Gout is considered a disease of affluence and modern civilization. In recent years, along with high protein, high purine diet, alcohol consumption, long-term use of diuretics in patients with high blood pressure or heart disease, gout has become a relatively common disease, especially in men, who are more prone to develop it. 90% of gout patients are men, but postmenopausal women should also pay attention to the prevention of gout.
Gout is caused by disorders of purine metabolism and is mainly characterized by an increase in blood uric acid, which is deposited in the joints of the body to form gout stones. When the disease first develops, it is only in one or two joints and is not often taken seriously because it can be tolerated. However, if left unchecked, gout stones can be deposited around the joints, causing joint deformation or disability, and if treatment is delayed, leading to kidney failure and uremic complications, which can indirectly lead to death.
Gout is hereditary, and generally people with a family history of gout have a high purine diet as a direct factor in promoting the onset of the disease. It is worth mentioning that gout is related to obesity, high blood pressure, hypertension, diabetes, cardiovascular disease and other “rich diseases”, unscientific diet, long-term heavy drinking, bad habits, are prone to cause gout. Although gout is dangerous, dietary control is effective, and there have been many examples of dietary treatment since gout was recorded.
The following are the “eight notes” on the diet of gout patients
1. Limit the intake of purines
Gout patients should limit the intake of purines for a long time, and animal offal such as liver, loin, pancreas, and mackerel, sardines, shrimp, gravy and broth should be strictly limited. In the acute period, food with trace purines must be used strictly, while in the remission period, food with moderate amount of purines and food with trace purines can be used interchangeably.
2.Limit the total calorie intake
It is found that obesity is an important cause of hyperuricemia and gout, so weight control is very important for gout, and the total daily calorie intake should be about 10% lower than that of normal people. However, weight loss should be gradual, otherwise fat decomposition too fast can easily lead to ketosis, and affect the discharge of uric acid.
3.Appropriate protein intake
Protein should be mainly plant protein, animal protein can choose milk, cheese and eggs. Because they are rich in high-quality protein and contain less purine, which is beneficial to gout patients. Because purines are easily soluble in soup, you can also eat lean meat and poultry after boiling a small amount and discarding the soup during the remission period.
4, the right amount of carbohydrates
Carbohydrates to rice, pasta as the main food, and not by not eating rice and noodles and other staple foods to control the total energy, because it can be less fat decomposition to produce ketone bodies, which is conducive to urate discharge. But avoid fructose, because fructose can increase uric acid production, honey contains high fructose, should not be used, sucrose and beet sugar should also be avoided, because their decomposition and metabolism will produce half of the fructose.
5.Adequate water every day
Drink days 2000-3000ml per day to increase the volume of urine, so that uric acid in the body quickly excreted; also reduce the concentration of uric acid in the urine, can prevent the formation of urethral stones, delay progressive kidney damage, in order to prevent the night urine concentration, advocate the night should also be supplemented with water. Should choose plain water, tea, mineral water, and strong tea, coffee, cocoa and other beverages have the effect of excitement of the plant nervous system, may cause gout attacks, should be avoided as far as possible.
6, quit drinking
Alcohol tends to make the body lactic acid accumulation, has an inhibitory effect on uric acid discharge, easy to induce gout, especially beer and wine contain a lot of purines, should be limited. Excessive drinking at one time, if accompanied by a large meal high in purines and fat, may cause an acute gout attack.
7.Limit fat intake
Fat will prevent the kidneys from excreting uric acid, so the intake of fat should be limited to 40-50g per day or less, and cooking methods should be steamed, boiled, potted, stewed, etc. Fatty meat, fried, fried, etc., foods with high fat content should be avoided, and vegetable oil should be used instead of animal oil.
8, eat more into alkaline food
Vegetables, fruits and dairy foods contain more sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium and other elements, metabolized in the body to produce alkaline substances, can improve the solubility of uric acid salts, accelerate excretion, to prevent the formation of stones. Those with hypertension should limit sodium. Watermelon and winter melon not only belong to alkaline food, but also have obvious diuretic effect, which is more beneficial to gout patients. After introducing these dietary principles, many gout patients do not know which foods have high purine content and which have low purine content.
Gout is a very dangerous disease, so we should pay more attention to the daily diet and living habits. For the sake of our own health and family, we should go to the hospital for consultation and treatment in a timely manner after discovering the symptoms of gout, and develop good habits of balanced diet, which can have a very good preventive effect on gout.