Changing the eating habits in the case of gout is practically a task of first necessity, because this disease is associated with metabolic disorders. What foods can you eat if you have gout, what foods should you not eat, and what should you limit? What should be the diet for gout? Can the menu include steaks or chicken breasts? Read and you will learn everything!
The right diet for gout is half the battle! How to prevent flare-ups just by following a diet? Details in our article.
Gout is a disease caused by metabolic disorders. It occurs when crystals of urate, a salt of uric acid, accumulate 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 when uric acid builds up in the body is gout. The diet helps reduce acid production and restore health.
If you don't treat it and change your diet, it can get worse. Needle-like crystals begin to form in the joints and surrounding tissues. These needles cause pain, inflammation, swelling - common symptoms of gout. Very often, the deposits accumulate in the joints of the feet, especially in the bone of the big toe. A special diet for gout and high uric acid can relieve these unpleasant symptoms.
Gout: symptoms and treatment
Diet is very important for gout, but it is important to make sure you have this disease. We are against self-medication and insist that you consult a doctor in case of health problems. But some signs may indicate that you have gout - symptoms. In this case, a 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, but they get hot and the skin in the affected area turns red.
- Body temperature may rise.
Why is it important to follow a gout diet?
It's simple: the body produces uric acid from purines, chemical compounds already present in it. But purines are not only found in the human body; there are many of them in certain foods: for example, meat and seafood. In addition, certain types of food cause the formation of uric acid, which means that the raw materials for uric acid crystals are alcoholic beverages, especially beer, as well as drinks with fructose - fruit sugar. So, the reason why gout can be triggered is foods. Dieting involves reducing your diet; you will have to remove certain foods from the menu.
If you belong to a risk group (for example, you have kidney disease or are hypertensive) - with the wrong 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 the attack will not be avoided.
Previously, it was believed that mainly men were at risk and a special diet was developed as a diet for gout in men. But recently, more and more women are getting sick, so it is important for both sexes to follow a diet. The diet for gout in women, as well as in men, significantly reduces the likelihood of exacerbations.
At the same time, the purpose of the restrictions is not only to reduce the consumption of purines 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 extra pounds (of course, in addition 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 bothfrom the kilos as well as from this result.
So, the smart solution if you have gout is diet. Prohibited products should be banned. Important: you should definitely not "rush in all seriousness" and lose weight with the help of exhausting diets, this will only harm you, the acid level, on the contrary, will increase. It is better to get rid of the excess gradually. Eat right and 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, a diet for gout in the legs implies a much longer list of prohibited foods - the diet, unfortunately, will become noticeably poorer. On the other hand, changing your 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 the symptoms of gout 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? In general, no: 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 begin to suffer from this disease as early as the age of 40.
It makes no difference which joints are affected by the disease. The diet for gout in men's feet and hands, as well as in women, is no different; it is important to stick to it. In general, changing dietary habits is the main recommendation of doctors for this disease.
List of foods not allowed for gout
First of all, you need to remove foods with a high purine content from your diet. After all, if your body doesn't get extra purines, then 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, beef, pork and beef are not the best choice for gout patients. You can eat all of these, but you should limit the portions.Meat by-products. Liver, kidney, brain, any "inside" meat can cause flare-ups. Yes, all of this can be very tasty, but when a gout attack is on the other side of the scale - no thanks.Game. Of course, it rarely appears on the table (well, unless you or your partner are avid 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, as well as crabs, shrimps, scallops 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 eaten slowly.
What else is best 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. A little is possible, but if we are talking about a diet for gout flare-ups, it is not at all possible at this time.Added sugar: honey, agave syrup, other foods high in fructose.Yeast additives. Semi-finished products (sometimes they contain something completely incomprehensible).
In addition, it will be great if you can give up white bread, cakes and cookies. By themselves, they are not very dangerous, but they do not contain many nutrients, and this also causes the body to produce uric acid.
Of course, a steak or a sandwich with liver pate will not cause an attack; the main thing is to generally follow a diet for gout and high uric acid.
What you can eat if you have gout: allowed foods
We agree, the list of what to exclude from your diet is quite impressive, but that does not mean that you should only eat sunlight. Here are some foods that are allowed for gout.
Vegetables. You can eat absolutely anything, including those that contain a lot of purines (for example, spinach) - they are not absorbed as well as vegetables.Fruits and berries. Almost all of them are 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 nutrient for gout.Legumes. Again all kinds, even lentils, even soybeans, even green beans.Wholegrain. Oats, brown rice, barley - for example.NUTS. Dairy products. In general, they are all more or less safe, but it is preferable to eat and drink those with a reduced percentage of fat.Eggs. Lean meat (chicken, turkey).Coffee, tea, green tea. There are studies showing that coffee slightly reduces the risk of gout flare-ups, but drinking too much can have other health effects, so it's best not to overdo it.Vegetable oils: coconut, olive, linseed.Any spices.
Very useful for gout or the tendency to drink as much as possible. Another recommendation is to consume foods rich in vitamin C. Of course, this should not be orange juice from the store, but an orange itself or a tea with lemon are quite suitable.
Diet for gout: dining table
So, what can you and can't you eat if you have gout? Based on what was written above, we have compiled short lists of products that you can check out.
Can
- Vegetables
- Fruits and berries
- Legumes
- Wholegrain
- nuts
- Dairy
- Eggs
- Lean meat
- Coffee, tea, green tea
- Vegetable oils
- Any spices
Carefully
- Red meat
- Seafood
- Fish
- White bread, pastries
Rarely or never
- Byproducts
- Game
- Juices, lemonade
- Honey and other foods high in fructose
- Semi-finished products
- Alcohol
- Yeast supplements
Of course, the gout diet during a flare suggests that foods from the "With caution" column move 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.
Diet for gout: menu
So, everything is clear with the allowed and prohibited products, but how to combine what is possible so that it is tasty and not repeated too 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 a lot to choose from. Of course, you can make any additions to it from the list of allowed products (and a little at a time - from them with care).
Monday
- Breakfast: green tea, "lazy oatmeal" with kefir or yogurt with berries. Simply pour kefir or yogurt over the berry oatmeal and refrigerate overnight. You will see, it is very tasty!
- Lunch: quinoa salad with boiled eggs and fresh vegetables, miso soup.
- Dinner: Whole wheat pasta with chicken and vegetables.
Tuesday
- Breakfast: coffee, cottage cheese, peach or several slices of melon, bran flakes.
- Lunch: Brown rice with roast turkey.
- Dinner: omelette with mushrooms and spinach.
Wednesday
- Breakfast: vegetable salad, a handful of nuts.
- Lunch: lentil soup with chicken broth.
- Dinner: burger (whole wheat bun, turkey cutlet, cheese, vegetables).
Thursday
- Breakfast: tea, yogurt with berries and bran flakes.
- Lunch: chickpea pilaf with chicken, vegetable salad.
- Dinner: lean fish steak, garnished with green beans.
Friday
- Breakfast: coffee, omelette with tomatoes and peppers.
- Lunch: potato casserole with minced meat (replace with chicken in peak season).
- Dinner: fruit salad.
Saturday
- Breakfast: milk, potato pancakes with low-fat sour cream.
- Lunch: grilled vegetables with chicken kebab.
- Dinner: berry smoothie, some sandwiches with cheese and herbs (better to take whole wheat bread).
Sunday
- Breakfast: tea, whole 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 and heat it up).
You can use any vegetables, fruits and berries as a snack. Let us remind you that cherries and citrus fruits are especially useful, while it is also important to drink more plain water. Dehydration makes gout worse.
In general, the diet for gout, table 6, is quite easy to follow, the list of products is quite extensive and you can find many combinations of them. Of course, in summer it is much easier to follow a diet because vegetables are cheaper and their variety is much greater. However, you can always look out for seasonal vegetables: say, in September the watermelon season continues, in December the shops 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 rarely), 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 - pain will decrease, inflammation will subside. Many reviews also talk about it. It is important to note that almost all the people who told stories about their struggle with gout on the Internet regretted not seeing a doctor at the first symptoms. So, even if you haven't been diagnosed with gout, but something about this material seemed familiar, go to the clinic - just to be on the safe side.
Generally diet 6, gout, prescriptions with many restrictions, all these are not a death sentence. The frequency of exacerbations can be significantly reduced if you eat right and thus control your uric acid level. And even if you eat a steak once a month and wash it down with dark beer, it is unlikely to cause an attack if you generally follow your diet.