Diet plays a very important role in gout pain relief and prevention. Whether you go the mainstream drug-based medication route or the natural remedy route, diet is at the heart of your recovery.
And it's easy to see why when you saw in Gout Causes how purines in our bodies and foods produce uric acid. And high levels of uric acid lead to uric acid crystals that cause the symptoms of gout.
So that a gout sufferer who continues with the same old western diet of`plenty of fatty red meats, offal, poultry, seafood, etc. will always struggle to keep their uric acid levels under control because the source of the uric acid isn't being properly addressed. Even doctors who prescribe drugs to combat gout usually advise dietary changes.
And since purines are critical in this it makes sense to reduce the amount of purine-rich food you eat. Foods and some drinks contain purines at varying levels. Some are very high in purines, some high, others moderate, and, some relatively low in purines. Basically, you need to avoid those foods that are high / very high in purines, consume sparingly those with moderate levels, and, increase consumption of relatively low purine foods.
Foods to Avoid with Gout
The following foods are very high in purines and should be avoided completely:-
anchovies
sardines
herring
mackerel
roe
mussels
scallops
shrimps
heart
kidneys
liver
brains
sweetbreads
yeast
yeast extracts
goose
partridge
mincemeat
meat extracts
gravy
broth
consomme
dried legumes
alcohol (especially beer) - not a 'food' but one of the most important triggers of a gout attack!
The following foods have high purine concentrations and should also be avoided:-
red meat (not in list above)
fish (not in list above and excluding salmon and tuna (see below))
shellfish (not in list above)
poultry (not in list above)
Foods to Consume Occasionally or Avoid Completely
These following foods have moderately high purine levels. Depending on the individual, they can be eaten occasionally or need to be avoided completely. Every person is different and each has to find what they can eat sparingly, or, what needs to be excluded.
spinach
cauliflower
asparagus
mushrooms
legumes
oatmeal
dried peas
soy
Foods That Make a Good Gout Diet
Foods that are relatively low in purines and that make a good gout diet are:-
vegetables (e.g. kale, parsley, cabbage and green leafy kinds in general)
foods high in vitamin c (e.g. oranges, mandarins, potatoes, red bell peppers, red cabbage, etc.)
low fat dairy products (e.g. yoghurt, milk, etc.)
complex carbohydrates (e.g. pasta, rice, cereals, vegetable / fruit (see below), breads, etc.)
Every person's metabolism is different, so although the lists above seem clear-cut, in fact a food that might not trouble one sufferer could give another sufferer problems. A good idea is to keep a food diary where you can record what you eat during the day and compare against when you have gout attacks. You should then be able to identify foods that you can consume and those that you cannot.
To help you get started, you can access a 7 day gout diet meal plan (breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks) by clicking here.
Note: Never make a major change to your existing diet without first discussing with your doctor or other healthcare expert.
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