Food Gout Sufferers Should Avoid

What Foods Should You Avoid

If youre susceptible to sudden gout attacks, avoid the main culprits high-purine foods.

These are foods that contain more than 200 mg of purines per 3.5 ounces .

You should also avoid high-fructose foods, as well as moderately-high-purine foods, which contain 150200 mg of purines per 3.5 ounces. These may trigger a gout attack.

Here are a few major high-purine foods, moderately-high-purine foods and high-fructose foods to avoid (

• meats: These include liver, kidneys, sweetbreads and brain
• meats: Examples include pheasant, veal and venison
• Fish: Herring, trout, mackerel, tuna, sardines, anchovies, haddock and more
• seafood: Scallops, crab, shrimp and roe
• Sugary beverages: Especially fruit juices and sugary sodas
• Added sugars: Honey, agave nectar and high-fructose corn syrup
• Yeasts: Nutritional yeast, brewers yeast and other yeast supplements

Additionally, refined carbs like white bread, cakes and cookies should be avoided. Although they are not high in purines or fructose, they are low in nutrients and may raise your uric acid levels (

Summary: If you have gout, you should avoid foods like organ meats, game meats, fish and seafood, sugary beverages, refined carbs, added sugars and yeast.

Gout And Diet: Foods And Drinks To Avoid

Gout is an arthritic condition that can cause sudden, severe joint pain. If you are experiencing symptoms of gout, the NHS recommends that you see a doctor for treatment during an attack and to help prevent further attacks.

We asked Emer Delaney, a dietitian who has worked in some of London’s top teaching hospitals, to explain how diet and lifestyle can affect the condition.

Foods And Drinks To Avoid When You Have Gout

Alcohol is a trigger for gout attacks. When you drink, your kidneys work to filter out alcohol instead of uric acid, leaving uric acid to build up in your body. Beer is especially bad for gout because it has purines.Sugary drinks , sugary foods, and foods with high fructose corn syrup should be limited because of their connection to gout. There is less evidence about why these foods and drinks increase the risk of gout, but some connection has been found. Foods that are high in purines should be completely avoided since they contribute to creating uric acid in your body. These include:

• Anchovies

Content courtesy of the National Institutes of Health :

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Alcohol Because Of The Yeast

Alcohol was on the avoid or high-risk list by every major health source referenced. Abstaining from drinking could be a tough ask for many. The point here is there is plenty of scientific evidence confirming drinking alcohol directly increases uric acid levels that induces gout.

Yeast, in general, contains a high amount of purines. The most common gout triggers made with yeast are beer, liquor, wine, cider, marmite, vegemite, processed meats, cured meats, and extracts.

Brewerâs yeast is used to make drinking alcohol. It is the main ingredient that contains purines. Beer gets the bulk of its purine content from brewerâs yeast, which has about three times the purines as bakerâs yeast.

Some sources stated that wine is less of a risk than beer and liquor. However, a 2015 study published by the American Journal of Medicine stated otherwise.

Episodic alcohol consumption, regardless of type of alcoholic beverage, was associated with an increased risk of recurrent gout attacks, including potentially with moderate amounts. Individuals with gout should limit alcohol intake of all types to reduce the risk of recurrent gout attacks.

-Am J Med. Author manuscript available in PMC 2015 Apr 1.

Another point was that drinking alcohol hinders the kidneysâ ability to remove waste products such as uric acid. Drinking alcohol can also cause dehydration, which leads to unnecessary uric acid production.

Path To Improved Health

Your family doctor may recommend that you follow a low-purine diet. This applies if you have gout or kidney stones. It also can help people who have hyperuricemia. This is a condition caused by high levels of uric acid. You also can choose to keep a low-purine diet as part of living healthy.

To get started, increase your liquid intake. Each day, drink 8 to 16 eight-ounce cups of liquid. At least half of the liquid you drink should be water. Water and other liquids help your body get rid of uric acid.

Next, learn what foods and drinks contain purine. You should avoid eating high-purine foods. Try to limit the amount of moderate-purine foods you eat. See the chart below for some suggestions.

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List Of Foods To Avoid With Gout And High Uric Acid

The first line of treatment of gout is removing the causes and correcting the diet. So, here we will discuss the foods to avoid gout.

Gout is a disease ofjoints that results in arthritis or inflammation in the joints. It causessevere pain, tenderness, and jointswelling. Generally, it affects the baseof the toe. Some experience hotness orburning sensation in joints.

The basic principle toavoid foods in gout or high uric acid is to stop eating salty, sour, spicy and friedfoodstuff in excess. These food itemsaggravate the gout attack. These may also become a great hindrance to prevent areduction in uric acid in the blood.

What To Eat For Gout

According to the Arthritis Foundation, foods that are low in purine and that improve the excretion of uric acid from the body are ideal for patients suffering from gout. Fortunately for anyone dealing with gout, foods low in purine are fairly easy to introduce in your diet.

Here are four choices that should play a main role in a gout diet:

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Theres More To Gout Than Too Much Uric Acid

Before we dive into the list of foods to avoid with gout, its important to get to the root of what causes too much uric acid and who is at a higher risk.

First, no one is exempt from getting gout. Some people are just more sensitive to purine-rich foods and drinks and thus churn out more uric acid. Genes can play a significant role, so if you have a relative with gout, you might be at a higher risk.

Second, putting on weight through adulthood is associated with a higher risk of gout, according to research published in 2021 in the journal Arthritis Research and Therapy.

In an earlier study published in Arthritis and Rheumatology, overweight people were 85 percent more likely to have higher uric acid levels than people at a healthy weight.

Best Diet For Gout: What To Eat What To Avoid

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Gout is a type of arthritis, an inflammatory condition of the joints. It affects an estimated 8.3 million people in the US alone (

Fortunately, gout can be controlled with medications, a gout-friendly diet and lifestyle changes.

This article reviews the best diet for gout and what foods to avoid, backed by research.

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Chicken Beef And Other Meats Appear To Be Foods To Avoid With Gout

The conversion of purines to uric acid, in theory, causes gout.

Therefore high-purine foods are often suspected to trigger symptoms.

Meat, and to a lesser extent seafood, are prime suspects. This includes all the most common meats like beef, chicken, pork and lamb.

The data available somewhat confirms suspicions.

Each additional daily serving of meat or seafood is associated with a 21% or 7% increased risk of gout, respectively . This implies meat could be three times worse than seafood.

There was another similar study that found even greater risks associated with meat intake, but none for seafood. Overall this suggests seafood is far less of a concern than meat .

For those who already have gout, the impact of meat intake on symptoms is even worse. This is likely due to sharper increases in blood uric acid, as well as poorer clearance by the body .

Therefore if you have a history of gout, it is best to dramatically reduce your meat intake, and seafood as well to a lesser extent. Anecdotal evidence suggests avoiding dark part of salmon, and de-veining prawns/shrimp before eating.

You should also buy your meat direct from the butcher where possible, or at least the better quality choices in the supermarket. Sausages and low-quality ground beef may contain traces of organ meat that can cause big problems .

Summary: Frequent consumption of meat is strongly linked with gout risk. The impact of seafood appears far less severe, but there is a link.

Plenty Of Starchy Carbohydrates

These may include rice, potatoes, pasta, bread, couscous, quinoa, barley or oats, and should be included at each meal time. These foods contain only small amounts of purines, so these along with fruit and vegetables should make up the basis of your meals. Wholegrain varieties are better choices as they contain more fibre and nutrients.

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Keep The Sunny Side Up

Heat a small bit of butter or cooking spray in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Break the egg and slip it in the pan. Turn the heat to low. Cover and cook 5 to 6 minutes until the whites are set and the yolk thickens. Use the same method and time for over-easy or over-hard eggs, but donât cover the pan. When the whites are set and the yolk thickens, put a spatula under the egg and flip it. Cook 30 seconds to 1 minute.

A Good Diet For Gout Should Not Include Soft Drinks Or Fruit Juice

Added sugar is a big problem in the modern diet.

Generally speaking, the sugar that is added to our food and drink products are 50% glucose and 50% fructose.

While glucose molecules are metabolised in the cell, fructose is metabolised in the liver. Further explanation is out of the scope of this article, but they behave very differently in the body.

Fructose intake, and not glucose intake, is strongly linked with gout.

Soft drinks and fruit juices tend to have the greatest amount of added sugar, and therefore the greatest amount of added fructose.

In fact, gout occurrence in the US has risen in line with fructose consumption since 1970 .

In a large study of over 46,000 men, researches found that two or more sugar-sweetened soft drinks a day was associated with an 85% increased risk of gout .

The largest consumers of sugar-sweetened soft drinks actually had a risk of gout comparable to the risk seen with three to five servings of alcohol.

Unfortunately the researchers did not account for family history of gout, which may or may not have changed their findings somewhat.

The strange thing out of all this, however, is that soft drinks dont typically contain purines.

Fructose is thought to be the culprit linking added sugars with gout. It appears to share the same mechanism as alcohol: fructose accelerates the breakdown of purine-containing nucleotides like ATP. This in turn drives up uric acid levels 90120-5/abstract” rel=”nofollow”> 13, 14, 15).

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Sneaky Gout Triggers: Yeast Extract Msg Fructose Sauces

Yeast extract and MSGâYeast extract plus other additives is basically MSG . MSG powder contains purines that immediately metabolizes to uric acid. Although there is proof linking yeast to purine content via alcoholic beverages, only a few sources warn yeast extract as a high-risk gout trigger.

MSG and yeast extract are flavor-enhancers in several products such as processed meat, canned food, bouillon, sauces, soup mixes, gravies, and salad dressings. Since the ingredient percentages are not typically listed or shared, it is very risky for people with chronic gout .

Manufactures will camouflage MSG by listing these these sub-ingredients instead of yeast extract, protein isolate, hydrolyzed vegetable protein, hydrolyzed yeast, and soy extracts.

MSG is not only associated with gout. It is also linked to other health problems and allergies. Known side effects from MSG overconsumption are heart palpitations, headaches, numbness and drowsiness.

Fructose â Even though there is plenty of evidence that fructose causes the body to produce purines, most major sources did not account for it as a major gout trigger. Research from 2016 linked fructose consumption to increased uric acid levels which leads to gout flares.

Sauces â Popular sauces that may cause or contain purines are fish sauce, worcestershire sauce , oyster sauce, barbecue sauce , and Maggi seasoning .

Its A Wrap: Moo Shu Veggies

Need a weeknight dinner recipe that you can pull off quickly? Youâll need bean sprouts, shredded veggies, 4 eggs, and a few staples to make moo shu vegetables, a meatless take on the classic Chinese dish. Enjoy the aroma of ginger and garlic softening in your pan during prep. To save time, use pre-cut veggies like broccoli slaw. Serve with warm whole-wheat tortillas and top with a dash of hot sauce to bring on the heat.

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The Dash Dietary Approaches To Stop Hypertension Diet

The DASH diet is designed for lowering high blood pressure and can also help with maintaining overall health. On top of managing blood pressure, weight and the risk of some diseases, the DASH diet is also great for those with gout.

The DASH diet prioritises whole grains, vegetables and fruit as the main part of a healthy diet, with importance also placed on low-fat dairy, lean meats, fish, and plant-based proteins like nuts, seeds, and legumes in smaller portions. Those on a DASH diet are recommended to stick to small amounts of plant oils and minimise animal-based fats.

Following a healthy diet is just about the best thing you can do for your health, but it is also true that highly restrictive diets can be hard to stick to. Unhealthy foods like sweets, puddings, alcohol and sugary drinks are discouraged, but having small amounts of them purely for pleasure rather than health is usually okay.

Some people with gout find it helpful to keep a food diary to work out if there are particular triggers for flare-ups and help manage their condition naturally.

What Can You Drink If You Have Gout

Foods arenât the only thing that can affect uric acid. What you drink matters, too.

Itâs a good idea to drink lots of fluids — 8 to 16 cups a day. At least half of what you drink should be water. Vitamin C also can help lower uric acid, but studies also show that the high fructose in OJ may boost uric acid levels, so drink it in moderation. Caffeinated coffee can cut uric acid, too, as long as you donât overdo it.

Donâts

Stay away from sugary drinks like soda and fruit juice. You also may need to limit or avoid alcohol as well. Talk with your doctor to find out whatâs right for you.

While a healthy diet can help control how much uric acid is in your system, you may still need medicine to prevent future attacks. Talk with your doctor about all your treatment options.

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How Is Gout Affected By Diet

Gout is a type of arthritis that is associated with elevated levels of uric acid in the blood. High levels of uric acid can cause crystals to form in the joints, causing pain and swelling. Uric acid is a normal waste product formed from the breakdown of food, particularly compounds called purines. It is believed that lowering uric acid levels through small changes in your diet may help reduce the chance of future gout attacks.

A healthy, balanced diet may help reduce the risk of gout attacks.

Avoid Sweets And Sodas

Unlike fruit with its natural sugar, artificial sugars are widely recognized as gout flare dangers. Consuming too many sugary sodas has been found to provoke attacks, but no association has been found with artificially sweetened sodas. Other foods loaded with high-fructose corn syrup can also bring on gout pain.

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Health Conditions And Treatments

Certain drugs, health problems, and lifestyle choices can trigger gout, too.

Medications. Aspirin, certain diuretics for high blood pressure , and drugs for people who had organ transplants can trigger gout. After a flare, go over all the medicines you take with your doctor. If needed, they should be able to find another option.

Being overweight. When you slim down, you can protect yourself from another flare.

Fasting or crash diets. If you lose weight too quickly or fast, you could raise your chances of an attack.

High blood pressure, kidney disease, diabetes, and heart disease. These health conditions make you more likely to have gout, especially if you donât get treatment. Work with your doctor to keep them under control.

Injuries or surgery. When your body is stressed or sick, youâre more likely to have a flare. Of course, you canât always avoid this trigger. But if you need to have an operation, make sure your doctor knows youâve had gout in the past.