Changing food habits in gout is a practical task of first necessity, since this disease is associated with metabolic disorders. What foods can you eat if you have gout, what foods should you not eat, and which should you limit? What should be the diet for gout? Can the menu include steaks or chicken breasts? Read on and you'll find out!
Proper nutrition in gout is half the battle! How to prevent exacerbations only by following a diet? Details in our article.
Gout is a disease caused by metabolic disorders. This happens when crystals of urate, a salt of uric acid, build up in the joints. These crystals begin to form when there are high levels of uric acid in the blood, which in turn occurs when the body either produces too much of this acid or the kidneys are unable to eliminate it. The result of the accumulation of uric acid in the body is gout. The diet helps reduce acid production and restore health.
If you don't treat and change your diet, it can get worse. Crystals that look like sharp needles begin to form in the joints and surrounding tissues. These needles cause pain, inflammation, swelling - generally symptoms of gout. Very often deposits accumulate in the joints of the feet, especially in the big toe. A special diet for gout and high uric acid can alleviate these unpleasant symptoms.
Gout: symptoms and treatment
Diet is very important in gout, but it is important to be sure that you have the disease. We are against self-medication and insist that you consult a doctor for health problems. But some signs may indicate that you really have gout - symptoms. In this case, the diet will be beneficial, but only a doctor can prescribe drugs.
- Joint pain – knees, elbows, wrists and fingers can be affected.
- The big toe joint may be one of the first to be affected.
- The joints not only hurt, they become hot and the skin in the affected area becomes red.
- Body temperature may rise.
Why is it important to follow a gout diet?
Everything is simple: the body produces uric acid from purines, chemical compounds that are already present in it. But purines are not only found in the human body, there are a lot of them in certain foods: for example, meat and seafood. In addition, some types of food provoke the formation of uric acid, which means that the raw materials for urate crystals are alcoholic drinks, especially beer, as well as drinks with fructose - fruit sugar. So the reason gout can be triggered is foods. The diet involves reducing your diet, you will have to remove some foods from the menu.
If you are in a risk group (for example, you have kidney disease or you are hypertensive) - with an incorrect diet, the chances of "getting" gout increase. If the disease has already been diagnosed and you know for sure that you have gout, the treatment is diet: proper nutrition is simply necessary, otherwise an attack will not be avoided.
Previously, it was thought that mostly men were at risk and a special diet was developed as the Male Gout Diet. But recently, more and more women are getting sick, so it is important for both sexes to follow a diet. A diet for gout in women, as well as in men, significantly reduces the likelihood of exacerbation.
At the same time, the purpose of the restrictions is not only to reduce purine consumption and the intensity of uric acid production. A diet for gout in women will also help you lose weight if you are overweight. The fact is that with obesity and even just extra pounds (of course, extra in the medical sense of the word, appearance has absolutely nothing to do with it), the concentration of uric acid in the body increases, and proper nutrition helps to get rid of both pounds, as well as from this effect.
So, the smart solution if you have gout is diet. Prohibited products will have to be excluded. Important: you absolutely should not "rush with all seriousness" and lose weight with the help of exhausting diets, this will only harm you, the level of acid, on the contrary, will increase. It is better to get rid of the excess gradually. Eat rightand avoid potentially dangerous foods and you won't be afraid of flare-ups.
Gout in women
A diet that excludes fast food and alcohol from the diet will have a positive impact on health in one way or another. However, the diet for gout in the legs implies a much larger list of prohibited foods - the diet, alas, will become significantly poorer. On the other hand, changing the diet will significantly affect the course of the disease for the better. So if gout is diagnosed, the treatment is diet. For women and men, a pleasant side effect is possible - a diet without processed foods can have an overall positive effect on health. It is also worth noting that gout symptoms are less common in women. The fact is that the female body contains less uric acid in the blood, and estrogen also protects women from gout.
Differences in the course of gout in men and women
Is it safe to say that if gout is diagnosed in women, the symptoms, diet and treatment will be different from the male version? Generally not: the only difference is that men are more likely to suffer from gout, according to various estimates, 7 or even 19 times more often. In addition, women rarely get sick before menopause, but men can start suffering from this disease as early as the age of 40.
It does not matter which joints are affected by the disease. The diet for gout of the feet and hands in men, as well as in women, is no different, it is important to stick to it. In general, a change in eating habits is the main recommendation of doctors in this disease.
List of foods prohibited for gout
First of all, you should eliminate foods with a high purine content from your diet. After all, if your body doesn't get extra purines, it won't make excess acid from them, so why give it material to build on. There are many purines in foods such as:
Red meat. Lamb, veal, pork and veal are not the best choices for gout patients. You can eat all of these, but you should limit the portions.Meat offal. Liver, kidney, brain, any "internal" meat can trigger an exacerbation. Yes, all of this can be very tasty, but when a gout attack is on the other side of the scale - no mercy.A game. Of course, it rarely appears on the table (well, unless you or your partner are keen hunters), but if you are suddenly offered to try something exotic in the form of venison or roast pheasant, refuse.Fish and seafood: purines just float in them. Cod, herring, trout, mackerel, sardines, tuna, plus crab, shrimp, clams and many other seafood can significantly worsen the condition of a person with gout. It is true that some doctors believe that the benefits of seafood may outweigh the harm, but only if consumed little by little.
What else is better to avoid? The following foods have also been shown to increase uric acid levels in the body:
Sweet drinks: lemonade and industrially produced sweet juices.Alcohol: beer and wheat-based spirits such as vodka and whiskey. It is slightly possible, but if we are talking about a diet for gout during an exacerbation, at the moment it is not possible at all.Additional sugar: honey, agave syrup, other high fructose foods.Yeast supplements. Semi-finished products (at times they contain something completely incomprehensible).
Also, it will be great if you can give up white bread, cakes and cookies. In themselves, they are not too dangerous, but they do not contain many nutrients, and this also provokes the body to produce uric acid.
Of course, a steak or liver pate sandwich will not trigger an attack, the main thing is to follow a general diet for gout and increased uric acid.
What you can eat if you have gout: allowed foods
We agree, the list of what to cut out of your diet is pretty impressive, but that doesn't mean you have to eat only sunlight. Here are some foods allowed for gout.
Vegetables. You can eat absolutely anything, including those that contain a lot of purines (for example, spinach) - they are not as well absorbed by vegetables.Fruits and berries. Almost anything is also possible, and some are even necessary - cherries have been shown to reduce the concentration of uric acid and are therefore particularly useful as a nutritional ingredient for gout.Legumes. And again, any kind, even lentils, even soybeans, even green beans.Whole grains. Oats, brown rice, barley - just as an example.Nuts. Dairy products. In general, all of them are more or less safe, but it is better to eat and drink those with a reduced percentage of fat.eggs. Pure meat (chicken, turkey).Coffee, tea, green tea. There are studies that show coffee slightly reduces the risk of gout attacks, but drinking too much can have other health effects, so it's best not to overdo it.Vegetable oils: coconut, olives, linseed.Any spices.
Very useful in gout or a tendency to drink as much as possible. Another recommendation is to consume foods rich in vitamin C. Of course, this does not have to be orange juice from the store, but the orange itself or tea with lemon are perfectly suitable.
Diet for gout: food table
So what can and can't you eat if you have gout? Based on the above, we have compiled a short list of products for you to check out.
I can
- Vegetables
- Fruits and berries
- Legumes
- Whole grains
- Nuts
- Dairy products
- eggs
- Pure meat
- Coffee, tea, green tea
- Vegetable oils
- Any spices
Carefully
- red meat
- Seafood
- Fish
- White bread, sweets
Rarely or never
- Byproducts
- A game
- Juices, lemonade
- Honey and other foods high in fructose
- Semi-finished products
- Alcohol
- Additives with yeast
Of course, gout nutrition during a flare-up suggests that foods from the "with caution" column are moved down into the "rarely or never" column. If your joints hurt, it is better not to overload them with additional deposits, even the most insignificant ones.
Nutrition for gout: menu
So, everything is clear with the allowed and prohibited products, but how to combine the possible so that it is tasty and not repeated very often? We have prepared for you a sample menu for the week and tried to diversify it as much as possible so that you have something to choose from. Of course, you can make any additions to it from the list of allowed products (and little by little - from those with caution).
Monday
- Breakfast: green tea, "lazy oatmeal" with kefir or yogurt with berries. Just pour oatmeal with berries with kefir or yogurt and leave in the refrigerator overnight. You will see, it is very tasty!
- Lunch: quinoa salad with boiled eggs and fresh vegetables, miso soup.
- Dinner: Whole grain pasta with chicken and vegetables.
Tuesday
- Breakfast: coffee, cottage cheese, peach or a few slices of melon, bran in flakes.
- Lunch: Brown rice with roast turkey.
- Dinner: Omelet with mushrooms and spinach.
Wednesday
- Breakfast: vegetable salad, a handful of nuts.
- Lunch: lentil soup with chicken broth.
- Dinner: burger (whole wheat bread, turkey cutlet, cheese, vegetables).
Thursday
- Breakfast: tea, yogurt with berries and bran flakes.
- Lunch: chickpea pilaf with chicken, vegetable salad.
- Dinner: lean fish steak topped with green beans.
Friday
- Breakfast: coffee, scrambled eggs with tomatoes and peppers.
- Lunch: potato casserole with ground beef (replace with chicken during a period of exacerbation).
- Dinner: fruit salad.
Saturday
- Breakfast: milk, potato pancakes with low-fat sour cream.
- Lunch: grilled vegetables with chicken kebab.
- Dinner: a berry smoothie, a few sandwiches with cheese and herbs (it is better to take whole grain bread).
Sunday
- Breakfast: tea, whole grain milk porridge with berries.
- Lunch: lasagna (again better to use whole wheat leaves as a base and minced chicken).
- Dinner: chicken and mushroom julienne, homemade mulled wine based on berry compote (just add your favorite spices, apples and citrus fruits and heat it up).
You can use any vegetables, fruits and berries as a snack. We remind you that cherries and citrus fruits are especially useful, and it is also important to drink more clean water. Dehydration makes gout worse.
In general, the diet for gout, table 6, is quite easy to implement, the list of products is quite extensive, and you can come up with many combinations of them. Of course, in summer it is much easier to follow a diet due to the fact that vegetables are cheaper and their variety is much greater. However, you can always pay attention to seasonal vegetables: say, in September the watermelon season continues, in December the stores are full of tangerines, then they are replaced by pomelo. . . The same cherries can be frozen in summer, and in winter you can make compotes or pies from them (the latter are better not to be made with yeast dough and rare), and lemons are available all year round without any restrictions.
The Right Diet for Gout: Results and Reviews
If you follow the right diet for gout, the patient can count on a longer remission and a milder course of the disease. The diet will relieve gout and its symptoms - the pain will decrease, the inflammation will subside. Numerous reviews also speak of this. It is important to note that almost all people who have told stories about their struggle with gout on the Internet regret not seeing a doctor at the first symptoms. So even if you have not been diagnosed with gout, but something in this material seemed familiar to you, go to the clinic - for greater certainty.
In general, diet 6, gout, prescriptions with many restrictions, all this is not a death sentence. The frequency of exacerbations can be significantly reduced if you eat right and thus control the level of uric acid. And even if you eat steak once a month and wash it down with a dark beer, you are unlikely to trigger an attack if you generally follow your diet.