Foods that cause gout. Let's avoid this.

Introduction

Do you know gout?  It is a disease in which a substance called ‘uric acid’ increases in the body, causing uric acid clumps to accumulate in joints and other tissues, causing an inflammatory response.  When gout occurs, extreme pain occurs in several joints, including the ankles, toes, knees and fingers.  As with many diseases, gout is very important to control eating habits along with drug treatment.  Depending on what you eat, your uric acid levels, which cause gout, may increase or decrease.  In this post, we will learn about foods that can cause gout.

Foods that cause gout. Let's avoid this.

Reference material

• Korea's Star Pick for April 23, 2024
• April 12, 2024 Hidoc in Korea
• April 1, 2024 Korean current affairs journal

 

Foods that cause gout 1. Foods high in refined carbohydrates

• Refined carbohydrates, such as white bread rapidly increase blood sugar and insulin levels.
• As a result, increased uric acid levels

For the above reasons, excessive consumption of refined carbohydrates may increase the risk of developing gout.  Therefore, it is important to reduce refined carbohydrate intake and maintain a healthy diet.

Foods that cause gout 2. High-purine foods

• Purines are compounds that are broken down into uric acid in the body.
• Meat (especially intestines), seafood (mackerel, sardines, etc.), and some vegetables (asparagus, spinach, etc.) are foods high in purines.
• Excessive consumption of these foods increases uric acid levels in the body, increasing the risk of developing gout.

Eating high-purine foods is a common cause of gout. You must avoid these foods.

Foods that can cause gout 3. Drinks and foods high in sugar

• Sugary drinks and foods rich in fructose promote the production of uric acid in the body.
• Soda, fruit juice, and confectionery are high in fructose, which increases the risk of gout.

 

Foods that cause gout 4. Alcohol

• Alcohol, especially fermented drinks such as beer, is high in purines
• Alcohol itself inhibits uric acid excretion, increasing uric acid levels in the blood.

For the above reasons, excessive consumption of alcohol may increase the risk of developing gout.

Foods that don't cause gout

•   Whole grains rich in fiber and vitamins
• Low-fat dairy products rich in calcium and protein
• More than 2L of water per day (uric acid is excreted through urine)
• Fruits and vegetables are rich in antioxidants and vitamins, which help prevent and relieve gout.
• Representative fruits and vegetables: cherries, strawberries, pineapples, blueberries, oranges, tomatoes, carrots, etc.
• Omega-3 fatty acids relieve inflammatory responses and control uric acid levels, so it is helpful to eat fish and nuts rich in omega-3 fatty acids.
• Foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids and low in purine: salmon, oysters, almonds, walnuts, sesame seeds, flaxseeds, peanuts, etc.

In this post, we learned about foods that can cause gout.  Gout is a very painful disease.  Please take good care of your eating habits and avoid getting