Can people with high uric acid and gout eat beans?

Gout is a disease that has a well-known nickname, called "immortal cancer". The reason for this bad reputation is mainly because the pain during a gout attack is so unbearable that it is not an exaggeration to describe it as excruciating pain. After some friends were diagnosed with hyperuricemia or gout, they became more anxious about their diet choices: I heard that they can't eat meat and seafood? If I want to supplement some protein, can I eat beans? But I heard that gout patients can't even eat beans? Will I be malnourished? There are many questions, and we will solve them one by one today.

Image source: Tuchong Creative

1. Why did I get gout when I was fine?

If you observe carefully, you will find that the friends around you who suffer from gout may have some common features. For example, they are middle-aged, obese, have high work pressure, and have unhealthy eating habits. Why does gout prefer these people?

This has to start with the nature of gout. Gout is a disease caused by reduced uric acid excretion and/or purine metabolism disorders. Uric acid is the product of purine metabolism in human cells. The essence of gout is the accumulation of uric acid in the body due to various reasons. It is a disease with "hyperuricemia, recurrent acute monoarticular inflammation, joint damage and deformity" as the main symptoms, especially severe pain in the big toe joint during the attack.

Since estrogen promotes uric acid excretion, and testosterone inhibits uric acid excretion. This means that men and postmenopausal women are more likely to have uric acid accumulation in their bodies and are more likely to suffer from gout. Statistics show that the ratio of gout in men to women is about 20:1. However, it is not only gender that induces gout. Obesity, heavy drinking, strenuous exercise, rapid weight loss in a short period of time, high fat content in the diet, a preference for meat and seafood, heavy taste, and drinking too little water can all cause poor uric acid metabolism in the body, and are all "murderers" that cause gout attacks.

Although patients with high uric acid and gout look the same as normal people during the remission period, as long as the uric acid level in the body does not decrease, it will continue to accumulate in the bones, joints, soft tissues, kidneys and other parts, causing deformities of the hand and foot joints and kidney stones. It may also develop into renal insufficiency, renal failure, and even cause complications such as renal anemia, renal hypertension, and chronic heart failure.

Can people with high uric acid and gout eat beans?

As we mentioned above, liking to eat meat and seafood is a risk factor for high uric acid and gout. So, is it possible to supplement high-quality protein by eating soy products such as tofu, bean curd skin, and dried tofu?

First of all, we have to be clear that to judge whether a food is suitable for patients with high uric acid and gout, the main consideration is its purine content. High-purine foods (purine content greater than 150 mg/100 g), including various seafood, animal offal, alcoholic beverages, broth, thick soup, etc., are not suitable for patients with high uric acid and gout; while medium-uric acid foods (purine content between 100-150 mg/100 g), including green beans, red beans, mung beans, fungi and algae, livestock and poultry meat, etc., need to be carefully selected when eating. On the one hand, you should consider whether you are in the gout attack period, and on the other hand, you should consider the effects of other foods in the three meals on uric acid metabolism in the body. For example, after eating medium-purine foods, it is best to avoid drinking a lot of alcohol at the same time, and you should also increase your water intake to promote purine excretion. Low-purine foods (purine content less than 50 mg/100 g), such as fresh fruits and vegetables, starchy staple foods, milk and eggs, should be the protagonists in the recipes of patients with high uric acid and gout.

For bean foods, the purine content varies greatly under different processing conditions. For example, soybeans are typical high-purine foods in the dry bean state, but once they have gone through the processes of soaking, grinding, brine, and removing yellow pulp, most of the purine has long been dissolved in the yellow pulp water and discharged, so tofu becomes a low-purine "safe" food. Soy milk contains a lot of water, and the purine content is not too high, so it is a medium-purine food. The water content of soy products such as dried tofu, bean curd, and bean skin is lower than that of tofu, and they are also medium-purine foods. Like soy milk, it is not recommended for gout patients to eat a lot. When you really want to eat soy products, give priority to soy products such as tofu pudding and tofu. Nowadays, more and more studies have found that purine from plant foods is less harmful to the body than purine from animal foods. In other words, the harm of soy products to high uric acid and gout may not be so terrible. It is necessary to remind everyone that you must make choices based on your own reactions after eating soy products. If eating soy products is easy to induce gout, then stay away from them.

Scientifically match food to effectively prevent gout

The dietary principles for high uric acid and gout are different from those for other "three high" diseases. The following points should be noted:

The staple food should be refined and fermented staple food should be eaten less

For gout patients, especially during the attack period, it is recommended that you choose refined rice and white flour as much as possible and reduce coarse grains. In addition, fermented staple foods such as steamed buns, steamed bread, steamed cakes, bread, etc. should also be eaten less.

Eat less meat and pay attention to cooking methods

Most animal foods, such as offal, seafood, and livestock and poultry meat, have high purine content. Fasting is required during the acute attack of gout. Even during the remission period, the intake should be controlled and properly cooked, with stewing and boiling being the first choice. At the same time, considering that purine is easily soluble in water, most of the purine in the meat enters the soup after stewing. "Abandoning the soup and eating the meat" can effectively reduce the intake of purine.

Vegetables and fruits should be eaten selectively

Fruits and vegetables are rich in water, minerals and vitamins, and are alkaline foods. They can not only supplement the minerals and vitamins that gout patients may lack, but also appropriately increase the pH value of urine and help uric acid metabolism. However, not all fruits and vegetables are suitable. Spinach, fungi, algae, and chrysanthemum are some of the vegetables with high purine content, so they should be carefully selected during gout attacks.

Less oil, less salt, more water, less alcohol and beverages

A low-fat diet can help gout patients control their weight and improve symptoms. However, it should be noted that gout patients should lose weight gradually. Losing weight too quickly will cause a large amount of ketone bodies and purines to be produced in the body, which will increase uric acid levels and promote gout attacks. In addition, heavy-tasting and stimulating condiments such as salt, chili pepper, and pepper can promote purine production or uric acid deposition. Patients in the acute attack period should still focus on a light diet.

Many people know that beer and seafood are taboos for gout patients. In fact, any alcoholic beverage will promote the decomposition of purine, inhibit the excretion of uric acid by the renal tubules, and increase the level of uric acid in the body. Sweet drinks and honey, due to their high fructose content, will also accelerate the synthesis of uric acid. It is recommended that gout patients drink boiled water and light tea as daily drinks.

The seemingly strict dietary taboos are to help patients with high uric acid and gout to smoothly pass the "attack period" and prolong the "remission period". Moreover, this "self-discipline" can also allow you to gradually develop the habit of eating light and natural foods. "Light food can help you appreciate the taste, and a clear mind can help you understand the truth." Only by keeping gout in the remission period can we have the opportunity to get rid of the torture of "immortal cancer" and enjoy more diverse beauty in life.

The article is produced by Science Popularization China-Starry Sky Project (Creation and Cultivation). Please indicate the source when reprinting.

Author: Wang Lu, Chinese registered dietitian, Master of Public Health, Peking University

Reviewer: Xue Qingxin, the first batch of nutrition instructors of the National Health Commission, China registered nutritionist