Diet for Gout: What Should I Eat?

Gout has long been called the disease of kings, as a sumptuous diet is considered the cause. You can find out here which diet promotes the treatment of gout.

Symptoms and causes

• Gout is a metabolic disease in which there is an elevated uric acid level. Causes for an attack of gout can lie in the genetic component as well as in an unfavourable diet.
• Uric acid is excreted by the body via the kidneys or urine. While many mammals possess an enzyme that breaks down uric acid, uric acid-degrading urricase, we humans must excrete uric acid.
• If the kidneys are unable to excrete too much uric acid properly, the acid can settle in the joints and attack your health with symptoms such as inflammation or swelling.

What role do purines play?

Purines are elements that the body breaks down into uric acid. Anyone taking more than 200 milligrams of them per day increases the risk of a gout attack.

Purines are produced by the body itself and are also supplied via the diet. As a person affected by the disease, you should pay particular attention to the following purine-rich foods and avoid them if possible:

• Offal
• Meat
• Fish
• Alcohol (inhibits uric acid excretion)

Obesity and pH

• The so-called acid-base balance plays a decisive role in the assessment of the uric acid level. Acid overweight favours the disease. Basically, we always want to maintain the acid-base balance in a balanced or slightly alkaline state.
• Before a treatment with medication is pursued, you should in any case observe the development of the symptoms by adjusting your diet. Obesity has in any case a detrimental effect on the breakdown of uric acid and should in any case be reduced through diet.

Which food should I eat?

• Consuming low-purine instead of high-purine foods is certainly still a decisive criterion for the treatment of gout. Alcohol is also considered one of the main causes of the metabolic disease.
• Nowadays, however, the diet for gout is no longer viewed as strictly as it used to be. In principle, the principles that also apply to people with normal health apply: The focus is on a balanced diet. There are no foods, not even meat or offal, that you must avoid completely. The amount makes the poison.
• For a long time, purines from plant foods were considered critical, but more recent studies tend to see a positive influence of asparagus, spinach or legumes because of the proteins and vitamins they contain.
• However, fructose, i.e. fruit sugar, is considered to be one of the causes of gout. Especially for people with already increased uric acid levels, fructose has a rather negative effect on health. However, it is also true here that you do not have to do without recipes with fruit, but should simply stick to two portions of fruit per day. Also pay attention to the often hidden fructose in yoghurts, ice cream or muesli.

You should rely on these foods

• Dairy products (reduced fat)
• Fruit and vegetables
• Mineral water and unsweetened tea
• Fish and chicken without skin (no anchovies or herring)
• Nuts and seeds (not salted peanuts)
• Wholemeal products

Avoid these foods

• Sweets
• Alcohol (especially beer and spirits)
• White flour products
• Prepared dishes
• Offal
• High fat dairy products
• High fat meat