Looking for ways to avoid getting gout? Find out which foods to avoid for gout triggers and how to control gout flare-ups.
If you have severe pain in your joints, you may have an arthritic condition known as gout. Flare-ups happen when there is excess uric acid in the blood and can happen unpredictably and with varying frequency.
Usually, the body will dissolve uric acid and remove it via your kidneys and urination. However, this doesn’t happen during gout flare-ups. Instead, eating certain foods can cause excess uric acid to build up and crystalize in your joints.
To avoid these issues, it’s best that people prone to gout avoid or limit certain foods. Keep reading to learn about the different foods that trigger gout and how to prevent flares.
1. Red Meat
Certain meats are high in purine, which gets broken down into uric acid. However, too much purine can cause excess uric acid, which gets into the bloodstream and causes gout flare-ups. White meat has lower levels of purine, which is why people prone to gout should limit or avoid red meat.
Furthermore, lamb is the most problematic for gout among the red meats. Other meats that you should limit include beef and pork. If you do end up eating these meats, limit them to three times per week max. Also, if you still eat lamb, then choose lamb chops over the leg meat.
2. Fish
If you have gout, you need to avoid certain fish as they can contain high amounts of purine. These problematic fish include tuna, sardines, herring, mackerel, and anchovies.
However, just because you’re affected by gout doesn’t mean you have to stop eating fish altogether. For instance, you can safely eat salmon in moderation, which contains low levels of purine. If you have gout, make sure you don’t eat fish more than twice per week.
3. Wild Game
Wild game meat includes venison, rabbit, pheasant, quail, and goose. People with gout should avoid these types of meat for the same reason they should avoid beef, pork, and lamb: they’re rich in purine.
By eating wild game meat, you increase your risk of having a gout attack. Instead, stick to white meat, which is generally safe to eat in moderation, especially if you pair it with vegetables.
4. Scallops
If you have gout, then seafood is not your friend. For example, scallops, shellfish, codfish, trout, and haddock are high in purine. However, there is certain seafood that is generally safe to eat.
Some better seafood options for people with gout include lobster, shrimp, and crab. To be safe, your total amount of seafood intake per day should be 6 to 8 oz. per day maximum. Also, you may be able to eat scallops occasionally but should definitely avoid them if you start experiencing flare-ups.
5. Organ Meats
While some recent studies suggest that organ meats may be helpful for overall health wellness, this doesn’t apply to everyone. In fact, people with gout should avoid eating organ meats. These include liver, kidneys, tongue, brains, and sweetbreads.
6. Beer
When you drink beer, the body breaks it down and causes a spike in uric acid levels, which isn’t good if you have gout. Moreover, since beer dehydrates the body, it slows down the elimination of uric acid. While an occasional glass of wine may be okay, you should avoid alcohol altogether if you want to be safe.
7. Sweet Beverages
Because of their high-fructose corn syrup content, sugary drinks can increase the risk of gout attacks by stimulating uric acid production. If you have a sweet tooth, it’s best to choose herbal teas and fresh-squeezed juices over packaged sodas and fruit drinks. Also, if you’re trying to prevent a gout attack, it’s best that you avoid all foods with high-fructose corn syrup.
8. Vegetables
Having a diet that emphasizes vegetables is great for individuals with gout. However, there are some vegetables that are rich in purine and you should avoid them. These include mushrooms, spinach, asparagus, peas, and cauliflower.
While these vegetables are not as problematic as other foods, it’s still a good idea to limit their intake. Other veggies to avoid include dried fava and garbanzo beans.
9. Fruits
Just like sugary fructose drinks, some fruits can increase your uric acid production. Some fruits to avoid if you have gout include prunes, dates, plums, lychees, and pears.
Like with high-purine vegetables, you may be able to consume these fruits in moderation. However, you would have to avoid other high-purine and high-fructose foods on the same day and avoid them if you experience any flare-ups.
10. Dairy Products
While there is conflicting evidence when it comes to dairy products and gout attacks, it seems that most studies suggest that eating more yogurt, cheese, and ice cream decreases the risk of gout. On the other hand, if you consume an excess of high-fat dairy products, you can experience a variety of issues and flare-ups.
Preventing Gout Flare-ups
If you want to prevent gout flare-ups, there are other things you can do in addition to limiting certain foods. For example, you can lose weight, since having excess body fat increases your risk of gout.
When you’re overweight or obese, your body’s ability to eliminate uric acid decreases. This happens as a result of the visceral fat that wraps around the organs. Furthermore, visceral fat releases certain chemicals that promote systemic inflammation.
In addition, visceral fat can lead to related metabolic diseases like insulin resistance. Therefore, if you lose weight, you can lose visceral fat and reduce your risk for inflammation and gout attacks.
Eat Complex Carbohydrates
Another thing you can do to prevent flare-ups is to eat certain complex carbohydrates. For instance, eating fruits, whole grains, and vegetables is a great way to manage gout due to their slow digestion process.
Stay Hydrated
One of the most accessible options for managing gout is to stay hydrated. By drinking water, you can dilute the uric acid levels in the blood. Moreover, you can remove more uric acid if you drink more water, which decreases the risk of urate crystals in the joints.
Consume Healthy Fats
Certain healthy fats such as omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids can help decrease the number of recurring flare-ups. While gout medications can help manage the disease, sometimes they don’t lower the recurring attacks.
However, foods with healthy fats such as cold-water fish (salmon) can help lower the instances of recurring gout attacks. In fact, omega-3 fatty acids are effective anti-inflammatories that also help manage other arthritis conditions.
Emphasize Lean Protein Intake
Purine increases uric acid, which triggers gout flare-ups. Therefore, if you want to effectively manage gout, you need to consume proteins that are low in purine. This means you need to avoid shellfish, beef, and organ meat with high purine levels.
Instead, you should consume safer choices like eggs, nuts, seeds, and tofu. You can also decrease your risk of gout attacks by integrating low-fat milk, cheese, and yogurt into your diet.
Arthritic pain is no fun, but there are things you can do to prevent flare-ups. By avoiding the foods mentioned here and following these guidelines, you’ll be able to boost your health if you’re prone to gout attacks. Take care of your joints by enjoying the right kinds of food and avoiding the wrong kind.
