03/23/2023
Gout is a type of arthritis, an inflammatory condition of the joints. It affects an estimated 8.3 million people in the US alone.
People with gout experience sudden and severe attacks of pain, swelling and inflammation of the joints
Fortunately, gout can be controlled with medications, a gout-friendly diet and lifestyle changes.
Here is an article review of the the best diet for gout and what foods to avoid, backed by research.
What Is Gout?
Gout is a type of arthritis that involves sudden pain, swelling and inflammation of the joints.
Nearly half of gout cases affect the big toes, while other cases affect the fingers, wrists, knees and heels.
Gout symptoms or “attacks” occur when there is too much uric acid in the blood. Uric acid is a waste product made by the body when it digests certain foods.
When uric acid levels are high, crystals of it can accumulate in your joints. This process triggers swelling, inflammation and intense pain.
Gout attacks typically occur at night and last 3–10 days
Most people who have the condition experience these symptoms because their bodies can’t remove the excess uric acid efficiently. This lets uric acid accumulate, crystallize and settle in the joints.
Others with gout make too much uric acid due to genetics or their diet.
Summary: Gout is a type of arthritis that involves sudden
pain, swelling and inflammation of the joints. It happens when there is too
much uric acid in the blood, causing it to deposit in the joints as crystals.
How Does Food Affect Gout?
If you have gout, certain foods may trigger an attack by raising your uric acid levels.
Trigger foods are commonly high in purines, a substance found naturally in foods. When you digest purines, your body makes uric acid as a waste product.
This is not a concern for healthy people, as they efficiently remove excess uric acid from the body.
However, people with gout can’t efficiently remove excess uric acid. Thus, a high-purine diet may let uric acid accumulate and cause a gout attack
Fortunately, research shows that restricting high-purine foods and taking the appropriate medication can prevent gout attacks.
Foods that commonly trigger gout attacks include organ meats, red meats, seafood, alcohol and beer. They contain a moderate-to-high amount of purines.
However, there is one exception to this rule. Research shows that high-purine vegetables do not trigger gout attacks.
And interestingly, fructose and sugar-sweetened beverages can increase the risk of gout and gout attacks, even though they’re not purine-rich.
Instead, they may raise uric acid levels by accelerating several cellular processes. Therefore, limit your sugar sweetened beverages in your diet
For instance, a study including over 125,000 participants found that people who consumed the most fructose had a 62% higher risk of developing gout.
On the other hand, research shows that low-fat dairy products, soy products and vitamin C supplements may help prevent gout attacks by reducing blood uric acid levels.
Full-fat and high-fat dairy products don’t seem to affect uric acid levels
Summary: Foods can either raise or lower your uric acid
levels, depending on their purine content. However, fructose can raise your
uric acid levels even though it is not purine-rich.
Information and research
By Ryan Raman, MS, RD
Foods for Gout · Eat: Low-Fat Yogurt · Avoid: Certain Seafood · Eat: Citrus Fruits · Avoid: Organ Meats · Eat: Avocado · Avoid: Red ...
What are the best foods to eat when you have gout?
What foods help lower uric acid?
In fact, here are six foods that can reduce uric acid naturally:
Bananas. If you have developed gout because of high uric acid, then having a banana everyday can reduce lower uric acid in your blood, thereby reducing your risk of gout attacks. ...
Apples. ...
Cherries. ...
Coffee. ...
Citrus fruits. ...
Green tea.
