Gout is a kind of arthritis that is characterized by pain, swelling as well as inflammation of the joints. Almost half of the gout cases suffer from pain at the big toes, while others feel symptoms on their knees, heels, fingers, and wrists. People with such conditions are looking for foods to avoid with gout to stay away from symptoms caused by too much uric acid in the blood. Uric acids are formed as waste products after digestion of certain types of foods that are high in purine.
A high level of uric acid will form small crystals in the joints and later on trigger pain, swelling, and inflammation. The worst part is that most gout attacks during night time and can last for 3 to 10 days. People with this condition are unable to eliminate excess uric in the blood or producing too much uric or due to genetic and poor diet.
Food and Gout
If you have gout, then it is important to look for an effective uric acid diet to avoid attacks. Symptoms are triggered by the foods you eat that are high in purine. Purine is a substance that is naturally found in foods. Once the body metabolizes purine it will produce uric acid as a form of waste product. This is not a dilemma for healthy individuals, but people with gout have an impaired ability to eliminate excess uric acid. The following are high purine foods that you need to avoid when in a gout diet.
1. Organ Meat
The liver along with other organ meats are very high in purine thus you need to avoid them in your daily meals. Some of these organs are heart, tripe, kidney, and sweetbread. Instead of organs, you can consider meats such as beef and poultry which are low in purine and eat them in your diet in moderation. Another consideration is a vegetarian meal composed of mushroom, walnut, and green leafy vegetables that can offer a liver flavor without the ingredients that can trigger gout attack.
2. Sodas
Sodas are one of the foods to avoid with gout as it is high in fructose when breakdown during digestion to form purine. Most sodas are made from high fructose corn syrup and this ingredient is linked to the accumulation of uric acid in the blood. In a published scientific journal, it explained that men who consumed two or more serving of soft drinks a day have an 85 percent risk of developing gout compared to those who drink less or just one serving a month.
However, diet sodas do not show a similar effect, but still, it is not advisable to drink sodas as it is very high in sugar. Instead, try drinking flavored water in lime or lemon if you are craving for some soda taste.
3. Seafood
Although some seafood like mussels, shrimps, anchovies, herring, mackerel, crabs and many more have a moderate amount of purine, some studies show that people who consume more of this seafood are 50% at risk of experiencing a high level of uric acid in the blood in comparison to those who ate less, according to Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville.
If you are in no uric acid diet, you can eat fish such as code or sole which is very low in purine. You can also opt for a small serving size of seafood in a moderate list then add vegetables such as broccoli, zucchini or squeeze with some lemon to neutralize its purine content.
4. Alcoholic Beverages
A gout diet must be free from alcoholic beverages especially beer as it is very high in uric acid and it is too risky to drink some. Do not try to drink wine or any kind of alcohol at night or you will suffer from an overnight gout attack. A 2014 study at Boston University School of Medicine found out that people who consume more alcohol, have a greater risk of gout attacks.
There is no way to cut alcohol in the list of triggering foods, but if you are fond of drinking you need to consume less to avoid more attacks. Recommendation for women is at least 1 serving and for men two serving a day.
5. Some Legumes
You need to become aware that there are some legumes with a moderate amount of purine such as lentils, lima beans, and kidney beans that might start an attack if eaten in huge quantities in the diet. In a uric acid diet, the key is to always consume anything in a moderate amount and avoid going overboard when eating your favorite foods.
