Foods To Avoid During Gout Attack

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).

Do Certain Foods Cause Gout

There are many misconceptions about diet and gout. For example it is commonly thought that foods such as citrus foods cause gout. There is no evidence that this is true. However several studies have shown that people with gout are more likely to eat certain foods. These foods tend to contain high levels of purines, a substance that can be made into uric acid in the body. Purine-rich foods include:

• meat particularly red meat and offal, such as liver, kidneys and heart
• seafood particularly shellfish, scallops, mussels, herring, mackerel, sardines and anchovies
• foods containing yeast such as Vegemite and beer.

Can Losing Weight Help Gout

If you are overweight, gradual weight loss can help lower uric acid levels and reduce the risk of gout attacks. However, it is important to avoid fasting or crash dieting, where you go without adequate food for long periods and lose weight rapidly. This type of dieting can actually increase uric acid levels and trigger a gout attack. A combination of balanced healthy eating and regular physical activity is the best way to lose weight safely. Talk to your doctor or see a dietitian for advice.

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Choose A Diet You Can Live With

If you are overweight, losing weight can protect you from gout flare-ups. However, losing weight fast can do more harm than good for gout, as rapid weight loss can raise uric acid levels in your bloodstream. Avoid fad diets and “crash” diets. Consider consulting a dietician, who can help you choose a diet plan that works for you.

Things To Cut Down On

Meat and seafood

High intakes of red meat and seafood are associated with a greater risk of gout because of their high purine content and impact on uric acid production.

Foods that contain yeast, such as Vegemite and Marmite, are also high in purine.

Sugars

Fructose is a simple sugar found in honey, fruit, some vegetables and sweeteners. Fructose increases purine metabolism, raising blood uric acid levels.

Avoid sweeteners high in fructose such as honey, brown sugar, high-fructose corn syrup, golden syrup and palm sugar. Check your tolerance for fruits, vegetables and other foods high in fructose.

Uric acid levels tend to be higher in people who regularly consume sugar-sweetened drinks. Those drinking one to two sugar-sweetened soft drinks a day are almost twice as likely to have gout as those who drink only one a month.

When it comes to whole fruit, results are not clear. While one study found a higher risk of gout with higher fruit intakes, another found a lower risk. The opposing results are partly confounded by the variation in fructose content of different fruits.

Alcohol

The effect of specific alcoholic beverages on blood uric acid levels varies. Beer is high in purine and increases uric acid more than spirits, while moderate wine intake appears neutral.

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The Ultimate List Of 14 Foods To Avoid With Gout

You may have come across the word Gout quite frequently in your life, but never really understood what it refers to. Gout is in fact an agonizing form of arthritis which aim at and attack any joint of a persons body and cause trouble, mostly the joints of the feet. What happens is that uric acid crystals tend to grow and form a home in the joints which is one of the primary causes since it calls for swelling as well as an unbearable pain.

What may cause the birth of such an unimaginable situation would be certain foods that carry a higher concentration of purine in them ultimately causing your uric acid level to shoot up. This, as a result leads to gout, a condition caused due to intake of certain nutrition.

Even if you are suffering from this condition or you happen to digest certain foods that have gotten you close to gout being a part of your life, you can still make some necessary changes in your life right now that help you fight this disease in no time without having to go through any trips to the doctor.

Foods To Avoid During A Painful Gout Attack

ByAakash Shah | Submitted On January 19, 2011

A proper diet is extremely important during a gout attack. The patient should take a well-balanced to avoid painful gout attacks. The biggest cause behind gout is the accumulation of uric acid in our body, so a patient suffering from a painful gout attack must avoid foods which stimulate the production of uric acid. The patient suffering from a painful gout attack must avoid food products which are high in the complex protein and purines. Purines are found in many food products and are also a part of human tissues. Purines have been found responsible for increasing the level of uric acid in our body. The patient should also limit his intake of chicken, meat, fish etc. It has been found that people who eat meat regularly are forty percent more likely to develop gout then others and the people who eat a lot of sea food are fifty percent more likely to get gout. So, always eat cautiously.

During an attack these things should be completely eliminated from the diet as they are very high in the protein content. Similarly lentils and peas should not be eaten also. Vegetables like cabbage, asparagus, mushrooms, spinach etc and shell-fish like oyster, clams, crab, shrimp etc. must be avoided. The patient must also stop taking alcohol as almost all alcoholic drinks are fermented and the yeast used to ferment them is very high in purine content. Therefore, alcohol and especially bear should never be consumed during a painful gout attack.

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What Are The Symptoms Of Gout

Gout is a very painful condition and a typical gout attack usually develops over a two to three hour period and often resolves within two weeks. The NHS advises that you always see a doctor if you experience the symptoms of gout, which include sudden, severe pain in any joint or red, hot, swollen skin over any joint.

There’s More To Gout Than Too Much Uric Acid

Before we dive into the list of foods to avoid with gout, it’s 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.

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How To Prevent The Next Gout Attack

If youve ever experienced a gout attack, you’re not likely to forget it. The sudden, severe inflammatory pain may have woken you up in the middle of the night or even sent you to the ER.

You may be at high risk for another attack if you havent made any changes to your diet, lifestyle, or medication regimen. Taking precautions against future attacks can spare you from gout pain and limit long-term damage to your joints.

If you’ve had a gout attack, your likelihood of having another is unpredictable. That’s why it’s important to take preventive steps. SeeGout Prevention

Which Foods Should You Avoid When You Have Gout

Purines are compounds that are found in specific food and drink and they change to uric acid in the body. Most meat and seafood are high in purine and can increase uric acid levels in the body. These therefore should be limited during episodes of a gout attack and portion size should be reduced. Common examples of foods high in purine include anchovies, sardines, offal foods such as liver, kidney, sweetbreads, game, goose, minced meat, mussels, partridge, roe, scallops, herring, gravies, stock cubes and meat and yeast extracts.

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Ten Tips For Beating Gout

If you have gout, use these nutrition tips to lower your risk:

Avoid To During Attack Gout Foods

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Does Fructose Cause Gout

Fructose is a sugar that is found in fruits and vegetables. It is also found in high levels in foods sweetened with corn syrup, such as bread, cereal, soft drinks and fruit juices. An American study found that men who drank five to six servings of fructose-sweetened soft drinks per week were more likely to have gout. However there is no research showing that fructose actually causes gout. Cutting down the amount of food artificially sweetened with high fructose corn syrup may be beneficial for your overall health. However naturally occurring fructose in fruit and vegetables also provides general health benefits and should not be completely avoided without advice from your doctor or dietitian.

Foods That May Trigger A Gout Attack

Physicians recommend avoiding or limiting consumption of14:

• Alcoholic beverages, especially beer
• Sugary foods and beverages, particularly those made with high fructose corn syrup, such as sodas15
• Meat, particularly organ meat or sweetmeats, such as liver, and game meats6
• Seafood, particularly scallops, anchovies, and herring16

Alcohol increases the amount of uric acid in the blood and limits the bodys ability to process and eliminate uric acid.17

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Sodas And Sugary Drinks

Sodas and sugary drinks are considered empty-calorie foods, because they contain no beneficial nutrients while contributing a lot of calories to your diet.

For example, a 12-ounce can of cola contains about 150 calories and 40 grams, or about 9.5 teaspoons, of added sugars. In addition, sugar-sweetened beverages have been associated with an increased risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, weight gain, and dental caries.

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What Is The Recommended Diet For Gout Sufferers

There are no foods that can completely prevent the symptoms of gout, but a diet low in purines may help to reduce the frequency of attacks. Following a nutritionally balanced, healthy diet that is low in saturated and trans fats and rich in unprocessed foods can help to reduce the risk of gout attacks. Care needs to be taken with certain vegetables such as asparagus, beans, cauliflower, lentils, mushrooms and spinach as these contain medium levels of purines.

While these dont need to be avoided completely, portion size is important a moderate intake should not increase the risks of gout. All other vegetables should be eaten freely. There is also evidence to suggest that a high consumption of low-fat dairy products , limiting sugary drinks and having a daily vitamin C supplement of 500mg may reduce the risk of gout. Speak to your GP before starting new supplements or altering your diet to manage gout.

It is important to note that it is the quantity of purine-rich food consumed that is more important than the purine content in each food. However, if a patient is keen to measure quantities of food, a maximum total daily purine intake of around 200mg is recommended.

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.

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Foods To Avoid With Gout

When a patient asks Bernadette Siaton MD, a rheumatologist at the University of Maryland Medical Center who treats gout, what foods they should avoid, she doesn’t recommend specific foods.

Instead, she encourages her patients to eat a low-fat, low-sugar, healthy and balanced diet.

“That type of diet is beneficial for most people, even in the absence of gout,” Dr. Siaton says.

Weight loss is recommended for people with gout who are overweight or obese, even if gout flares are rare or nonexistent, according to the 2020 American College of Rheumatology Guidelines for the Management of Gout.

Still, gout is a disease that results from excess uric acid burden in the body.

“Some foods have high purine content, and when the body breaks down purines, uric acid is the end result,” Dr. Siaton says. “I tell patients to stay away from foods high in purines.”

With that said, here are some foods and drinks you generally should avoid to keep gout at bay.

Take Prescription Gout Medication

A doctor may prescribe medication to reduce the amount of uric acid produced by the body. Urate lowering medication is typically recommended to people who12:

• Experience more than two gout attacks per year
• Have a gout attack and also have a history of tophi or renal stones
• Have a gout attack and also have chronic kidney disease

Commonly prescribed medications include allopurinol and febuxostat.12 Additional or alternative medications may be prescribed depending on the patients circumstances.

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