PT Health Life – For people with gout and people at risk of gout, diet plays an important role in keeping joints pain-free. Learn which foods to avoid and what to eat to prevent gout flare-ups.
Gout is a form of arthritis that causes swelling and stiffness in the joints . The disease causes extreme pain for the patient. Many cases of acute gout are caused by eating certain foods that make the disease worse. Gout flare-ups can be caused by red meat and other foods.
However, there are also foods that help prevent this condition. Here’s what to know about how diet affects gout:
1. How does food affect gout?
Gout is a metabolic disorder related to diet due to too high uric acid levels in the blood leading to the deposition of urate crystals or uric acid crystals . Deposition in the joints causes inflammation, pain, and gradually deformity and stiffness of the joints. If deposited in the kidneys, it causes kidney disease.
Dietary treatment for gout patients is appropriate to both reduce uric acid synthesis and increase uric acid excretion through the kidneys. Diet plays a very important role in the treatment of acute and chronic gout attacks and is effective in reducing acute attacks of chronic gout.
Foods can affect uric acid levels in the blood. High levels can increase the likelihood of these crystals forming, causing flare-ups. Low uric acid levels can help prevent gout attacks.
Foods rich in purines tend to increase uric acid levels. Purines are molecules that make up DNA and serve other functions. The body needs a certain amount of purines in its diet, but not too much.
High purine levels increase the risk of gout, hypertension , cardiovascular disease, kidney disease and metabolic syndrome. However, there are some foods that help reduce the risk of disease.
2. Foods to avoid to not affect gout
If you are at risk of gout and are suffering from gout, you should limit your intake of any foods or drinks that have the potential to increase uric acid levels in the blood, including foods high in purine . In addition, it is also necessary to reduce or eliminate foods and drinks high in fructose .
Red meat
Red meat is a prime example of a food high in purine. Red meat includes beef, lamb and pork. The body breaks down purine into uric acid. The result is increased blood levels, increasing the likelihood of crystals accumulating in the joints, causing a flare-up.
Red meat has higher amounts of two specific purines called hypoxanthine and adenine than other foods. These two purines have been shown to increase the risk of gout.
Seafood
Many types of seafood are associated with a higher risk of disease. If you have gout or are at risk of developing the disease, you should limit anchovies, sardines, oysters, mussels, salmon, tuna… These seafood are rich in purines, which can cause uric acid levels to increase. This additional uric acid can easily cause buildup and further irritate gout symptoms.
When gout is stable, seafood consumption should still be limited to a minimum.
Animal organs
Animal products in general tend to be high in purines, but some organ meats have particularly high levels. Like red meat, the purines adenine and hypoxanthine are also abundant in this food group.
Organs such as liver and kidney should be consumed in limited quantities. These foods increase uric acid levels in the blood. Limiting your intake of these meats reduces the likelihood of gout flare-ups.
Beer, wine
Beer and alcohol in general put you at a higher risk of gout attacks. During a gout flare-up, you should absolutely abstain from beer and alcohol.
Sugary drinks
Gout occurs due to high levels of urate in the blood, also known as hyperuricemia. Eat foods and drinks that contain fructose, a type of sugar that easily increases urate levels. This is because when the body breaks down fructose, it releases purines. Fructose occurs naturally in fruits and honey.
High fructose corn syrup (HFCS) is an artificial sweetener that contains 42–55% fructose and is commonly found in soft drinks.
The National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases lists beverages containing HFCS as a risk factor for gout. Avoiding drinks with HFCS may help reduce gout flare-ups.
3. Foods help reduce the risk and flare-ups of gout
Gout flares up due to high uric acid levels in the body. Stay away from foods high in purine because they can cause uric acid levels to increase.
Note, not all purine sources are equal. Animal sources of purine tend to increase the risk of gout, but vegetables high in purine do not appear to increase the risk.
A low-purine diet is the best choice if you are trying to prevent gout flare-ups. The DASH diet and the Mediterranean diet are both recommended to help prevent gout. Both have diets rich in vegetables and have a limited amount of meat.
Foods proven to help reduce uric acid levels:
- Caffeine, especially tea.
- High dose vitamin C.
- Low-fat dairy products.
- Soy foods.
- Vegetable oils such as olive and sunflower.
4. Other ways to reduce the risk of gout
The reason food is only effective to a certain extent in reducing gout is because the body creates about 70% of uric acid in the blood. Therefore, a low-purine diet can only help solve the remaining 30%.
Overweight people should lose weight, but should not fast because it can cause a gout attack. Consult a dietitian about dietary changes if you have gout and are trying to lose weight.
If you are taking any medications, be sure to take them as directed. Also note, some medications such as Aspirin and diuretics (also called water pills) can cause gout pain. Talk to your doctor about the medications you are taking, including over-the-counter medications and supplements.
