In the case of gout (or gouty arthritis), doctors focus primarily on diet. The importance of diet is undeniable, approaches and recommendations are changing, but diet is still seen as part of preventive treatment of gout exacerbations to minimize their recurrence.
Gouty defeat of joints is always an "explosion", an acute increase in pain and inflammation. In a short time, the disease can miserable life. A responsible attitude to diet can prolong the asymptomatic course of gout for many years, i. e. , reduce the frequency of attacks and the risk of further development of the disease.
Women suffer from gout ten times less often than men, and often even after menopause. There are several causes of this disease: genetic predisposition, impaired renal function, obesity. Gout usually also occurs in people after 40-50 years. But the availability of food, especially fast food, and a sedentary lifestyle contribute to the "recurrence" of the disease.
Gout Nutrition Basics
To have a clear understanding of the basics of nutrition, you need to 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 the muscle tissues, forming tophus (cavities filled with solid deposits), kidney stones appear. Uric acid gets into the body through purines: protein elements in our foods.
Some chemistry
Purine degradation is a common biochemical reaction that produces urates. They are excreted in the urine, meaning that they are excreted by the kidneys. Urates are a natural antioxidant, a substance that prevents premature cell breakdown.
What happens to gout? Urea levels rise suddenly and the substance begins to crystallize at the joints.
The surface of the joint head has a smooth cartilage structure. Sharp crystals, of course, damage it. The person begins to feel severe pain when moving the limbs. The inflammatory process begins.
Dietary Basics
Based on a brief chemical analysis, it is clear that purines are formed by breaking down their own protein compounds and entering the bloodstream. This means that if possible, you should exclude protein products from your diet.
Reduce the amount of meat and fish as this food increases the amount of purines. There should be no beef, lamb or pork on the diet table. Large amounts of salt should be discarded. If possible, it is best to completely remove salt and hot condiments from your diet. This is already related to kidney preservation, as in the case of gout, the kidneys are in immediate danger.
As with any diet, alcohol should be avoided with gout. Any alcohol (beer - especially gout) is contraindicated for you, delaying 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 development of gout.
Adequate nutrition for gout - 50% successful treatment
Slows the progression of the disease by following certain dietary guidelines. Gout will be uneventful.
To help you get an idea of the purine content of your products, here are some examples:
- Bran bread - 24 mg;
- legumes - 105 mg; Herring - 128 mg;
- Large deer liver - 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 your own spreadsheet listing the products you like. They must contain a minimum amount of purine.
Special diet guidelines
We recommend that you remove all fried foods from your diet and switch to cooked, steamed, fried foods that are low in salt. Unfortunately, fish and broths also need to be removed. When making these rich soups, a significant portion of the purines get into the broth.
It is useful to organize fasting days as with any other diet. In addition to getting rid of the pain in your legs, you will lose those extra pounds. This is a good bonus for keeping in shape (and not just for women). The point of fasting is to eat only vegetables and fruits. Divide the food into 5-6 portions and consume no more than 1. 5 kg of vegetables and fruits. If you have no desire for such a fasting day, just buy low fat kefir. Drink all day. We recommend that you follow this system at least once a week.
If your gout gets worse, it's better to "unload" your body every other day. As soon as the inflammation subsides, you can return to your normal diet.
Important!Don't starve to gout! No matter how much you like it, don’t miss a single day without eating.
Gout food
You can get expert advice on diet from your doctor or dietitian. This article provides general information and nutritional guidelines for patients with gout. However, each organism is unique, so it is worth choosing a unique diet list and diet. He keeps a food diary.
List of foods that can be consumed or restricted for use
The following is a list of foods you can eat and want to limit.
- Lean diet meat: rabbit, turkey, chicken;
- 3-4 times a week - even alkaline mineral waters. For example, Narzan. Pay attention to the sodium content of such bottled water, it should be low;
- Fruit drinks, dried fruit compotes, green tea;
- All grains;
- Eggs;
- Lean fish: pollo, hake, pike. All river fish;
- Dairy products: kefir, fermented fried milk, sour cream, milk, but with a reduced fat content - not more than 2, 5%;
- Vegetable oil;
- Potatoes;
- Rye bread or bran bread;
- Low fat and unsalted cheeses; Steamed or raw vegetables. Radish, aubergine, parsnips;
- The fruit can be eaten fresh;
- Berries;
- Homemade baked goods;
- Legumes, asparagus, rhubarb, spinach. These plants contain high levels of oxalic acid, which retains urates in the body;
- Mushrooms
- Walnut
No food basket for gout in women and men
In a gouty diet, restrictions apply to protein foods, it is recommended to focus on carbohydrates in the diet. What about those who are overweight and the issue of weight loss is constantly on the agenda? And diabetics too? In contrast, these people need a low carb diet.
A low carb diet and a low protein diet are two mutually exclusive diets. What diet should you choose? In such cases, it is advisable to precisely limit the carbohydrate and the first three items on the list of prohibited foods. Why? We summarize it in the next chapter.
We've listed some authorized products. The general list of prohibited products is as follows:
- Alcoholic and carbonated beverages. All beverages, packaged juices, may be called "tonics";
- Fish and broths
- Seafood: shrimp, mussels, squid
- By-products: liver, tongue, kidney, heart;
- Confectionery, for example: ice cream, baked goods, cottage cheese desserts;
- Foods high in salt;
- Canned meat and fish. It is usually worth giving up canned food;
- Fatty dairy products: cream, sour cream, cheeses;
- Salted fish, smoked sausages, sausages, hams and other semi-finished products. Such products contain harmful additives and preservatives. For example, monosodium glutamate is added to enhance flavor;
General dietary principle
So, given such clear rules, is it possible not to enforce them strictly on products, especially for women? Why, if you have to choose between different diets, do you prefer protein? Although proteins have been found to cause uric acid to appear in the blood.
Important!Uric acid levels are effectively maintained with medication.
As a reminder, gout diet is part of preventative treatment. The second ingredient is taking medications that reduce the production of uric acid. Now these drugs are so effective that by increasing the dose, the doctor will need to monitor the achievement of target uric acid levels in the blood. The better you can stick to a gouty diet, the lower the dose of the drug. And the drugs are taken for years because the disease is chronic.
Doctors generally recommend the following with regard to nutrition:
- BMI should be between 18, 5 and 25
- If your BMI exceeds 25, lose weight! Losing 5-7 kg significantly reduces the further development of gout
- Eat a Mediterranean diet
Also:
- frequent and fragmented meals in small portions up to 6 times a day;
- has an energy value of about 1500-1800 kcal per day;
- food with minimal table salt and purines;
- You should drink about 2 liters of water a day (especially for those who already have kidney stones); Fasting
- is prohibited.
Anti-gout products
Folk remedies for gout are considered to be:
- pineapple;
- turmeric;
- cherry juice;
- lemon;
- ginger;
- capsicum.
Try green tea with ginger. The drink provides the desired "diuretic effect". Green tea is a proven anti-cancer agent, which is also good. But the truth is, it’s a completely different story.
Summary
The foods listed, even if classified as "forbidden" in small portions, aggravate gout. Keep in mind that this disease is incurable, so you need to completely rethink your attitude to food. This way you can live in peace without joint pain.
In open sources, women find healthy and tasty recipes that are not intentionally published here so as not to overload the information. Make proper eating and a gouty diet a way of life. To be healthy!