Gout is a form of arthritis that attacks joints and causes acute pain and swelling mostly in the big toe and fingers, and sometimes, in the wrists, elbows, knees and ankles. To treat this inflammation your doctor may prescribe medicines like Zurig, Febuget, etc, with these medicine controlling the food we eat is also important. For this you must know which are the food good for you and which are not, usually purine food are not good for gout patients.
Foods that contain low levels of purine makes for a gout-friendly diet. Fortunately, there are plenty of anti-gout foods that help prevent attacks of this inflammatory arthritis condition. Some of then are:
Water
Drink at least 8 glasses of water every day unless you are advised to restrict your fluid intake due to medical reasons and during water helps flush out uric acid and reduces the risk of kidney stones.
Cherries
Dark berries have a powerful anti-inflammatory effect, like blueberries and strawberries, they contain anthocyanins, anti-inflammatory plant pigments – and the darker the berry, the more you get.
Eating one-half to 1 cup of cherries or dark berries per day is good. You can also drink cherry juice or take cherry supplements in capsules.
Vegetables and Fruits
Eat plenty of vegetables such as kailan, cabbage, squash, red bell pepper, beetroot, but limit the intake of vegetables with moderate purine content such as asparagus, spinach, cauliflower and mushrooms.
Also eat fruits high in vitamin C such as oranges, tangerines, papaya and cherries. Apples, pears, pineapples, avocados are low-purine fruits and therefore can be eaten in moderation.
Nuts
A gout-friendly diet should include two tablespoons of nuts and seeds every day. Good sources of low-purine nuts and seeds include walnuts, almonds, flaxseeds and cashew nuts. A small handful of almonds or walnuts is a good meat substitute for those at risk for gout pain, Unlike meat, nuts don’t contain any purines but give you some protein.
Although nuts are high in fat, it’s mostly the healthy, unsaturated kind. And both the fat and whole grains satisfy you longer, which keeps weight in check.
Eggs
Eggs are low in purines but consume them in moderation (Health Promotion Board recommends consuming up to four eggs per week).
Coffee
Coffee and tea are safe for gout sufferers, drinking coffee may lower your gout risk. In a study the more coffee the men in the trial drank, the more their uric acid levels fell; those who drank 4 to 5 cups a day had levels that were 40% lower.
Cold-water fish
Essential fatty acids found in cold-water fish such as tuna can reduce gout inflammation. However, to prevent a gout flare-up, limit the intake of fish to one serving per day as it still contains purines.
Low-fat dairy foods
Dairy products like skim or 1% milk, low-fat yogurt and low-fat cottage cheese may play a role in decreasing gout risk. Studies found that low-fat dairy consumption significantly lowers uric acid levels. Researchers speculate that two dairy proteins – casein and lactalbumin – increase uric acid secretion.
Legumes
Lentils, peas and beans are high in purines, but surprisingly — they don’t cause gout risk to rise. Beans are low in fat and high in protein and fiber, but don’t have saturated fat, which could be partly responsible for gout attacks.
Including these foods may help to reduce the inflammation of gout.
