How to eat for gout?
- 50 percent carbohydrates
- 30 percent fat, of which no more than one-third is saturated fat
- 20 percent proteins
The general recommendations for a balanced diet apply to everyone, including people with gout. It is not true that with gout you have to diet in the sense of reducing food. Basically, you eat as much as you want even with gout. Just pay attention to what foods you eat.
What to avoid with gout?
There is no prohibited list of foods for gout. However, there are foods that are best consumed less frequently than others as part of a diet for gout. In the case of gout, doctors recommend consuming as few additional purines as possible in the diet. You can find out which foods contain how much purine in the gout diet table below.
Caution with purines
However, the information on the purine content of individual foods differs in the various food tables. This is because the purine content also depends on how the product is prepared: Fried meat, for example, contains more purines than raw meat.
The following formula is used to convert purine content into uric acid formed from it: One milligram of purine is converted into 2.4 milligrams of uric acid.
How to “save” purines
For fish, consider smoked eel and plaice. You can also be quite safe with fruit, cucumbers, peppers and tomatoes.
Vitamin C (contained in fruit and fruit juices) also has a uric acid-lowering effect. However, there is no point in taking vitamin C in excess. The body does not utilize too much vitamin C and simply excretes it again.
The diet tables for gout patients also list foods that have a relatively high purine content, but whose consumption is nevertheless acceptable from time to time. Of these foods, the lowest purine content is found in bratwurst. Drinks such as apple spritzer, cola drinks and beer already have a higher purine content than bratwurst.
Supplement the coordinated diet with a sufficiently high fluid intake. Doctors recommend drinking at least two liters a day. Mineral water, juice spritzers and unsweetened teas are particularly digestible. The fluid intake thins the blood and causes you to excrete uric acid better.
Asparagus & gout
In fact, however, there are vegetables that contain far more purine – for example, Brussels sprouts with 25 milligrams per 100 grams. In contrast, peppers, tomatoes and cucumbers, as well as all types of fruit, fare much better. The purine content of asparagus is therefore in the middle range. As part of a balanced diet, it is therefore harmless on the menu.
Fat
You control your daily fat intake simply by consuming moderate amounts of meat in the gout diet. A lot of fat is also contained in cheese, numerous convenience products and light products. Avoid these if possible. The daily fat intake can also be influenced by the way food is prepared. For example, instead of frying or deep-frying, grilling and steaming are low-fat alternatives.
Diet for gout: diets for weight reduction
During a diet, the body increasingly forms so-called ketone bodies. These inhibit the excretion of uric acid. Losing weight too quickly, especially through fasting and zero dieting, may therefore trigger an attack of gout. It is best to discuss points such as diet and weight loss with your doctor.
Individual diet plan
If you suffer from other metabolic diseases, be sure to inform your doctor before treatment. Together, you will then determine which foods are suitable for you and which are not. In the case of gout, it is often helpful to have an individual diet plan on which you record exactly what is safe for you and in what quantities.
Such an individualized diet plan is also helpful when patients learn for the first time that they need to change their eating habits.
Alcohol is a risk factor because it impedes the excretion of uric acid. Therefore, avoid alcohol, especially beer, as part of a gout diet, as alcohol can sometimes trigger an acute attack of gout.
Gout: food table
|
Food |
Purines per 100 grams (in milligrams) |
Uric acid formed per 100 grams (in milligrams) |
|
Milk |
0 |
0 |
|
Yogurt |
0 |
0 |
|
Quark |
0 |
0 |
|
Eggs |
2 |
4,8 |
|
Cucumber |
3 |
7,2 |
|
Hard cheese |
4 |
7,2 |
|
Tomatoes |
4,2 |
10 |
|
Peppers |
4,2 |
10 |
|
Potatoes |
6,3 |
15 |
|
Fruit |
4,2 – 12,6 |
10 – 30 |
|
Egg noodles, boiled |
8,4 – 21 |
20 – 50 |
|
10,5 |
25 |
|
|
Asparagus |
10,5 |
25 |
|
Rice, cooked |
10,5 – 14,7 |
25 – 35 |
|
White bread |
16,8 |
40 |
|
Cauliflower |
18,9 |
45 |
|
Mushrooms |
25,2 |
60 |
|
Brussels sprouts |
25,2 |
60 |
|
Mettwurst |
26 |
62 |
|
Peanuts |
29,4 |
70 |
|
Wheat |
37,8 |
90 |
|
Bratwurst |
40 |
96 |
|
Apple juice |
42 |
100 |
|
Cola drink |
42 |
100 |
|
Beer, non-alcoholic |
42 |
100 |
|
Oatmeal |
42 |
100 |
|
Cod |
45 |
108 |
|
Sausage |
42 – 54,6 |
100 – 130 |
|
Fish sticks |
46,2 |
110 |
|
Turkey cutlet |
50,4 |
120 |
|
Meat broth |
58,8 |
140 |
|
Peas |
63 |
150 |
|
Fish, cooked |
63 |
150 |
|
Meat (pork, beef, veal), lean, fresh |
63 |
150 |
|
Chicken breast fillet, fresh |
75,6 |
180 |
|
Lenses |
84 |
200 |
|
Ham |
85 |
204 |
|
Pork cutlet |
88 |
211,2 |
|
Oil Sardines |
480 |
|
|
Sprats |
335 |
802 |
Source: Internists on the net
