Changing eating habits in 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 which should you limit? What should be the diet for gout? Can the menu include steak or chicken breast? Read and you will find out everything!
Proper nutrition for gout is half the success! How to prevent flare-ups simply 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, 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 produces too much uric 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 could get worse. Crystals that look like sharp needles begin to form in the joints and surrounding tissues. These needles cause pain, inflammation, swelling - in general, symptoms of gout. Very often the deposits accumulate in the joints of the legs, especially in the big toe bone. 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 in case of health problems you consult a doctor. But some signs could indicate that you have gout symptoms. In this case, the diet will be useful, but only the doctor can prescribe medications.
- 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 become 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 some foods: for example meat and seafood. In addition, some types of foods provoke the formation of uric acid, which means that the raw materials for urate crystals are alcoholic beverages, especially beer, as well as drinks with fructose, fruit sugar. So, the reason why gout can be triggered is foods. The diet involves reducing the diet; you will have to eliminate some foods from the menu.
If you are part of a risk group (for example, you have kidney disease or are hypertensive), with a poor 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: eating well 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 lately more and more women are getting sick, so it is important for both sexes to follow a diet. A gout diet in women, as well as in men, significantly reduces the likelihood of flare-ups.
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 have extra pounds. The fact is that with obesity and even just with extra kilos (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 a proper nutrition helps to get rid of both kilograms and this effect.
So, the smart solution if you have gout is diet. Prohibited products must be excluded. Important: you should definitely not "rush into 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 gradually eliminate excesses. Eat well 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 your diet will have a positive impact on your health in one way or another. However, a diet for gout in the legs implies a much larger list of prohibited foods: the diet, alas, will become noticeably poorer. On the other hand, changing your diet will significantly and for the better influence the course of the disease. 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? 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 40 years old.
It makes no difference which joints are affected by the disease. The diet for gout in the legs and arms of men, as well as in women, is no different; it is important to stick to it. In general, changing eating habits is the main recommendation of doctors for this disease.
List of foods not allowed for gout
First of all, it is necessary to eliminate purine-rich foods from the diet. After all, if your body doesn't get extra purines, it won't produce excess acid from them, so why give it building material. There are many purines in foods such as:
- Red meat.Lamb, veal, pork and beef are not the best choices for gout patients. You can eat all this, but you should limit the portions.
- Meat by-products.The liver, kidneys, brain, and any "internal" flesh can cause a flare-up. Yes, all this can be very tasty, but when on the other end of the scale there is a gout attack, no thanks.
- Game.Of course, it rarely appears on the table (well, unless you or your partner are avid hunters), but if suddenly you are offered to try something exotic in the form of baked venison or pheasant, refuse.
- Fish and seafood:the purines simply float in them. Cod, herring, trout, mackerel, sardines, tuna, as well as crabs, shrimp, scallops and many other seafood can significantly worsen the condition of a person suffering from gout. True, some doctors believe that the benefits of seafood can outweigh the harm, but only if consumed little by little.
What else is best avoided? The following foods have also been shown to increase uric acid levels in the body:
- Sweet drinks:industrially produced lemonade and 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 during a flare-up, at this moment it is not possible at all.
- Extra sugar:honey, agave syrup, other high fructose foods.
- Yeast additives.
- Semi-finished products(sometimes they contain something completely incomprehensible).
Also, it would be great if you could give up white bread, cakes and biscuits. In themselves they are not too dangerous, but they contain few nutrients and this also causes the body to produce uric acid.
Of course, a steak or a sandwich with liver pate does not provoke 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: permitted foods
We agree, the list of what to exclude from your diet is pretty impressive, but that doesn't mean you have to eat only 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 so well from vegetables.
- Fruits and berries.Almost everything 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 component for gout.
- Legumes.And again, of any kind, even lentils, even soybeans, even green beans.
- Whole grains.Oats, brown rice, barley - just to name a few.
- Peanuts.
- Dairy products.In general they are all more or less safe, but it is better to eat and drink those with a reduced percentage of fat.
- Egg.
- Low-fat meat(chicken, turkey).
- Coffee, tea, green tea.There are studies that show 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, flaxseed.
- Any spices.
Very useful in case of gout or tendency to drink as much as possible. Another recommendation is to consume foods rich in vitamin C. Of course, this should not be store orange juice, but an orange itself or lemon tea is quite suitable.
Gout diet: food table
So, what can and cannot be eaten if you have gout? Based on what is written above, we have drawn up short lists of products to check out.
Candies
- Vegetables
- Fruits and berries
- Legumes
- Whole grains
- Peanuts
- Dairy products
- Egg
- Low-fat meat
- Coffee, tea, green tea
- Vegetable oils
- Any spices
Carefully
- Red meat
- Seafood
- Fish
- White bread, pastries
Rarely or never
- By-products
- Game
- Juices, lemonade
- Honey and other foods high in fructose
- Semi-finished products
- Alcohol
- Yeast supplements
Of course, nutrition for gout during a flare means that foods from the "With Caution" column move down into the "Rarely or Never" column. If the 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 permitted 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 have tried to diversify it as much as possible so that you are spoiled for choice. Of course, you can make any additions from the list of allowed products (and a little at a time, from those with caution).
Monday
- Breakfast: green tea, "lazy oatmeal" with kefir or yogurt with berries. Just pour kefir or yogurt over oatmeal with berries and leave it in the refrigerator overnight. You'll see, it's delicious!
- Lunch: quinoa salad with hard-boiled eggs and fresh vegetables, miso soup.
- Dinner: wholemeal pasta with chicken and vegetables.
Tuesday
- Breakfast: coffee, cottage cheese, peach or a few 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: hamburger (wholemeal 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, scrambled eggs with tomatoes and peppers.
- Lunch: potato casserole with minced meat (replace with chicken during the period of exacerbation).
- Dinner: fruit salad.
Saturday
- Breakfast: milk, potato pancakes with low-fat sour cream.
- Lunch: grilled vegetables with chicken kebab.
- Dinner: berry smoothie, a couple of sandwiches with cheese and herbs (it is better to take wholemeal bread).
Sunday
- Breakfast: tea, whole milk porridge with berries.
- Lunch: lasagna (always better to use wholemeal sheets as a base and minced chicken).
- Dinner: julienne with chicken and mushrooms, homemade mulled wine made from berry compote (just add your favorite spices, apples and citrus fruits and heat).
You can use any vegetables, fruits and berries as a snack. Remember that cherries and citrus fruits are particularly useful, and 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 large and you can come up with many combinations of them. Of course, in summer it is much easier to follow a diet because vegetables cost less and their variety is much greater. However, you can always pay attention to seasonal vegetables: let's say that in September the watermelon season continues, in December the shops are full of mandarins, then they are replaced by pomelos. . . The same cherries can be frozen in summer and in In winter compotes or tarts can be made (the latter are better unleavened) (dough and rarely) and lemons are available all year round without any restrictions.
The right diet for gout: results and reviews
If a correct diet for gout is followed, 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 decrease. Numerous reviews also talk about this. It is important to note that almost all the people who have described their struggle with gout on the Internet have regretted not having consulted a doctor at the first symptoms. So, even if you haven't been diagnosed with gout, but something in this material seems familiar, go to the clinic, just to be sure.
In general, diet 6, gout, recipes with many restrictions, all this is not a death sentence. The frequency of flare-ups can be significantly reduced if you eat well and then control your uric acid level. And even if you eat a steak once a month and wash it down with dark beer, it's unlikely to trigger an attack if you generally follow your diet.