Gout is an extremely painful form of arthritis that occurs when the body cannot properly process uric acid. Excess uric acid in the bloodstream is eventually deposited as little crystals in the body’s joints, causing inflammation, swelling, and extreme pain. Medication is usually enough to treat gout; however, a gout arthritis diet may help speed recovery along. Here are a few gout diet foods to keep in mind – but remember a gout arthritis diet should not replace medical treatment.
Start a Gout Arthritis Diet by Avoiding High Purine Foods
Since gout is caused by uric acid, some patients believe they need to reduce their consumption of gout through a uric acid diet. Actually though, uric acid is formed from the breakdown of purines in foods, meaning a gout uric acid diet involves reducing the consumption of foods high in purines. Foods with the highest level of purines (150-825mg/100g) include anchovies, mackerel, sardines, beef liver, beef kidney, game meats, and scallops.
The book Bowes & Church’s Food Values of Portions Commonly Used by Jean Pennington and Judith Douglass offers a full list of foods and their purine values (on pages 361-364); however, looking at purine values is not enough when creating a gout arthritis diet.
Foods Good for Gout: Don’t Focus Only on Purines
Scientists still don’t fully understand how different cooking methods affect purine levels or even how different types of purines affect uric acid levels. Certain vegetables have relatively high purine levels but eating them may actually help decrease uric acid in the body, according to the book Beating Gout: A Sufferer’s Guide to Living Pain Free by Victor Konshin.
Further, some foods that are low in purine levels may not be all that healthy for the body. According to Pennington and Douglass, foods lowest in purines include non-whole grain cereals, sodas, syrups, and sweets. These foods are well known to be unhealthy for the body and should be eaten sparingly. Meanwhile, foods considered somewhat high in purines (50-150mg/100g) such as whole grain breads and vegetables are quite necessary for good health.
The Best Gout Diet Food: Cherries
Cherries have long been touted as a good gout diet food and now there are scientific studies to explain the relationship between cherries and gout, according to Jonny Bowden, Ph.D, CNS in the book Most Effective Natural Cures on Earth. A study at the University of California–Davis showed that eating two servings (180g) of cherries after an overnight fast significantly lowered participant’s uric acid levels – for some by as much as 15%. The reason cherries are good for a gout uric acid diet is because they contain powerful compounds called anthocyanins which help the body reduce uric acid levels and inflammation. Cherries and gout should certainly go hand in hand.
Megan Jungwi - Megan Jungwi started her freelance writing career in March 2009. Although new to online writing Megan has long been passionate about the ...
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