Gout is characterized by impaired purine metabolism, due to which the uric acid content in the blood increases and urate (uric acid salts) are deposited in the joints of patients, which leads to their inflammation. With this diagnosis, complications in the form of urolithiasis and impaired renal activity are often found.
Features of the nutrition of patients with gout
An important preventive role in the treatment of this disease is played by a specially constructed diet for gout, the main purpose of which is to limit the purine intake. Purines are well represented in foods such as fish, meat (especially the liver, brains, tongue, and kidneys). Also, a fairly large percentage of purines can be found in herring, caviar and canned fish (sardines and sprats). Moreover, when thinking about nutrition for gout, it must be borne in mind that most of these substances are in the meat of young animals.
If you choose food for gout for adherents of vegetarian cuisine, then they can recommend peanuts, legumes, mushrooms, spinach, cauliflower, sorrel. And from sweet vegetable delicacies - raspberries and figs. A lot of these substances in tea, coffee, chocolate, cocoa. Of course, such patients also need to know which foods are deficient in these substances. These are eggs, dairy products, bread, cereals, almost all fruits, berries and vegetables. Therefore, making up food for gout, those who suffer from this disease will have to exclude most of these products, even if they really love them.
Menu Rules
Patients with this diagnosis, when the disease is in remission (without exacerbation), should carefully draw up the menu. According to the recommendations of doctors, the menu for gout should correspond to diet No. 6 with a slight decrease in the amount of protein. This will require a reduction in the consumption of legumes, meat and fish. In addition, it will be necessary to significantly reduce the amount of refractory fats (pork, lamb, beef, culinary). Indeed, because of them, uric acid is excreted by the kidneys much more slowly. Instead, the use of ghee and butter is provided. In addition, the patient should receive 30% of fats due to vegetable oils. Any nutritionist will say that their fatty acids have a positive effect on the metabolism of this disease, especially when it is combined with obesity, atherosclerosis, and hypertension.
Anyone suffering from this disease, after consulting a nutritionist, learns that he should abandon fish, meat and mushroom broths, because when cooking these products, at least 50% of purines goes into the broth. But then already boiled meat and fish can be eaten absolutely calmly.
More fluid
When making medical nutrition for gout, it is necessary to remember the large amount of fluid consumed - up to 2 liters per day (of course, if the patient has no contraindications due to problems in the kidneys and in the cardiovascular system). Any doctor will say that the consumption of berry, fruit and vegetable juices will be an excellent option. Especially useful are citrus drinks. In addition, you should drink more milk and sour-milk drinks, tea (only weak). With the help of juices and drinks, once a week it is worth spending a fasting day (regardless of the patient’s weight). In no case should you try to be treated with hunger. With such a diagnosis, it is very dangerous - because during starvation due to protein breakdown, the level of uric acid in the blood rises very strongly.
With great care, patients with this diagnosis should behave at the holiday table. Even with a single, but excessively plentiful intake of meat or fish food, as well as strong alcoholic beverages, a severe exacerbation of this disease is possible.