (the latter are better not with yeast dough and rarely), and lemons are available all year round without anyrestriction.
Gout is not a death sentence, the frequency of flare-ups can be significantly reduced if you eat well and keep your uric acid levels under control. 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 generally follow the diet.