To prevent gout attacks, you need to know these in addition to the "four avoidances and five benefits" of diet

For patients with hyperuricemia and gout, in addition to medication, dietary management is also an important auxiliary means of treatment. Improper diet may lead to a continuous increase in blood uric acid levels and even induce acute gout attacks. Conversely, improving dietary habits can significantly reduce the incidence of gout. Although dietary management cannot replace drug treatment, it may reduce drug dosage.

The "Health Industry Standards of the People's Republic of China" points out the dietary guidelines for patients with hyperuricemia and gout : based on the principle of individualization, establish reasonable eating habits and a good lifestyle, limit high-purine animal foods (see the comparison table below), control energy and nutrient supply ratios, maintain a healthy weight, cooperate with regular uric acid-lowering drug treatment, and conduct regular follow-up tests.

List of common food purines

01 Common low-purine foods

Low-purine foods, that is, foods containing less than 25 mg of purine per 100 g of food (edible part), can be eaten more by people with high uric acid.

02 Common foods containing purine

Medium-purine foods contain 25 to 150 mg of purine per 100 g of food (edible part). People with high uric acid are advised to eat less.

03 Common high-purine foods

High-purine foods contain more than 150 mg of purine per 100 g of food (edible part) and are not recommended for people with high uric acid.

High uric acid gout dietary taboo comparison table

01 Foods to avoid (Four Foods to Avoid)

① Avoid eating animal offal such as liver and kidney, shellfish, oysters, lobsters and other shelled seafood, and thick broth and gravy; ② For patients with acute gout attacks, poor drug control or chronic tophaceous arthritis, alcoholic beverages should also be prohibited; ③ Avoid sugary drinks; ④ Avoid desserts.

02 Foods that should be restricted

① Animal foods with high purine content, such as beef, mutton, pork, etc.; ② Fish foods; ③ Foods containing more fructose and sucrose; ④ Various alcoholic beverages, especially beer and liquor. The total alcohol intake should not exceed 2 alcohol units/day for men and 1 alcohol unit/day for women (1 alcohol unit is approximately 14 g of pure alcohol).
0 3 Recommended Foods (Five Benefits )

① Skim or low-fat milk and its products, 300 mL per day;

②Eggs: 1 egg per day;

③Sufficient amount of fresh vegetables, 500 g or more per day;

④ Encourage the intake of low GI cereal foods;

⑤ Drink plenty of water (including tea and coffee, etc.), at least 2000 mL per day. The daily water intake should be maintained at more than 2 L. You can choose small molecule weak alkaline water and avoid drinking fructose-containing beverages or sugary soft drinks, fruit juices and thick soups.

Eat at regular times and in fixed amounts or eat small but frequent meals. Do not overeat or eat a lot of meat in one meal. Use less irritating seasonings. Discarding the soup after cooking seafood, meat, and high-purine plant foods can reduce the amount of purine. In addition, attention should also be paid to weight management . Gout is a metabolic disease, and patients are often obese. Obesity is one of the risk factors for gout. Weight loss can lower blood uric acid levels and is beneficial for reducing gout attacks. Overweight or obese patients should lose weight slowly to reach and maintain a normal weight.

Summarize

A healthy diet is the basis of uric acid lowering treatment. Low-purine foods have a bad taste and may also cause malnutrition. The Singapore "Food and Gout" study recommends : reduce calorie intake, reduce the intake of red meat and fish, and eat more low-fat dairy products and plant-based proteins (such as soy products). Because such a diet can not only ensure nutrition and taste, but also reduce blood uric acid levels.