Gout – nutrition

Gout: nutrition in everyday life

A healthy, balanced diet is important for the body – and not just for gout. Nutrition and health are generally closely related. With food, vitamins, trace elements and other important substances are absorbed. A balanced diet reduces the risk of certain diseases – including high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease. Physicians and nutritionists recommend the following composition for daily food intake:

• 50 percent carbohydrates
• 30 percent fat, of which a maximum of one third saturated fat
• 20 percent protein

The general recommendations for a balanced diet apply to all people, including people with gout. The opinions, that you have to adhere to gout diet in the sense of a food reduction, are not correct. Basically, you can eat as much as you want at Gout. You should only pay attention to what foods you eat.

What to eat with gout?

In gout, the uric acid level in the blood is increased. An elevated uric acid level can either arise if too much uric acid is produced or if too little is excreted. In many cases, both mechanisms contribute to the disease process. Uric acid is caused by the breakdown of purines that are produced by the breakdown of cells from the body. In addition, purines are absorbed by some foods.

There is no such thing as forbidden foods with gout. However, there are foods that are less likely than others to be on the diet as part of a diet for gout. The diet of gout should be as possible that a few purines are also absorbed by the diet. In which foods how much purine is, you can see below gout diet table.

Beware of purines

The upper limit of purine intake is about 500 milligrams daily. This indication varies depending on the level of individual uric acid level and body weight. Especially during and after a gout attack purine intake should be lowered again. Doctors recommend a maximum intake of 200 milligrams per day and no more than two grams of purines per week. The purine content of individual foods may vary in different food tables. This is due to the fact that the purine content also depends on the preparation of the product (fried meat contains, for example, more purines than raw meat). The following formula applies to the conversion of purine content into uric acid formed therefrom: One milligram of purine is converted into 2.4 milligrams of uric acid.

This is how you save purines

Basically, all foods in gout should contain as few purines as possible. Foods that contain little or no purines include milk, yoghurt and quark. Those affected can eat as much as they like without the uric acid level rising. Eggs and hard cheeses also have a very low purine content. The daily diet plan at Gicht also includes potatoes, egg noodles, white bread and rice. As a fish smoked eel and plaice are considered. You can also eat fruit, cucumbers, peppers and tomatoes with gout.

Gout recipes that come on the table every day should contain as much as possible of these foods. Thus, the purine content is kept low, and those affected by gout still do not have to save on the amount of food. Vitamin C (contained in fruit and fruit juices) also has a uric acid lowering effect. However, it does not do anything to take vitamin C in excess. Too much vitamin C is not used by the body and simply excreted again.

In Gicht food tables some foods are listed, which have a very high purine content. It is recommended to refrain from these foods when gout as far as possible. These include primarily meat, especially pork and goose meat and offal. Also ham, lentils and various types of fish such as trout, herring, sardines and sprats should be missing as far as possible in the diet of gout.

Nutrition tables for gout patients also list foods that are relatively high in purines but may be eaten from time to time. The least amount of purine from these foods has, surprisingly, the fried sausage. Beverages such as apple spritzer, cola drinks and beer already have a higher puro content than sausage. The meat products, which may be eaten from time to time, include sausages, turkey escalopes and meat broth. In addition, you are allowed to eat fish fingers and cod in a manageable size.

The right diet for gout should be supplemented by a sufficiently high fluid intake. Doctors recommend drinking at least two liters daily. Mineral water, juice spritzers and unsweetened teas are especially digestible. The hydration dilutes the blood and causes the uric acid to be better eliminated. Alcoholic beverages should be avoided.

Asparagus & gout

For a long time, asparagus was discussed controversially in the context of gout diet. On the one hand, asparagus has a good reputation in gout because of its diuretic effect – because with the urine uric acid is flushed out of the body. However, since he contains more purine than other vegetables with about ten milligrams per 100 grams, he was recommended in a gout diet limited. In fact, there are vegetables that contain far more purine – for example Brussels sprouts at 25 milligrams per 100 grams. Peppers, tomatoes and cucumbers, but also all types of fruit, on the other hand, cut significantly better in gout. Asparagus is thus in the midfield with its purine content. It can be treated as part of a balanced diet like other foods used for gout.

Gout diet: fat

Fat is not a specific problem with gout. Excessive fat damages the body and causes overweight. These factors can in turn favor gout. Therefore, in the diet for gout should also be paid to the fat content of the food. It should be noted that the purine content of the food has nothing to do with the fat content. These two values ​​must be strictly separated.

The daily fat intake is controlled solely by the moderate consumption of meat in the gout diet. A lot of fat is also contained in cheese, finished products and light products. Well, the daily fat intake can also be influenced by the preparation of food. For example, instead of frying or frying, grilling and steaming can be considered as fat-saving alternatives.

Gout Diet: Diets

Excessively high body weight is considered a risk factor for gout. You should reduce your weight if you have a body mass index of 25 and above. In weight loss, they should be slow and lose no more than two to three kilograms per month. During a diet, the body increasingly produces so-called ketone bodies. These inhibit the excretion of uric acid. Too fast weight loss, especially through fasting and zero diets, can also be a trigger for a gout attack. Diet and weight loss should therefore always be discussed in individual cases with the doctor and best done under medical supervision.

Individual nutrition plan

In many cases, gout is not the only metabolic disorder patients suffer from. Then it is necessary to consider other nutritional rules. Almost all metabolic diseases are characterized by the fact that certain foods are intolerable, can not be digested or cause damage. If gouty patients suffer from other metabolic diseases, they must be informed to the doctor before treatment. Together we can then determine which foods are eligible and which are not. In the case of gout, an individual nutritional plan can help to keep track of exactly what can be eaten and in what quantities. Such an individualized diet plan can also be helpful if sufferers learn for the first time that they should undertake a change in their dietary habits.

Gout: nutrition and alcohol consumption

Another favouring factor for gout is when too little uric acid is excreted. That’s why alcohol should be avoided as part of a gout diet. Ingredients of the alcohol prevent uric acid from being excreted, thus accelerating the accumulation in the blood. Excessive consumption of alcohol can trigger an acute attack of gout.

Gout: food table

Source: internists in the network