Gout used to be known as the disease of kings (and queens!) because the stereotype was that it afflicted only those wealthy enough to eat rich diets, filled with red meat and alcohol. However, gout is a form of arthritis that can affect almost anyone, including all classes and incomes.
It’s not the richness of a diet per se that raises your risk for gout. Instead, it’s a diet that’s rich in a substance called purines, which can be found in “rich” foods such as red meat and red wine, but also in humbler fare, including spinach (which is also high in another troubling compound called oxalates that could raise your risk for kidney stones).
Dr. Kimberly Bolling, an expert internist, diagnoses and treats gout at our Bowie, Maryland, office. One of the recommendations she makes for gout patients is to eat a diet low in purines.
What’s a purine, and how does a diet that avoids them help your toe pain? Read on to find out.
A purine in itself is a good thing. Purines are nitrogen-based, aromatic, organic compounds that your cells use to build your DNA and RNA. Different types of purines include adenine and guanine.
All of your cells contain purines. So does the food you eat. Purines are actually one of the most common chemical compounds on our planet and make up the cells of nearly every living thing.
So you have purine inside your body’s cells. And you consume purines through the foods that you eat. Your digestive system breaks down consumed purines into a substance called uric acid. And that’s where the trouble starts.
Even though most foods have purines, some have a high degree of this compound. If you eat too many high-purine foods, your body produces so much uric acid that it can’t excrete it naturally.
Instead, the uric acid collects in the soft tissues of your joints — usually starting with the base of the big toe. There, it crystallizes into needle-like structures that cause the excruciating pain of gout.
It makes sense, then, that cutting down on foods that are loaded with purines would decrease the load of uric acid your body produces, and thereby avoid the production of painful crystals. But it makes more than sense: It’s been proven.
In one study, patients were given diets that strictly limited the amount of purines they ate in a day to under 200 mg. The diet was low in fat, high in carbohydrates, and low in protein.
Overall, the amount of uric acid in their systems dropped dramatically after two weeks of a low-purine diet. While diet alone won’t cure gout, it may reduce the number and severity of flares that you have.
Sadly, much of the wellness information that’s out there now won’t apply to you if you have gout. You may not do well on the ketogenic diet, for instance, which emphasizes healthy fats and proteins — including organ meats and red meat — while limiting carbs.
Instead, you must avoid foods that are highest in purines and limit those in the moderate range, too.
Focus on the foods that you can eat safely, and you won’t miss the others quite as much. Be sure to vary your protein sources and your diet, in general, to avoid triggering food sensitivities.
One advantage of a low-purine diet is that it may actually make it easier (and even effortless) to obtain a healthier weight. Eating low-purine foods and exercising regularly might help you achieve some of your long-term goals for your health and lifespan.
Unfortunately, even the strictest low-purine diet can’t cure gout. (It’s also difficult to maintain!) However, with careful planning, you can avoid foods that are most likely to overload your body with uric acid and cause even more painful crystals in your toe.
If you do have an attack, drink plenty of water. Also, feel free to contact Dr. Bolling for pain relief and other lifestyle adjustments that may help you stay comfortable.
Do you struggle to manage your gout and feel overwhelmed at the idea of limiting purines? Phone our team today at 301-352-0090 for gout help today, or click here for our online appointment form.
