DIET AND FITNESS:
Gout Diet--Foods That Lower Your
Risk of Gout
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September 21, 2009
By Susan M. Callahan, Associate Editor
and Featured Columnist
Gout, the painful metabolic condition caused by the build-up
of uric acid, affects more than 5 million people in the US,
according to the Centers for Disease Control. Gout
symptoms can include painful red arthritic joints, kidney
stones and deposits of uric acid crystals (monosodium urate)
in the skin. Gout affects men and women of every age.
However, since uric acid builds up in the bodies of men
shortly after puberty and in women shortly after the onset of
menopause, gout often occurs in very young men and in
middle-aged women.
Having gout increases your chances of having kidney stones.
According to a 2003 study by researchers from Loyola
University, men with gout are twice as likely to develop
kidney stones as men who have never had gout.
Throughout the centuries, people have used various
remedies and natural treatments for gout. Today, research
has identified that certain foods make gout worse, and
should be avoided, and certain other foods significantly
improve your risk for preventing gout or for reducing the
pain of gout if you have it.
Ideal Gout Diet
Based on medical research, here is the list of foods you
should include in your diet to prevent gout, and foods to
avoid if you want to lower your risk for gout:
1. Eat Dairy. A 2004 study by Massachusetts General Hospital
of 47,100 men over a period of 12 years found that the
more dairy you consume in your diet, the lower your chance
for developing gout. Milk and other dairy products prevent
gout. Men with the highest consumption of milk and other
dairy products had a 56% lower incidence of gout 56% less
than men with the lowest intake of dairy. In essence, you
can cut your risk of suffering gout in half by making sure
you have enough dairy in your diet.
2. Skip Red Meat. The same study of dairy's effect on gout
found that people who eat red meat are at the highest risk
for gout. This finding is consistent with numerous other
studies on gout. In fact, red meat consumption is one of the
best predictors of your risk for gout.
3. Don't Overdo the Fish. High levels of fish were also linked
with higher incidences of gout. Sardines, mackerel and
scallops in particular have been linked with increased risk for
gout.
4. Moderate Purine Vegetables. There is a mistaken belief
among the public that you must avoid all foods with purines
to lower your risk for gout. This general statement, it turns
out, is not borne out by research. Not all purine-rich foods
are created equal, in terms of how they impact your risk for
gout. Purines compounds are found in many meats and
vegetables. However, only the purines in meats have been
strongly-linked with increased risk of gout. Plants generally
have very little purine. In the 12 year study, the researchers
found no connection whatsoever between a moderate intake
of purine-rich vegetables you eat and your risk of gout.
List of Foods High in Purine
Anchovies
Beef Kidneys
Liver
Brains (cows, pigs, chicken)
Deer and other Wild Game
Herring
Gravy med from these meats
Sardines
Scallops
Sweetbreads
Foods With Moderate Purine Levels
Asparagus
Cauliflower
Fish
Hawthorn
Lentils
Oatmeal
Dried Peas
Green Peas
Mushrooms
Pork
Poultry
Spinach
Wheat Bran
Wheat Germ
5. Avoid Sodas to Prevent Gout Drinking sodas increases
your risk for gout. A 2008 study from the University of
British Columbia pf 46, 393 men found that those who
consumed the higher levels of sugary drinks and sodas had
the highest incidences of gout. Those who consumed two or
more cans of soda a day had a 85% higher risk of gout than
those who drank less than one can of soda a month. And
drinking just one can a day raises your risk of gout by
45%.Sugar and fructose are the culprits apparently.
Drinking diet sodas was not associated with increased gout
levels.
It's important to limit the amount of sugar you eat for many
reasons but, in terms of out risk for gout, this research
establishes almost a straight line relationship between high
sugar consumption and risk of gout. Bottom line: ease sugar
out of your life.
6. Avoid Beer and Certain Alcohols To Prevent Gout. In
another massive study in 2004, researchers from Harvard
Medical School found that alcohol, and beer in particular,
raises the risk of gout in men. Researchers examined the
dietary habits of 47,150 men over a 12-year period. They
found that compared to men who did not drink alcohol at all,
those who drank 30 to 49.9 grams of alcohol a day had a
253% higher risk for developing gout. Beer drinkers face
the highest risk, but hard liquors also were linked with
significant risk. Moderate consumption of wine had no affect
on the risk for gout.
You're just getting started. Learn more about the
relationship between your diet and your risk for other
diseases and conditions: Sugar-The Disease Connection /
Are Diet Sodas Bad for Your Health? / Ideal Breakfast for
Diabetics / Ideal Breakfast for Arthritis /Healing Foods Links
/ Foods That Shrink Your Waist / Foods That Lower
Cholesterol/ VLDL-The Other Cholesterol/ Foods That
Reduce Blood Pressure
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