Q: I have gout and have heard that alcohol and some foods can aggravate the condition. Can you tell me which fruits, vegetables, meats or seafoods I should eat – or avoid? Is there any type of alcohol – wine, beer, spirits – that is better or worse for me than others?
A: Because dietary management of gout is so restrictive and of limited benefit, medication is the best way to treat gout. In addition to medications that treat the inflammation and other symptoms that occur during a gout attack, medications exist that can treat the underlying metabolic condition of hyperuricemia – too much uric acid in the blood. Hyperuricemia can occur either when the body produces too much uric acid or when the body does not excrete enough uric acid. Drugs exist to treat both causes.
Purine compounds produce uric acid crystals, which then build up in soft tissues and joints, causing the painful symptoms of gout. Dietary management focuses on reducing the amount of gout uric acid in the system and on managing the disorders that occur frequently among patients with gout, including diabetes mellitus, obesity, hyperlipidemia (high blood levels of fats), hypertension and atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries).
The primary dietary modification traditionally recommended is a low-purine diet. Avoiding purines completely is impossible, but strive to limit them. People with gout should learn by trial and error what their personal limit is and which foods cause problems.
Laura Rall, PhD, nutrition researcher at Tufts University in Boston, says, "Begin by eliminating foods in the 'high-purine' category while reducing your intake of foods in the 'moderate-purine' category. If you don't have gout attacks after trying this, you may add more foods from the 'moderate' category or occasionally try a food from the 'high' category. Using these guidelines, you may be able to determine a safe level of purine consumption and enjoy some of your favorite foods without experiencing attacks."
Foods considered high in purine content include:
* Alcoholic beverages (all types)
* Some fish, seafood and shellfish, including anchovies, sardines, herring, mussels, codfish, scallops, trout and haddock
* Some meats, such as bacon, turkey, veal, venison and organ meats like liver
Foods considered moderate in purine content include:
* Meats such as beef, chicken, duck, pork and ham
* Crab, lobster, oysters and shrimp
* Vegetables and beans such as asparagus, kidney beans, lentils, lima beans, mushrooms and spinach
Ronenn Roubenoff, MD, Rheumatologist
High purine foods are shellfish (shrimp, lobsters,etc) organs, sunflower seeds. The low end food is fruits, beans vegetables.
Drinking the cherry juice dissolves the uric acid crystals and helps to keep them on a liquid form so it can be flushed from the body.
Research shows of all of the varieties of cherry, it is the "tart" cherry that really helps. Also, get the cherry juice and cherries from the Traverse Bay region of Michigan. This area is known as the cherry capital of the world.
In reading all of these comments the most important cause of gout is left out."Stress"!
I agree that diet, losing weight, and taking meds can be helpful but are not curative. So work on your STRESS level. (In the hospital) the most gout was seen on the surgery service.
Colbenemid daily prophalactively helps as well as Ibuprofen for the acute attack.
Watching my diet, losing weight, no alcohol and working on my stressors has been very helpful to me. Good luck.
I felt as though someone had shot in me the left foot. My attack happened aroung the ankle and metatossel bone area of my foot, I was barely able to walk.
After a visit to the Ungent Care Center, the doctor informed me to stay away from alcohol, seafood, red meat and beans; drink lots and lots of water. Take this advice seriously.
thank you
I just got gout. And I would like it if you emailed me of food that I can eat, I'm willingly to give up all the food I loved to eat to rid this pain.
Thank you,
Karl
Be advised that once on allopurinol, even with a gout sensible diet, if you start taking this medication irregularly you will get gout flareups.
When I started taking it again regularly as prescribed, sure enough the flareups went away.
Also for gout suffers, as already mentioned, drink lots of water every day, and stay away from alcohol and seafood.
John
These attacks started at 22 I'll be 30 next month. For the last 3 years I started experimenting with Cherry juice. I started with 100% Black cherry and 100% Just tart cherry. I would drink a little of each every day randomly. I started to have less attacks and less aggressive attacks. If I went a few days without drinking the cherry juices an attach would flare up.
After drinking the Juices for about 4-5 months NO attacks at all. After almost 9 months still no attacks. Stopped drinking the juice for about 3 weeks, started flaring up an attack. Drinking the just right when it started didn't keep it from happening but drinking over a period of time at night before sleep was best.
If you are using the medication and want to see if you can wing off of it try 100% cherry juice for 3-5 months and make sure to drink about 2-4 oz of each every day. Been working for me and I'm 6' 2" 280 medium build not in shape but no high cholesterol. Was at 300lbs on average but moved to FL about 5 months ago heat is keeping down 20lbs.
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 completely
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.
It seems to me there are three goals with people who have had gout attacks: get through the flare up, lower your uric acid level when asymptomatic and get those deposited crystals out of your joints which may be independent of lowering your uric acid levels.
I don't think herbal remedies like cherries and celery salt are very helpful, but they don't hurt..
I have faced the Gout Attack again after 2 years and reason which i feel is following:
a) Started taking Meat, Chicken too much (infact everyday).
b) Started taking Curd "yoghurt". Once doctor advised me to not to take 2years back.
c) Started taking Orange Juice. Avoid it
d) Started taking beer occassionally.
if you can avoid above 4 then i believe your gout can be cured 100%.
No other thing is required.
Good Luck
If you follow this advise Gout might be the best thing that ever happened to you! Consider it a warning and DO something about it.
Learn more at www.facebook.com/gouthealth
a week, stopped alcohol altogether.I was having LOTS of fruit and vegetables and my gout was worsening.
Finally I have read something about Excessive fructose increasing uric acid.I experimented reducing my fruit
intake to 2 a day, and bingo within days I saw a dramatic improvement.Cherries are the only exception.
I eat a lot of them when in season,with no ill effects.
Tony Phylactou
I've read down through most of these comments and one thing is very certain. What works for one person does not work for everyone. that is why there is no set diet. I can tell you that if you don't at least limit your in take of alcohol made from yeast and shellfish, you will definitely get a gout flare up. Yes, cold packs are okay for a flare up.. but only 15 minutes on and 15 minutes off, keeping the afflicted area elevated above your heart. Gout doesn't just give you flare ups. Over time it can give you kidney stones and do damage to your kidneys. I'm 29 years old, a woman, with acute gout thats actually eaten through the bone in my ankle and pretty my crippled me. I've been in a wheel chair trying to get disability so I could get surgery to repair my ankle. (back issues also put me in the wheelchair) I do realize that weight is also a huge part of gout issues. Please watch your weight. When you are not having a flare up, heat is great. Not really really hot, but comfortable heat from a hot bath or something. This loosens the tophi (uric acid crystals) so your body can get rid of them from the joint. They really can do some awful damage. I had a doctor before who had ended up having to amputate limbs because they had become septic from the gout.. it had eaten through their skin. I can tell you some great and really good things to eat are dark berries. Drink the juice and eat the berries. Lots of blueberries, grapes, strawberries, raspberries, and especially red and black cherries. They're the super food that can help knock down your uric acid levels. And if you can take medication, ask for Uloric. Alpurinol inhibits bone regrowth, so if you have damaged joints from gout, its not good for you. Uloric blasted my uric acid lvl down. You just need to do blood tests to monitor your liver because it can effect it over time. I don't recommend taking it long term, but just to get the initial extreme lvls down. Here is a web site I recently found with all the pertinent foods listed and how high the purines are in them. (Purines = Uric Acid Makers). http://www.acumedico.com/purine.htm
Please advise me and also whether the above medicine would have side affect or not.
Thanks
Hemlal
really helped with the frequency and severity of my attacks.
I am a 61 year old woman who developed Cancer in my Right Kidney. In 2007, I had my Right Kidney remove and I just in the last year developed Gout. I had to go to the hospital several times because of my Gout attacks which developed in both of my feet, then it has been in my knees. I am over weight and I take water aerobics classes three times a week. I have notices that I can not eat anymore turkey, hamburger or tuna fish from Subway Sandwich shops. I can make my own tuna fish sandwiches packed in water and that doesn't bother me.
Now my son has developed Gout from a Kidney infection. I would rather suffer then to see him go through what I am going through. Many people have told me to drink Cherry juice or eat cherries as often as I can.
If you have a list I would really like to get a copy and I will sent it to my Son also. Thank you for all of your comments and help.
Have a blessed and healthy New Year.
Thank you, Vera
I have suffered from serious gout for most of the last 20+ years. I am 56. I have been repeatedly told that the solution is to reduce my alcohol comsumption (I drink a few beers and a bottle of wine a day). I have tried abstaining but it never seems to do any good. Two years ago I cut down my meat consumtion from two portions per day to two portions per week. I have had no sign of gout for over 18 months. I still drink, I still eat fish, cheese, eggs etc. Just a seven fold reduction in meat consumption has completely cured me. I have never drunk soda pops or eaten cakes , biscuits or sweets. I don't know how much this has affected the outcome.
Hope this helps someone,
Take it easy,
Nick
Probably won't work for everyone but maybe worth a try
I just like to add, if you think trying not to eat anything when you have a flare up will help it will not, not eating anything will cause the attack to get worst and it will last because your body fat will make the flare up presist.
do not drink soda water or soda pops, your usric acid will go up like a rockette, and if you do have a flare up, do not soack your feet in hot warte, put a ice pack on it, do not rap it with anything, rest the area, ellevate it drink 8 classes of water a day, food you can eat if you;re having a flare up, scrambeld eegs, grreen peas, cherries, bleberries, corn bread, i got this list from piedmont hospital, i can't remember the hole list but when i find it i will post the rest of it, and by the way pleas, pleas do not eat, bread, sweet roles, cookies, dough nuts, the only bread you can eat at the time it corn bread,
many thank
trevor
thank you
Basically if you have gout you CAN'T eat anything you like or are use to eating because that is how you got to this point in the first place.
If you've researched online like i did you'll find that you're stuck to a diet of most fruits, some vegatables & basically nothing else.
With that said, the secret to gout is not diet, but EXCERCISE. A good diet is only a supplement to avoiding gout flareups.
Even after couple of months of a good diet a gout flareup hit me from nowhere. Thats when i said Screw this diet thing & decided maybe if i sweat out my toxins i will sweat out some of this uric acids too. I will jog a mile twice a week & since my gym had a dry & steam sauna i started to use those to create sweat. The result is no gout flareups anymore. I don't stick to any diet & basically eat anything i want. I just make sure i don't splurge 7 days a week on steak, hamburgers & beer. Although i do have those at least 3 times a week.
I hope this helps everyone.!
I have Kidney problems and wondered if Foods ,like Crab,lobster oysters and shrimp would help or hurt this Gout.I have been advised bu my doc to avoid shell fish.I am unable to take the Medicine that helps Gout due to the problem with my Kidneys.Would appreciate any advice
60 oz of h2o /tea aday which is anatural dieuretic,Drink one Glass of wine/day.Limit food intake that are known inducers of gout .High levels of fresh veggies ,fruits especially cherries,blueberries ,nuts, Whole Multigrain Bread. also I take Allopurinol daily for prevention; colchicine for gout inflamation attacts. Consequently no problems the last 4 years. Remember if you have gout which worsens over time if not prevented/treated and you contine to imbibe beer.hard liquor,poor diet control,you are in denial and probably have alcohol addiction issues.The outcome is pedictable. Good luck all.dcw666@live.com
send me please good & enough food list for 2weeks
Thanks
Tina
1. "TART" Cherry Juice. If you can't find it google it and get it. Its the number 1 relief for me.
2. Water, Water, Water and more water. Yes you must pee as much as possible to get the crystals(Uric Acid)out.
3. Stay away from Strawberries. I was feeling better during my last flare up and I ate a few Strawberries and that made it worse then ever, I couldn't even put weight on my foot I had tears in my eyes!
What to eat during an attack and it sucks but this all I will eat and its gone in a day or so. Blueberries, pineapple, cherries and lettuce. Stay away from oil & vinegar.
If you have any questions email me..
I read everything I could on this subject and found that Cherry Extract works good, but it takes a while. I bought capsules at GNC, but you can find them online. I think they also have a liquid. Cherries are excellent and I try to eat dried cherries for snacks, also. Also, drink lots of water to dilute all that uric acid which causes gout.
I hope this helps anyone who is suffering from gout. I know how you feel.
and the people here drinking beerSTOP,are u nuts?beer is the worst,i know i was a big beer drinker.i used to drink and get gout.when i stopped my attacks stopped
its a horrible thing but we have to live
good luck
Dr Peter D'Adamo has a book 'Eat right for your type' and in it he covers all of the blood groups and what helps each person. He has a book for 'Eat right for your type' Arthritis and you can get it on Amazon. I am still following his recommendations and I did it for cholesterol. My count is down on what it was, and I feel in excellent health. It is worth trying for three months to see how you get on. I would be very surprised if your count did not come down.
she wants me to take allopurinol...sounds like an awful drug...side affects etc.
I have osteoarthritis .. but she didn't say I had gout. she gave me four new pills at once for other things...I think that is too many new drugs to take at once. what is a high uric acid number. g
PLEASE ADVICE ME MORE ON GOUT AND IF YOU CAN
WORK OUT A DIET FOR MY HUSBAND.HE IS 41 AND
HE IS OVER WEIGHT AND SUFFERS BADLY WITH GOUT.WE HAVE CUT DOWN ON RED MEAT,TOMATOES,JUICES AND SOFT DRINKS.
THANKS
PLEASE ADVICE ASP
What is the relation between a Kidney stone, Uric Acid and Gout.
Can someone please explain the above.
High uric acid levels associated with gout derive largely from foods rich in protein and purine, which produce uric acid as a waste product when broken down. Reducing such foods will mean less material for uric acid formation.
If possible, target to have protein comprising less than half of your diet to achieve more balance. Protein is a necessary element in your body, but taking more than what’s necessary will upset your body’s nutrient balance.
There are beneficial foods that help you lessen the discomfort and pain of an acute gout attack. Increase your consumption of fresh vegetables, either raw or lightly steamed; you can also mix them in soups or make them into juice. However, limit potatoes and corn to only once or twice a week.
thank you
If so, please tell me where I can find this information.
Thanking you in advance.
Whether diet can directly cause gout or not is still controversial, as there are possibly numerous factors involved, but diet can and does play a role in gout attacks, including aggravating and accelerating disease expression.
So is it possible to design a gout diet that accommodates your personal tastes while reducing the risk of painful gout attacks.
What is the best diet for people with gout? Undoubtedly, it’s a low purine diet. What kind of diet is that? Basically:
* Avoid or limit fish;
* Avoid or limit red, organ meat;
* Avoid or limit beer, lager, etc;
* Avoid products containing brewers yeast. <a href="http:/goutfoodtoavoid.info">goutfoodtoavoid.info</a>
Thank you
I've just been diagnosed with Gout. Can you please list the foods to avoid that are specifically high-moderate in purine.
Thanks,
Gwen
Hydration - a nurse once told me that if there is any color in my urine I'm not drinking enough, and that advice has been my best friend.
I find the initial comment of this answer misguided at best. The BEST way (from my own experience) to treat gout is absolutely via diet. Medications are a lazy way out - treating symptoms vs the cause.
The foods above simply scratch the surface. Eat more fruits & verggies and foods that are anti-inflammatory. Review the diet from Dr. Perricone and do a little research. It's not that hard!
Greg
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