For gout (or gouty arthritis), doctors tend to focus on diet in particular. The importance of diet is undeniable, approaches and recommendations are changing, but diet is still considered as part of the preventive treatment of exacerbations of gout to minimize their recurrence.
The defeat of the joints with gout is always an "explosion", acute pain and a rapid increase in inflammation. In a short period of time, illness can make life miserable. A responsible attitude to diet can prolong the asymptomatic course of gout for years, that is, reduce the frequency of attacks, as well as the risk of further development of the disease.
Women suffer from gout 10 times less often than men and often after menopause. There are many reasons for this disease: genetic predisposition, impaired renal function, obesity. Also, as a rule, gout occurs in people after 40-50 years. But the availability of food, especially fast food, and a sedentary lifestyle contribute to the "rejuvenation" of the disease.
Basic rules of nutrition for gout
To get a clear understanding of the principles of nutrition, you must remember the main cause of gout. The disease is characterized by high levels of uric acid (sodium urate) in the blood. Over time, it accumulates in the joints, and later in muscle tissues, forming tophuses (cavities filled with solid deposits), kidney stones appear. Uric acid enters the body with the help of purines: protein elements in our food.
Some Chemistry
Purine breakdown is a common biochemical reaction that produces urates. They leave the body with urine, that is, they are excreted by the kidneys. Urates are a natural antioxidant, a substance that prevents premature cell breakdown.
What happens with gout? The urate level rises sharply and the substance begins to crystallize at the joints.
The surface of the articular head has a smooth cartilaginous structure. Sharp crystals, of course, damage it. The person begins to experience severe pain when moving the limbs. The inflammatory process begins.
Diet Basis
From a brief chemical analysis it is clear that purines are formed from the breakdown of their own protein compounds and enter the bloodstream. So, if possible, you need to exclude protein products from the diet.
Reduce meat and fish as this food increases the purines. There should be no beef, lamb or pork on the dietary table. Large amounts of salt should be discarded. If possible, it is best to remove salt and hot seasonings from the diet altogether. This already has to do with kidney preservation, as with gout, the kidneys are under direct threat.
As with any diet, alcohol should be avoided for gout. Any alcohol (beer - especially for gout) is contraindicated for you, it delays the excretion of uric acid by the kidneys, which contributes to its accumulation in the blood. A “low-purine” diet will help minimize or eliminate the onset of gout.
Proper nutrition for gout - 50% successful treatment
By following certain dietary rules, you will slow down the progression of the disease. The gout will go on without complications.
To make it easier to imagine what the purine content of products, we offer examples:
- Bran bread - 24 mg;
- Legumes - 105 mg;
- Herring - 128 mg;
- Liver of large horned animals - 300 mg;
- Fatty fish of the salmon family - 100 mg;
- Chicken meat - 110 mg;
- Rabbit meat - 65 mg;
- Tongue and meat of cattle - 72-100 mg.
You can create such a table yourself listing the products you love. They should contain a minimum amount of purines.
Special dietary guidelines
It is recommended to remove all fried foods from the diet and switch to boiled, stewed, baked foods that are low in salt. Unfortunately, fish and meat broths will also have to be removed. When preparing these rich soups, a significant proportion of the purines go into the broth.
It is useful to arrange fasting days, as with any other diet. In addition to getting rid of pain in your legs, you will lose those extra pounds. This is a nice bonus for keeping your figure (and not just for women). The essence of fasting days is to consume only vegetables and fruits. Divide the meal into 5-6 parts, and eat up to 1. 5 kg of vegetables and fruits. If there is no desire for such a fasting day, then just buy low-fat kefir. Drink it throughout the day as well. We advise you to stick to this system at least once a week.
During an exacerbation of gout, it is better to "unload" the body every other day. Once the inflammation subsides, you can return to your normal eating schedule.
Important!You must not starve for gout! As much as you like, do not skip a single day without eating.
Foods for gout
You can get competent advice on diet from your doctor or dietitian. This article provides general information and nutritional guidelines for people with gout. However, each organism is unique, so it is worth choosing an individual food list and nutrition schedule. Keep a food journal.
List of foods that can be consumed or limited to use
A list of foods that can be consumed and should be limited is presented in one list below.
- Lean dietary meat: rabbit, turkey, chicken;
- 3-4 times a week - still alkaline mineral waters. For example, Narzan. Pay attention to the sodium content in such bottled water, it should be low;
- Fruit drinks, dried fruit compotes, green tea;
- Any cereals;
- Eggs;
- Lean fish: pollock, hake, pike. All river fish;
- Dairy products: kefir, fermented baked milk, sour cream, milk, but with a reduced fat content - no more than 2. 5%;
- Vegetable oil;
- Potatoes;
- Rye or bran bread;
- Low-fat and unsalted cheeses;
- Stewed or raw vegetables.
- Radish, eggplant, parsnip;
- Fruit can be eaten fresh;
- Berries;
- Homemade baked goods;
- Legumes, asparagus, rhubarb, spinach. These plants contain a high content of oxalic acid, which retains urates in the body;
- Mushrooms
- Nuts
Forbidden grocery basket for gout in women and men
In the gout diet, restrictions apply to protein foods, it is recommended to focus on carbohydrates in the diet. What about those who are overweight and the question of how to lose weight is constantly on the agenda? And also for those with diabetes? Conversely, these people require a low-carb diet.
Low carb and low protein are two mutually exclusive diets. What kind of diet to choose? In such cases, it is recommended to limit yourself precisely in carbohydrates and the first three items from the list of prohibited foods. Why? We will summarize in the next chapter.
We have listed some of the permitted products. The general list of prohibited products is as follows:
- Alcoholic and carbonated drinks. All drinks that can be called "tonic", packaged juices;
- Fish and meat broths
- Seafood: shrimp, mussels, squid
- By-products: liver, tongue, kidneys, hearts;
- Confectionery such as: ice cream, baked goods, cottage cheese desserts;
- Foods containing large amounts of salt;
- Canned meat and fish. In general, it is worth giving up canned foods;
- Fatty dairy products: cream, sour cream, cheeses;
- Salted fish, smoked sausages, sausages, ham and other semi-finished products. Such products contain harmful additives and preservatives. For example, monosodium glutamate is usually added to enhance flavor;
General Diet Principle
So why, given such clear rules, there is still the possibility of not being strict about their products, especially for women? Why, if you need to make a choice between different diets, give preference to protein? Although it is proteins, as we found out, are the cause of the appearance of uric acid in the blood.
Important!Uric acid levels are effectively maintained with medication.
As a reminder, the gout diet is part of preventive treatment. The second component is taking medications that reduce the formation of uric acid. Now these drugs are so effective that, by increasing the dosage, the doctor has to monitor the achievement of the target values of uric acid in the blood. The better you can stick to a gout diet, the lower the dosage of medication. And medications are taken for many years, as the disease is chronic.
Doctors generally recommend the following with regard to nutrition:
- Your BMI should be between 18. 5 and 25
- if BMI is over 25, lose weight! If you lose weight by 5-7 kg, it will significantly reduce the further development of gout
- eat a Mediterranean diet
Also:
- frequent and fractional meals in small portions up to 6 times a day;
- energy value about 1500-1800 kcal per day;
- minimum amount of table salt and food containing purines;
- need to drink about 2 liters of water a day (especially for those who already have kidney stones);
- fasting is prohibited.
Gout Fighting Products
The following are considered folk remedies for gout:
- pineapple;
- turmeric;
- cherry juice;
- lemon;
- ginger;
- capsicum.
Try green tea with ginger. The drink has the desired "diuretic effect". Green tea has been proven to be an anti-cancer agent, which is good too. But the truth is, this is a completely different story.
Summary
The listed foods that are classified as "prohibited", even in small doses, will exacerbate gout. Remember that this disease cannot be cured, so you need to completely rethink your attitude to food. Thus, you can live peacefully without joint pain.
In open sources, women will find healthy and tasty recipes that are deliberately not posted here so as not to overload with information. Make eating right and diet for gout your way of life. Be healthy!