A gout attack is just one of the painful experiences you would hate to encounter again and again. But have you ever wondered if one of the reasons that might have caused your gout attack is your unhealthy diet? What you eat matters when it comes to gout. It has a great impact that could lead you to another gout attack and/or further gout complications. Your doctor might have told you to start changing your diet, and might have told you to restrict some types of food. Here are some do’s and don’ts of diet for gout:
Diet Do’s for gout
• Choose foods that are more on complex carbohydrates because they will promote the feeling of fullness which can help prevent you from eating too much, thus maintaining an ideal weight. Foods like sweet potatoes, cereals, pasta, and rice (brown or red rice as better as they are high in fiber but lesser in carb).
• Essential fatty acids help ease the symptoms of gout because of its properties which can reduce the inflammation. Foods that are rich in fatty acids are: soy oils, linseed, walnuts, sunflower seeds and green leafy vegetables.
• Eating foods high in brome lain, which may control the synthesis of inflammatory substances in the body that can make the symptoms of gout worse, and to decrease pain associated with gout. One good source of brome lain is pineapple.
• Eat foods that are rich in Vitamin C. Vitamin C will help promote the excretion of uric acid from the body. Red cabbages, red bell peppers, oranges, potatoes are good examples of Vitamin C.
• Eat low fat dairy products. A study have found that consumption of low fat dairy protect may protect you against gout.
• Eat alternative meat choices like tofu and legumes. Although legumes are soybean-made, they are better alternatives than meat.
• Drinking plenty of water (8 glasses per day). This helps to lessen the concentration of uric acid by flushing them out of the body.
Diet Don’ts for gout
• Eating foods that are rich in purine. Foods high in purine are foods mostly high in proteins. Purines when broken down in the body will form uric acids. Foods like animal organ meats (brains, intestine or liver), beef, pork, and seafood; consumption of these foods should be limited or eaten in small quantity.
• Drinking alcoholic beverages. Alcohol should be avoided for people with gout for the following reasons:
1) Alcohol is rich in purine. Beer approximately contains 100mg uric acid/100g and less.
2) Alcohol slows down the removal of excess uric acid from the body which could buildup and form urate crystals in the joints or in the kidney.
• Eating foods with high-fructose. Fructose is known to increase uric acid level in the body. It is best to avoid beverages with high-fructose, such as juice drinks and soft drinks.
• Eating in large quantity. You may want to cut back on your eating because obesity is also linked to gout. Try to reach and maintain your ideal body weight gradually, because losing weight rapidly can promote a gout attack.
The diet for gout mainly tells us to promote elimination of uric acid in our body and to reduce its production. We need to limit our calorie intake followed by a daily exercise to maintain an ideal weight and to improve our health and wellness. We must keep in mind that the diet alone won't cure gout, but it will help reduce multiple and painful attacks.
