The Strategy Behind a Diet for Gout
Avoiding purines completely is impossible, but you should try your best to limit them. When beginning a gout diet, you may want to begin by eliminating foods in the "high-purine" category. At the same time, reduce 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. With this strategy, you will learn by trial and error what your personal limit is, which foods cause problems, and, therefore, what the best diet for you is.
Maintaining a healthy body weight is also important for people with gout. Obesity can cause the body to produce increased levels of uric acid. Follow a well-balanced diet to lose excess body weight. Do not follow a high-protein, low-carb diet, as this can cause gout conditions to become worse.
(Click BMI Calculator to see if your weight is within a healthy range.)
As part of a diet for gout patients, you should also limit your intake of alcohol or not drink alcohol at all. Alcohol interferes with the removal of uric acid from the body. Finally, drink plenty of fluids, especially water. Fluids help remove uric acid from the body.
High-Purine Foods to Avoid
Foods that are high in purine content should be avoided as part of a diet for gout. Some examples of these foods include:
- Gravy
- Some types of fish and shellfish, such as:
- Anchovies
- Sardines
- Mackerel
- Herring
- Scallops
- Mussels
- Codfish
- Trout
- Haddock
- Liver
- Sweetbreads (thymus and pancreas)
- Brains
- Kidneys
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