In the case of gout, changing your eating habits is practically a mandatory task, as this disease is associated with metabolic disorders. What foods can you eat for gout, which foods should you avoid eating, and which foods should you limit? What should the diet be for gout? Can steaks or chicken breasts be on the menu? Read and you will find out everything!
The right diet for gout is half the battle! How to prevent exacerbations with diet alone? Details in our article.
Gout is a disease caused by metabolic disorders. It occurs when urate crystals, a salt of uric acid, build up in the joints. These crystals begin to form when levels of uric acid in the blood are too high, which in turn occurs when the body either produces too much of this acid or the kidneys are unable to excrete it. When uric acid builds up in the body, gout develops. Diet helps reduce acid production and restore health.
If you don't treat the condition or 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, and swelling - generally symptoms of gout. Deposits often occur in the joints of the legs, especially on the big toe bone. A special diet for gout and high uric acid levels can relieve these unpleasant symptoms.
Gout: symptoms and treatment
Diet is very important when it comes to gout, but it is important to ensure that you have this disease. We are against self-medication and insist that you consult a doctor if you have any health problems. However, some signs may indicate that you have gout symptoms. In this case, a diet is beneficial, but only a doctor can prescribe medication.
- Joint pain – Knees, elbows, wrists and fingers can be affected.
- The big toe joint may be one of the first to be affected.
- Not only do the joints hurt, they also become hot and the skin in the affected area turns red.
- Body temperature may rise.
Why is it important to follow a diet for gout?
It's simple: the body produces uric acid from purines, chemical compounds already present in it. Purines are not only found in the human body, but also in large numbers in certain foods, for example meat and seafood. In addition, some foods 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 why gout can be triggered is because of food. The diet involves reducing your diet; You have to eliminate some foods from the diet.
If you belong to a risk group (e. g. if you have kidney disease or high blood pressure), poor diet increases your chances of developing gout. If the disease has already been diagnosed and you know for sure that you have gout, treatment is diet: proper nutrition is simply necessary, otherwise an attack cannot be avoided.
It used to be assumed that men were particularly at risk and a special diet was developed to combat gout in men. However, with more and more women getting sick recently, it is important for both sexes to follow a diet. A diet for gout in both women and men significantly reduces the likelihood of exacerbations.
The restrictions are not only aimed at reducing 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 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 the kilograms and this effect.
So the smart solution to gout is diet. Prohibited products must be excluded. Important: Under no circumstances should you "take it seriously" and try to lose weight with strenuous diets, this will only harm you, on the contrary, the acid level will rise. It is better to get rid of the excess gradually. Eat right and avoid potentially dangerous foods, then you are no longer afraid of things getting worse.
Gout in women
A diet that excludes fast food and alcohol from the diet will have a positive effect on health in one way or another. However, a diet for gout on the legs requires a much larger list of forbidden foods - unfortunately, the diet becomes noticeably worse. On the other hand, a change in diet will significantly influence the course of the disease for the better. So if gout is diagnosed, treatment is diet. A pleasant side effect is possible for women and men - 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 when gout is diagnosed in women, the symptoms, diet and treatment are different from those in men? In general, no: the only difference is that, according to various estimates, men are 7 or even 19 times more likely to suffer from gout. In addition, women rarely develop the disease before menopause, but men can suffer from this disease as early as 40 years old.
It doesn’t matter which joints are affected by the disease. The diet for gout on the legs and arms of men and 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, you need to eliminate foods high in purines from your diet. Because if your body doesn't get any extra purines, it can't make excess acid from them. So why give him materials to build it? 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 of this, but you should limit the portions.
- Meat by-products.Liver, kidneys, brain and any "internal" meat can cause an aggravation. Yes, it can all be delicious, but if a gout attack is on the other side of the scale - no thanks.
- Game.Of course, it rarely comes to the table (unless you or your partner are avid hunters), but if you are suddenly offered to try something exotic in the form of venison or baked pheasant, refuse it.
- Fish and seafood:Purines just float in there. Cod, herring, trout, mackerel, sardines, tuna, as well as crabs, shrimp, scallops and many other seafood can significantly worsen the condition of a person with gout. Although some doctors believe that the benefits of seafood can outweigh the harm, but only if consumed gradually.
What else is better to avoid? The following foods have also been proven 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 talk about a diet for gout during an exacerbation, at the moment it is not possible at all.
- Additional sugar:Honey, agave syrup, other foods high in fructose.
- Yeast additives.
- Semi-finished products(Sometimes they contain something completely incomprehensible).
In addition, it's great if you can do without white bread, cakes and cookies. In themselves they are not too dangerous, but they do not contain many nutrients, which also stimulates the body to produce uric acid.
Of course, a single steak or foie gras sandwich won't trigger a seizure; The main thing is to generally follow a diet against gout and high uric acid levels.
What can you eat with gout: permitted foods
We agree that the list of things you should 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, even those that contain a lot of purines (for example spinach) - they are not as well absorbed from vegetables.
- fruits and berries.Almost everything is possible and some things are even necessary - cherries have been proven to reduce uric acid concentrations and are therefore particularly useful as a dietary ingredient for gout.
- Legumes.And again, every kind, even lentils, even soybeans, even green beans.
- Full grain.Oats, brown rice, barley – just as an example.
- Nuts.
- Dairy products.In general, they are all more or less safe, but it is better to eat and drink those with a reduced fat content.
- Eggs.
- Lean 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, 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, it shouldn't be orange juice from the store, but an orange itself or tea with lemon are definitely suitable.
Diet for gout: food table
So what can you and can't eat if you have gout? Based on what was written above, we have put together short product lists for you to check out.
Can
- Vegetables
- fruits and berries
- legumes
- full grain
- nuts
- Dairy products
- Eggs
- Lean 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 additives
Of course, diet for gout during an exacerbation means moving foods from the "With Caution" column further 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 permitted and prohibited products, but how to combine the possible so that it is tasty and not repeated so often? We have prepared a sample menu for the week for you and tried to make it as varied as possible so that you have plenty to choose from. Of course, you can make any additions to the list of approved products (gradually - with caution).
Monday
- Breakfast: green tea, "lazy oatmeal" with kefir or yogurt with berries. Just pour kefir or yogurt over the oatmeal with berries and leave it in the fridge 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 roasted 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 schnitzel, 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 beef (replace with chicken in a period of exacerbation).
- Dinner: fruit salad.
Saturday
- Breakfast: milk, potato pancakes with low-fat sour cream.
- Lunch: grilled vegetables with chicken skewer.
- Dinner: berry smoothie, a few sandwiches with cheese and herbs (it's better to take whole grain bread).
Sunday
- Breakfast: tea, whole grain milk porridge with berries.
- Lunch: Lasagna (here, too, it is better to use whole wheat leaves as a base and chopped chicken).
- Dinner: Julienne with chicken and mushrooms, homemade mulled wine based on berry compote (just add your favorite spices, apples and citrus fruits and heat).
As a snack, you can use any vegetables, fruits and berries. We would like to remind you 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 extensive and you can find many combinations of them. Of course, it's much easier to stick to a diet in the summer because vegetables are cheaper and the variety is much greater. However, you can always pay attention to seasonal vegetables: let's say, in September the watermelon season continues, in December the stocks are full of tangerines, then they are replaced by pomelos. . . The same cherries can be frozen in summer and in winter, you can make compotes or cakes from them (the latter is better not to make with yeast), dough and rare), and lemons are available all year round without restrictions.
Proper nutrition for gout: results and reviews
With proper nutrition for gout, the patient can expect a longer remission and a milder course of the disease. The diet relieves gout and its symptoms - the pain decreases, the inflammation subsides. Numerous reviews also speak about this. It's important to note that almost all of the people who shared stories online about their struggles with gout regretted not seeking medical attention when symptoms first appeared. Even if you have not been diagnosed with gout, but something in this material seems familiar to you, go to the clinic to be on the safe side.
In general: Diet 6, gout, recipes with many restrictions, none of this is a death sentence. The frequency of exacerbations can be significantly reduced by eating right and controlling uric acid levels. And even if you eat a steak once a month and wash it down with dark beer, if you basically stick to your diet, you're unlikely to experience an attack.