The Best Diet For Gout Page Just Got Better

I was self-critical in my recent article about a low purine diet for gout.

I have fixed that now, but I need to ask you a favor.

Before the favor, let me do a quick review of where I stand on the diet for gout issue

I know there are some excellent gout recipe books around. I say excellent, because I have a weakness for recipe books. To be honest, I have a weakness for food, so drooling over recipe books is my low-calorie alternative to filling my face.

Unfortunately, the book browsing soon turns to cupboard browsing, but that is not the issue here.

Diet for gout recipe books are a distraction.

They stop you from understanding the real issues. They stop you from realizing that the best diet for gout is what you eat now – tweaked a little to replace some of the bad foods with good ones. It is pointless for me, as an outsider, to list good and bad foods. Food can only be good or bad in the context of your entire diet, and in the context of the current phase of your gout treatment plan.

What is bad for one gout sufferer, is OK for another. What is undesirable during the uric acid removal phase of your gout treatment, may be OK during the maintenance phase.

There is no script. If someone tells you you can fix your gout by following a set diet, they are wrong. The only way forward is to assess your own current diet for weaknesses, then correct those weaknesses. Weaknesses are excesses or shortages that do not help your gout treatment. They are personal to you.

The bad side is, you have to do some work to see where you can improve your diet for gout. The good side is, you have the free support of GoutPal, which starts with my new, improved, Diet For Gout page.

Best Diet For Gout: Next Steps

This is the point where I usually advise what to do next, but I’m going to take a liberty, and ask a favor.

During my review of the diet for gout pages, I noticed that a recent software update had ruined the layout of one of my pages. It was still readable, but only just. I hope it was a one-off, and I will continue to review the gout information here, and improve it when I can.

You can help with this, and it will only take a few seconds. If you spot something wrong on a page, please click the “Tell Me” button which is at the top and bottom of each page. This will open a new topic in the gout forum, and you can type the details of the problem, or your improvement suggestion, in the details box.

You will be helping me, which is good. Even better, you will be helping the thousands of gout sufferers who visit the page after you.

Together we can make gout better.

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I am not surprised by their concern, because the Internet is full of nonsense about purines and gout. What surprises me is the source of their worries.

When I ask why they are so concerned about purines, usually to the exclusion of everything else, they reply that their doctor gave them some lists of foods that they should avoid, and others that they should limit. I try to ask them what other advice they received, but they cannot remember.

“Something about acid, maybe, and I might need tablets for life,” or “I have to cut out alcohol,” or “There are some colchy-something-or-other pills I can take, but they will give me awful diarrhea.” Whatever else the doctor might have said, it is all forgotten, and the years of pointless obsession about purines begins. Sixteen years ago, I went through a similar experience, and it is also pretty much all I can remember from the consultations of the time.

I know a lot more now, but I feel I have let you down.

Some time ago, I started the section of my gout diet department that deals with medical issues of diet. Although diet is often overrated as a cause of gout, it can certainly be a factor in the treatment plan. There is a crossover between diet and treatment, so I have some medical pages in the diet department, and food pages in the treatment department. This makes good sense, as gout sufferers have different concerns when they arrive here.

Gout patients with concerns about their treatment, are most likely to start in the treatment department, and then want to know how diet might affect their gout treatment plan. This is my preferred way, but on a website, I cannot dictate where people will start and finish, so the diettreatment relationship has to be a two-way street.

Gout patients with concerns about their diet, are most likely to start in the gout diet department. It is my duty to explain that they should consider a treatment plan first, and explain how treatment and diet fit together. This is where I have let you down.

The section of my gout diet department that deals with the medical aspects of diet for gout sufferers is pitiful. As usual, I got sidetracked once I had started it, and only realized it when I tried to give good advice to visitors looking for a low purine diet for gout.

I am sorry. It will be fixed within a week. I have improved it.

To be certain you do not miss updates, please subscribe to my free update notification service.

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Before I look at at exercise, you must remember what gout is – a uric acid imbalance where excess uric acid forms crystals in joints and other body tissues. Of itself, and contrary to popular belief, it is not a dietary problem, though bad diet can make gout worse, and occasionally it is the only source of excess uric acid.

There is an important test, when first diagnosed with gout, but before uric acid lowering treatment starts. That test involves collecting urine over a 24 hour period, which is then analyzed for uric acid output. This tells you if you are an over-producer, or under-excreter. With this knowledge, managing exercise & gout together becomes easier. Whether you get this test or not, uric acid blood tests are vital. Exercise can affect gout in different ways, and if you do not know your precise uric acid level (a number, not a label), you will not be able to judge the benefits or pitfalls from your exercise program.

Now, this article is concerned with athletic endurance and strenuous exercise. We know that gentle exercise is good for gout, as it improves mobility without the added complication of raised uric acid from exercise stress^[1]. So does this mean that strenuous exercise is bad for gout?

Like many aspects of gout management, managing gout & exercise is not about good and bad, or right and wrong, it is about balance. It is about balancing your physical and psychological need for exercise against inherent risks. We have seen, from the first study, that there is a risk of increased uric acid from strenuous exercise. However, that report also indicates that these effects can be avoided. Individuals who know that their uric acid excretion is not impaired will also benefit from staying hydrated during, or immediately after, strenuous exercise.

In a later article, I will look at specific benefits of exercise reported for gout sufferers. A statistical study offers some insight into the benefits of exercise^[2]. In that report, men running 5 miles per day had 50% less incidence of gout than least active men.

Though statistical studies need careful interpretation, this is supported by other specific studies that i will summarize later. There seems little doubt that exercise will benefit most gout sufferers, but it is pointless in isolation. If you have ever had a gout attack, the maximum safe level for uric acid in your blood is 5mg/dL (0.30mmol/L). Exercise might help you achieve this, but you must take uric acid lowering treatment if necessary to maintain that safe level. If you do not, the crystals will build up and erode bone, cartilage, and tendon.

Exercise your mind and control your uric acid, before the deposits cripple you and permanently deprive you of physical exercise.

Leave this Gout & Exercise page to browse the Gout Diet Section.

Gout & Exercise References

1. Treating Raised Uric Acid From Exercise Stress
2. Gout And Athletic Endurance
…

Let me tell you why these types of processed meats can be bad food for gout. It’s the “p” word – processed. Though a well-made sausage can be nutritious, and may contain additives that make it less acid producing than a similar portion of pure meat, you need to be careful with all processed foods

The numbers in the table represent samples of the food items listed. All producers have different recipes, and your particular brand may be significantly different from those shown. No better example of this can be found than the only alkaline food listed – low sodium salami. In this instance, much of the salt has been replaced with potassium. I’m not suggesting that adding potassium to food makes it less bad food for gout – you just need to be careful what you eat. The more processed the food is, the harder it is to balance your food intake.

Reading the label is always important when planning any diet, but with processed foods like sausages and luncheon meats, it is even more important. Only use food charts as a rough guide, because they are likely to be based on different recipes.

Please read my explanation of Potential Renal Acid Load (PRAL) for gout sufferers before you look at detailed food information.

Do you have a recipe using food for gout? Do you have any questions about food for gout? Please discuss food for gout on the Gout Diet Forum.

Information Related To Food For Gout

The alkalizing gout diet menu pages are changing to a new format. This is a list of relevant new gout foods pages:

Stay updated about changes to the Gout Diet Section, and all aspects of gout – subscribe to the free update service:

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To prove a point, the most popular quest is for information about gout and tomatoes. I have had the argument with many a gout sufferer who believes that tomatoes cause gout. They do not.

The only thing that causes gout is an excess of uric acid. Whilst many things, including some foods, affect uric acid, tomatoes do not increase uric acid, therefore they cannot cause gout. So why do people worry about the effects of tomatoes on gout? Why do they think tomatoes might cause gout?

The answer lies in my recent article about the gout treatment pain assessment myth.

Tomatoes might cause gout pain, but if they do, it is because tomatoes lower uric acid, and thus help to cure gout, not cause it. The incidental gout flare is only a sign that tomatoes are helping fix your gout, so just pop a pain-killer, and let them do their job.

Stop worrying about individual food items. Focus on your uric acid level.

When you know your uric acid number, and you know that you need to get it down to 5mg/dL (0.30mmol/L) or lower, then you can start to find your gout freedom. You may opt for gout medicines such as allopurinol that allow you to eat whatever you like, or you may opt for diet improvements that lower uric acid.

If you choose the diet route, then you have to think differently. Instead of searching for gout and a particular food item, search for that food item and uric acid. I have placed a convenient search box at the top of each page to allow you to do exactly that. If you do not find the answer there, ask “How does [food item] affect uric acid?” in the gout question and answer service.

Leave this Gout And Futility page to browse the Gout Diet Section.…

You normally take fats and oils in such small amounts, that they don’t play a large part in your diet. You could almost ignore this table, except that oils in salad dressings, and fats in cooking can add up. Even then, as fats and oils are mainly neutral in their effect on pH levels, they can still be ignored in an alkalizing diet.

There is a hidden danger amongst fats – a type of fat called trans-fats. On the food packaging label, these are often referred to as hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated fats. Whilst I cannot find any evidence to suggest a link to gout, these fats are known to be bad for general health, especially heart disease. They are best avoided, so always read the labels – especially on snack foods, and processed foods with long shelf life.

One further warning. Most nutritionists agree that a diet that is too rich in fat can be bad for your health. You also need to be aware of balancing fatty acids in your diet. I’ve discussed this on my flax seed oil page.

Please read my explanation of Potential Renal Acid Load (PRAL) for gout sufferers before you read any detailed food charts.

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The gout food in the spices and herbs table is predominantly alkaline. Dried coriander leaf is the most alkaline at -99. The most acid food is yellow mustard seed at 14.

The most important point about herbs and spices is that most of these foods will be used in quantities much less than 100g, so the alkalizing contribution to your diet may not be as large as the chart values suggest.

Herbs and spices often have anti-inflammatory properties. This is another facet of why they are often considered to be good gout food, but you must measure their effect in relation to your entire diet. Be sure to study all aspects of food, drink and lifestyle in my Gout Diet Section, especially my explanation of Potential Renal Acid Load (PRAL) for gout sufferers..

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Instead of trying to find specific gout food to not eat, you need to look at your whole diet. Dairy and egg products are a better source of protein than meat or fish for gout sufferers. Don’t forget though, that what you eat will become meat in the form of your body tissue. You need to feed your body in a healthy way, or this tissue will breakdown and worsen your gout.

Cheese is a good example of how making small changes can reap rewards for your health. Cottage cheese has a much higher content of alkaline producing whey than regular cheese. You will still have to balance this with other alkaline foods, but you can eat less.

Remember to read and understand my explanation of Potential Renal Acid Load (PRAL) for gout sufferers before you consult this food table. The pH balance of your meals is important, but you must also maintain an adequate supply of vitamins and minerals and control calories.

Even more importantly, do not fall into the trap of believing that gout is a food related illness. Diet can play a part in managing gout if your diet is bad, but gout has many other causes besides bad diet. You can read more about the effects of food, drink, and lifestyle in the gout diet section. However, you should first read the Gout Symptoms section to help determine the cause of your gout, followed by the Gout Treatment section to help you develop your own personal gout management plan.

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Under the old scheme, I used the “gout food to avoid” label to refer to acidic foods, but this led to confusion on two counts.

• Confusion between an acid-alkaline balanced diet and uric acid.
• Confusion about avoiding all acid forming foods.

Under the new scheme, I will use the “gout food to avoid” label to refer to excess calories. These are always bad for gout because excess calories leads to excess body tissue – the main source of uric acid, and it also leads to excess weight, which adds to the load on gout-ridden joints.

Although food is not as important to gout as many people believe, there is always a case for good nutrition. Many gout sufferers have other health conditions that can be improved by diet, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, diabetes, and heart problems being particularly common. Planning a good diet should always start with an assessment of current nutrition, hence my decision to develop a separate food diary website.

It is early days for that website, but I am starting it with the acid-alkaline tables from this site. Nutrition planning is easier when food and drink is categorized into different groups. Regular visitors will be familiar with these food groups, and I have listed them below. I will post a short note each time I transfer or complete each group.

Dairy and Egg Products

Looking for gout food to avoid? Look elsewhere. With a properly balanced diet, you can eat any food, especially tasty dairy products.

Spices and Herbs

Gout food needs variety. The only way you stick to a well planned gout diet is to eat tasty satisfying food. From coriander to mustard, use spices and herbs to make your gout food interesting.

Fats and Oils

Can fats and oils be food good for gout? Get the pH balance right, and no food is bad for gout. Choose the right dressings for your meals and enjoy your gout diet.

Poultry Products

Where do you find which gout food to avoid? Do you simply avoid meat? Don’t chicken out – you’d be a turkey to avoid all these foods.

Soups, Sauces, and Gravies

Wondering what food to eat for gout? You can eat anything if you balance your meals properly. Look at sauces from worcestershire sauce to a little bit of gravy to make your gout meal delicious.

Sausages and Luncheon Meats

What is gout food to avoid? Anything that makes your gout worse. But if you follow a good pH balanced gout diet plan you can eat anything. Including salami and meaty spreads.

Breakfast Cereals

What are gout producing foods? All food if you don’t balance your diet, no food if you do. Start the day with a well balanced breakfast, then continue this good gout habit throughout the day.

Fruits and Fruit Juices

Fruit foods for gout. Fruity snacks and sauces can help make all food good for you. From apricots to pears, see how to balance your gout diet with fruit.

Pork Products

Are you looking for gout food to avoid? Look no further – it doesn’t exist. With a proper pH balanced you can eat all pork products from diet, but don’t make a pig of yourself

Vegetables and Vegetable Products

If you want good gout foods look at vegetables. You don’t have to be vegetarian. Just add enough vegetables to your meaty meals and say goodbye to uric acid.

Nut and Seed Products

Are there any foods that reduce uric acid? All food can do if you plan it properly. Balance all foods that you eat, including nuts and seeds, and watch your uric acid level fall.

Beef Products

Do you know what gout causing food is? High purines? All Meat? Beef Products? Think again. With a properly balanced diet you can eat anything from beef suet to liver.

Beverages

Are you obsessed with food for gout? What about drink? From tea to low calorie flavored water, choose drinks that help you flush uric acid.

Finfish and Shellfish Products

Is fish food that causes gout? Some think it’s only shellfish. In fact there is no food that causes gout, just imbalanced diet. Balance your diet and you can eat any fish from clams to cod.

Legumes and Legume Products

Looking for gout food to avoid? Be careful, you could end up eating nothing (and that will cause gout). Balance your diet properly and you can eat anything. Find legumes for pH balance.

Lamb, Veal, and Game Products

Do you think lamb, veal and game are gout food to avoid? Think again. Choose wisely. Balance well. You can enjoy any food if you plan your gout diet properly.

Baked Products

There are no bad foods for gout. Just foods eaten badly. Baked products can be good or bad for gout depending on how you balance them with other foods.

Sweets

Food that helps gout sufferers is all around us. If you plan meals properly you can eat almost anything you like. Why not celebrate with a delicious sweet. You’ve earned that pudding.

Cereal Grains and Pasta

Searching for gout food to avoid? Any food eaten badly can cause gout. Food eaten well does not cause gout. Plan to balance your diet and you can eat anything from cereal to pasta.

Fast Foods

Food and gout go together. Don’t give up food – starvation causes gout. Instead, look for balanced meals. Even fast foods are OK for gout if you know how to balance pH.

Meals, Entrees, and Sidedishes

Good food for gout is all around us. You simply choose the right selection for pH balance and watch your gout improve. Even ready meals can help you if you make the right choices.

Snacks

When compiling your gout food list, don’t forget about snacks. Regular frequent meals avoid starvation and overeating that cause gout. Balance your snacks from chips to pork skins.

Ethnic Foods

Wondering what gout food to avoid? Any food is bad if it’s not eaten as part of a balanced diet. Plan your meals properly, and you can eat anything, including ethnic foods from agave to whalemeat.

As I report on progress, I will keep reminding you of the importance of planning when you want to improve your gout diet. You will never know which gout foods to avoid unless you have a:

1. Reliable gout diagnosis
2. Good gout management plan
3. Clear assessment of your current diet
4. Complete understanding of ALL diet changes you need to avoid gout

You can learn how to determine gout food to avoid in the Gout Diet section.…

Many people can manage their diet for gout by following a few low purine diet tips or a simple diet for gout sufferers points system. Other people prefer detailed planning and this can be particularly useful where other conditions such as obesity or diabetes exist alongside gout. Indeed, given the different way foods can interact, and the way individuals react differently to food combinations, a food diary may be the only way to identify your high risk foods.

The main purpose of keeping a food diary is to compare gout attacks to food consumption. This can often take months of record keeping and several gout attacks before a pattern emerges, but eventually you will be able to identify those foods that are a problem, so that you can take action to limit or avoid them. This process can be shortened considerably if you heed the advice on this website, particularly tips and explanations in the gout diet section.

Your food diary does not have to be particularly sophisticated. A plain diary, sheets of paper, a computer diary program or spreadsheet are all possibilities. You should select something that is easy for you to access because it is important to maintain daily records. It is also useful to adopt some simple method of recording gout attacks. I suggest you assign a severity code – G0 for no gout (though you could just leave a blank entry), G1 for tingling / ‘pins and needles’ through to G5 for severe painful swelling. There is no definite method here – just use something meaningful to yourself.

I am developing an online food diary system, with features that you, and other visitors, need to improve your health. If you want to be involved in this project prior to the launch, either by suggesting features, or acting as a tester, please tell me what you need in your food diary.

If you do not want to be involved in the planning, but you want to know when it is available, please sign up for my free gout news update service using this form:

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