Diet for Gout Patients

A diet for gout patients can make all the difference when trying to achieve a functional pain free life.

Gout is a painful joint affliction caused by too much uric acid in the bloodstream.

A diet high in purines may increase uric acid production; therefore eating a proper diet is good for prevention.

Purine is a substance found in varying amounts mostly in meat and some vegetables.

When consumed it's broken down in to uric acid in the body.

Gout Foods to be Avoided

Some foods should be avoided on a diet for gout patients. These include alcoholic beverages, organ meats like liver and kidneys, and seafood like sardines and herring.

In general, most fruits and vegetables are safe to eat along with eggs, low-fat cheeses, nuts, and refined grains. When developing a diet, it helps to know which foods are high and which foods are low in purines.

High Purine Foods

Foods high in purines include; sweetbreads, brains, liver, kidneys, liver, anchovies, sardines, herring, scallops, mackerel, meat extracts, yeast extracts, game meat, and gravies.

Medium Purine Foods

Foods with moderate amounts of purines include; fish, poultry, whole grains, mushrooms, spinach, asparagus, cauliflower, oatmeal, and legumes.

Low Purine Foods

Foods low in purines include; nuts, gelatin, low-fat cheese, fruits, vegetables, refined grains, and peanut butter.

Recommended Foods for Gout

Some foods are recommended and may actually have a positive effect against gout. These include cherries, berries, strawberries, celery, bananas, tomatoes, pineapple, tangerines, mandarins, oranges, red cabbage, potatoes, kale, cabbage, low fat milk, chocolate, tea, cocoa, coffee, flaxseed, tuna, and salmon.

Cherries are thought to be especially good for prevention and acute attacks of gout.

A good rule of thumb to remember is; animal foods are high in purines and thus should be limited as much as possible. The American Medical Association recommends restricting protein to 15% of daily calories to help control purine consumption.

Increase Fluid Intake

The amount of water and other beverages should be increased to flush uric acid from the body. Good beverage choices include unsweetened fruit juice, tea, coffee, and fat-free milk.

Keep Fat and Overall Calories Down

Additionally, keeping fat intake around 30% of daily calories with 10% of those coming from animal fat is a good choice. Beer should be avoided and alcohol kept under two drinks per day.

A weight reduction diet for gout patients is also important due to an association between obesity and gout. Maintaining an optimum weight may help prevent future gout attacks.

Making wise food choices may bring weight to within normal limits while keeping purine intake low. Other factors that may contribute to gout include high blood pressure, high blood glucose, and elevated cholesterol.

A Gout Diet is a Healthy Diet

All of these conditions may be helped by making wise dietary choices and adopting a healthy lifestyle which may then decrease the frequency of gout flare-ups.

The goal of a diet for gout patients should not be to eliminate purines completely as a healthy diet includes consumption of them in healthy amounts. However, they should be kept to a minimum when dealing with gout.

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