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Gout Diet
Gout is a form of arthritis usually occurring in the cooler extremities of the body, like feet or toes. It results from excessive uric acid in the bloodstream which leaves needle-like crystal deposits in the joints causing redness, swelling and extreme pain.
Normally the uric acid dissolves in the blood stream but there is a problem if:
- there is an increase in uric acid production.
- the kidneys are not functioning sufficiently to eliminate uric acid.
- there is an increased consumption of foods containing purines. Purine is a chemical found in certain foods that forms uric acid when broken down in the body.
Gout Diet and Nutrition
As Gout seems to be more prevalent in overweight people it is important to maintain a healthy body weight. Also extra fluid can help flush uric acid crystals out, but alcohol should be avoided. As well as prescribed medications it can be helpful to follow a low purine diet, avoiding foods that are high in purine and eating low purine foods moderately.
High Purine Foods – Avoid
Foods to Avoid
Beer, anchovies, organ meat (brains, kidney, liver, sweetbreads), game meats, gravies, yeast, meat extracts, sardines, herring, mackerel, scallops.
Medium Purine Foods – Eat in Moderation
Fresh and saltwater fish, shellfish, eel, meat, poultry, meat soups and broth, asparagus , mushrooms, cauliflower, spinach, legumes, oatmeal, bran, wheat germ, whole-grain breads and cereals, eggs.
Low Purine Foods – No Restriction
Breads and cereals (low-fiber, white flour, or refined grain types), nuts, peanut butter. Vegetables not high in purines, soups – cream style or vegetable without meat extract, coffee, tea, fruit juices, soft drinks, gelatin, sugar, low fat cheeses.
Gout Diet – Foods That May Help
Some people have found cherry juice or strawberries helpful. Some chemicals contained in dark berries may help reduce the inflammation and lower the uric acid.
Oily fish like salmon, or fatty acids in flax seed or olive oil or nuts may reduce inflammation too.
It has been suggested that using tofu (from soybeans) instead of meat could also be helpful.
Some have found relief with OPC3 antioxidant supplement.
A balanced diet for gout sufferers includes foods that are high in complex carbohydrates, low in protein and low in fat.
just read over many of the stories, as bad as it is it is some what comforting to know other people are going threw the same. I feel for all of you. gout is so very damaging to a person in so many ways. the pain no matter where it affects you is truly describable. I am 51 overweight male have been suffering over 20 years now. it seems to be worse over the winter months I feel its the cold. we are less active and drink less fluids. I have never consumed alcohol and do very little sea foods or organ meats. I cant say there is just one or two things that have set off attacks for me. I have learned there are three ways a person gets gout two being hereditary. of which one is the body manufacturing the uric acid and the other the capability of the body to remove it. the other of the three ways is our eating and exercising habits. I to have heard that med to remove water build up in the body can itself raise uric acid levels to gout attacks. I am currently loosing weight to improve my health some heart and blood pressure and some fatty liver. I have several allergies so that also restricts some things. like allpurinol. I was taking coltrasine with great relief but it was removed from the shelves because I was told it was never approved by the FDA. then I was on colcrys and my insurance changed and now is not covered so now is way out of my price range. one doctor had me on sodiun bicarb/probenisid/and coltracine all at once. most recently they are trying medroprednazone a steroid pro pack 6 day works incredible there is relief in 24 hours and my affected body parts look like brand new, how ever two days after the pack is finished it is back and seeming worse. I get severe pain in toes, feet, ankles,knees and one wrist. I was also told by specialist that gout follows joint injury’s and contusions. I depend on my walking capability to preform my work to live. people around me feel it is my fault for miss management and that I am doing it for attention. I have since become a preying man and do find some great relief in that. I wish you all the best. your not alone and my heart goes out to you and I will keep you in my prayers. I heard they are working on a shot we would get twice a year.. again. I prey they do.. chin up. lets beet this thing! just a simple thought maybe some one can explain for me. I drink no alcohol. however alcohol is made from fruits and veggies using sugar to feed the colonies of yeast and gives off Co2. is it some how possible we are manufacturing alcohol in small amounts in our bodies?
I would like more info of diet for gout. I have severe gout in my knees on daily basis.
Please can someone suggest a realistic diet. I have read all the posts, and am no wiser than when I first started. It is very difficult to cut out red meat and tomatoes completely, although I suspect these are the major causes of my attacks.
I take a dose of alkaline powder dissolved in a glass of water each morning, and need 2 anti-inflamatories at each attack, but the AF’s seem to take longer each time before they ease the pain.
When i hsve an attack of Gout, taking Ibuprofen 200mg 4 times a day provides quick relief. All types of lentils and beef have been bad. Also need to maintain enough liquids in body to flush out uric acid. So plenty of water and of course medication longterm is Allopurinol 100mg per day.
I would like to know what I should eat and avoid to reduce the uric acid and gout attack
Well, I’m 34 and just starting having problems with my lower back and my left knee/leg. I have been reading your posts and I have become much more sedentary, drink pop, putting on a few pounds (60 to be exact and not proud) and eating more sugar and stopped going to the gym since my daughter was born. Things have sort of gone down hill and at my new job, all I do is sit at my desk in front of my computer. I will be making an appointment with my doctor and will find out for sure if its gout but now I really wouldn’t be surprised. I will trying all the things I ahve read above in other comments and we’ll see how it goes. Wish me luck!
Nelia,
Unfortunately it is very true that you can have gout in your back, regardless of your lifestyle. I first realized I had gout when I woke up one day unable to physically get out of bed. My back was in so much pain that hurt to move or even breathe deeply. I had to ever so slowly roll off the bed and gently lie on the ground.
A few minutes went by before I was able to get on all fours, and crawl to a chair that was easy enough for me to climb up onto. I had only a couple hours before I had to be at my job. I had an active job as head of security at an influential casino, never had time to sit around. I ended up calling a family member who helped me crawl downstairs to the vehicle, and go to the E.R. I was told that I had gout in my back, a nice inheritance from my mother. I had another bout six months later, and another one sometime after that. That was ten years ago and I haven’t had gout in my back since, it just stopped attacking my back. Instead, I have it in my feet now, not good place to have it when I am now the head of security at a night club.
So, please listen to your doctor, because it doesn’t matter your life style. Gout will attack where and when it wants to. All I have ever found are predictions of hours behavior. Back, neck, fingers, feet it can hit you anywhere. It’s just that most cases are hands and/or feet.
I was 38 years old when I was diagnose with gouty arthirises, I’m 52 years old and gout made my life misrable, and it is a journey of trial and error all the time. Stuff that realy affects my gout is, asparagus, peaches, spices, BEER, white bread and fizzy cooldrinks like coke etc. Then things that help is watermelon, mango juice, lots of rooibos tee and a mixture of honey and cinnamon wich I drink early in the mornings before anything. I would like to also mention that I love Tamatoes and it does not efect me at all….
I first found out I had gout when I tried to eat less meat. This new diet included more frequent use of beans. Cauliflower, mushrooms, spinach, and parsnips (although less frequently) were already part of my diet. I found out that I liked asparagus at this time. I also added more fibre to my diet.
At first the pain was minimal, and occasional, eventually, it became severe and frequent. When the doctor told me I was suffering from gout, I was baffled, until I saw his list of foods to avoid.
I have learned by trial and error that the above mentioned foods, along with mint/chocolate candy and ice cream, and many hot sauces will cause a reaction.
Meat can contribute, but it has to be frequent, excessive, or certain cuts: it seems rib steak is the worst, eye of round seems best.
One if the earlier posts mentioned that the get it in their back. Remember, the uric acid settles to the lowest part of your body. If you sit a lot (maybe because of work or disability, or are bed ridden) that can easily account for the location.
There are naturopathic pills that can be purchased at most health food store that help me flush my system when symptoms occur. I don’t know if it really helps, but I have a favorite drink that seems to help when I have symptoms: half a glass of water, a little less than half a glass of cranberry juice, and a splash of black cherry juice.
Good luck to anyone with this gout in finding the foods that don’t cause you pain. It is complicated and it may seem impossible but there is hope.
I to would like to know what you CAN EAT. I have: Gout; High Blood Pressure; Type 2 diabetes; High Cholesterol and a failing kidney. One kidney has been removed.
Good day
I started feeling severe pain in my lower back and went to my doctor. After a blood test he said I have gout as the results from the blood test shows that I have high levels of uric acids. However, I don’t have any pain in my feet, toes, knees, hands or wrist only extreme pain in my lower back.
Can anybody tell me if this really can be gout?
I never thought in a million years I would have gout, I never even heard of it till 2004 and that was only because a co-worker I knew had it. I have congested heart failure and have to take water pills on a daily basis which in return threw my kidneys out of whack which in return couldn’t filter all the uric acid out of my body.
The first attack that happened was like nothing I’ve ever felt before, it’s so funny how just one little small area in your big toe and cause so much pain. People think it’s a joke or you’re some kind of weakling or something but I tell you the pain (especially in a really bad flare-up) feels like the equivalent of someone shooting your foot or stabbing it repeatedly with an icepick, it’s hard to relate this to employers because they as long as you stay off your feet you can still work, but that is so not the case. Just because you’re not standing doesn’t mean the pain stops, even laying down the pain is still there and it hurts! Some people can fight through and I usually can but there are times where the pain is just too much and I can’t focus on anything if I’m in an acute amount of pain.
What’s worst is finding out that it might have been brought on by certain foods. I am literally a walking mess at this point… I have had asthma ever since I was born; of course I had to take the medications with the steroids in it to treat it which helped caused my weight gain over the years (5’8, 270lbs) which have contribute to my heart failure. I now need to take water pills daily to drain the fluid build-up which now have contribute to the gout.
Asthma, Heart failure, and now Gout, I was already on a restricted diet for the heart failure, now I have to cut out more food for the gout, I have to lose all this weight to help with my asthma and heart function, but now I can’t walk for long periods cause of the gout… see what I mean… a walking mess. Any ideas on what I can actually eat?
Here is my story. It was the middle of the night. I opened my eyes and was awakened by
earth shattering pain. My big toe was throbbing. In fact it felt like a towering inferno.
I turned on the light and was startled to see that my great toe was 3 times its normal size.
It was bright red and red hot, just like a firecracker and the pain was the most severe that
I’ve ever experienced by far.
The suffering that I had to endure was almost unbelievable.
That was over ten years ago. At the beginning I was having attacks
every 6 months. Then gradually I was getting them every 3 months, then every month and
eventually
every week.It started at my big toe and then it was moving sometimes in my knees,and
generally
all around my joints, in my feet.And the pain was agonising.
I have tried all the cures you can imagine.I tried ACV, lemons, drinking a lot of water, but
to no avail.
I tried water fasting, juice fasting,baking soda, again without success.
I almost gave up meat, limiting it to only once a week ,gave up alcohol completely,again
no success.
I was living on vegetables, lots and lots of fresh fruit, milk ,cheese beans and so on .My
eating habits
could not be healthier ,or so I thought.But my gout was worsening.
Then I decided to increase the amount of fruit I was consuming, thinking that if some fruit
is healthy, more
fruit will be more healthy.Some days I was eating fruit only ,others over 10 portions a day.
And alas my gout instead of improving it became chronic ,it was there all the time.
I was desperate I did not know what to do.And then one day accidentally I read an article
about fructose,
which is contained in fruit in large quantities.It said that it increases uric acid, in a matter
of minutes.
Fructose is also present in table sugar, and in HFCS, which is used in soft drinks.
I put two and two together and realised what I was doing wrong.
I stopped eating fruit and all other sugars, for a period of 3 weeks,and by magic I saw a
dramatic
improvement.Pain was gone, swelling was gone, I was fine.
I re introduced fruit again in my diet but reducing them to 1 or 2 a day, and my gout almost
disappeared.
I do eat more meat now, and occasionally have an alcoholic drink, and thank God everything
seems to be fine.
Fructose was my enemy.
For those that have not experienced the pains that gout sufferers pass through, they may think that these patients exaggerated but the pain is just too much and unbearable
so my advice is, lets just follow the recommended diet
10 days ago I couldn’t walk to save myself. Scared my husband by crying like a baby each time I tried to put my foot to the ground. It was horrible! Medication did NOT help just gave me awful side effects. Black cherry juice (pure) w/some club soda helped and so did ADVIL. Now I can touch the floor but not put my full weight on my foot. I would like to learn more about diet, but I have also read it is not a guarantee in itself.
3 bouts of gout this year have led me to search for more info.
I recently learnt that an Ayurvedic cure for gout attacks is to take tumeric regularly I have been taking a quarter teaspoon daily before breakfast in powder form dissolved in a glass of water. But I have been advised by an Ayurvedic doctor that it is better to take it in meals in its natural root form. I suggest if you want to try this research this on the web before deciding what is best for you. I also take it with Omega 6-9 capsules which has been working well for me. pain subsided in the first 2 days.
I would like to know what you CAN eat, I have gout, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes and high cholesterol, should I just only drink water, that seems to be the only thing that is not banned