Low Purine Diet – Foods that are high in purine content are a type of food that should be avoided by people with gout. Because this type of food can trigger an increase in uric acid levels and lead to the appearance of symptoms. Therefore, to reduce the risk of rising uric acid levels, try to adopt a low-purine diet.
Gout is characterized by typical symptoms in the form of pain that appears around the joints. A low-purine diet needs to be applied to reduce the risk of frequent gout recurrences. The point of a low-purine diet is to eat foods that have low or even no purine content. In other words, people with gout should avoid foods that contain lots of purines.
Low Purine Diet Foods for People with Gout
Purines are ingredients that can be naturally found in several types of food. However, the levels of purine content can vary; some are high and some are low. Well, for people with gout, foods that are high in purine content are types of foods that must be limited or even avoided.
The purine content in food has a role in triggering excess uric acid. Because uric acid is created when the body breaks down purines that are obtained from the food consumed. If that’s the case, the risk of disturbing and uncomfortable symptoms of the disease will be greater. One of the symptoms is pain around the joints.
In general, gout occurs due to too much uric acid levels in the blood, aka exceeding normal limits. Under normal conditions, uric acid will dissolve and be excreted by the body through the urine. Meanwhile, what happens to people with gout is that these substances accumulate and cause inflammation in the joints.
Therefore, people with gout must adopt the right diet, one of which is a low-purine diet. If you have risk factors for gout, you should start adjusting your diet to reduce the risk of gout. Several types of food can be included in the low-purine diet menu list, including:
1. Water
Consuming water is known to help maintain a healthy body. It turns out that this also applies to people with gout. Adequate intake of water can help keep the body hydrated and help the kidneys remove uric acid from the bloodstream.
2. Low-fat dairy products
People with gout can still enjoy low-fat or fat-free dairy products like milk, cheese, and yogurt.
3. Grains
A low-purine diet also includes eating whole grains and starches, such as bread, pasta, rice, and potatoes.
4. Fruits and Vegetables
Consumption of fruits and vegetables can help maintain overall body health. This type of food is also good for people with gout.
Conversely, to reduce the risk of disease and prevent symptoms of gout, several types of food must be limited. People with gout should also avoid other types of foods that contain high amounts of purines, such as red meat, animal offal, and alcoholic beverages. Foods that are sweet and contain lots of sugar should also be avoided so that the risk of gout does not increase.
Low Purine Diet Requirements
- Energy is given sufficiently according to the needs
- Avoid food sources of protein that contain purines > 150mg/100gr
- Vitamins and minerals are given as needed
- Fluids are adjusted to the urine excreted every day. Drink lots to help expel excess uric acid, 2-3 liters/day to prevent uric acid deposition in the kidneys (kidney stones).
- If you are overweight, it is recommended to lose weight because it will help lower purine levels in the blood.
Foods that are suitable for consumption by people with gout
So that uric acid levels in the body are maintained and attacks do not occur, people with gout need to sort out the types of food consumed. Foods that are suitable for consumption by people with gout are those that are low in purines.
A food is considered low in purines if it contains less than 100 milligrams of purines per 100 grams. The following are low-purine foods that are generally safe for people with gout:
- Fruits. All fruits are generally good for gout. Cherries may help prevent attacks by lowering uric acid levels and reducing inflammation.
- Vegetables. Include potatoes, peas, mushrooms, eggplant, and dark green leafy vegetables.
- Whole grains. Including oats, brown rice, and barley.
- Dairy products. All dairy products are safe, but low-fat dairy products are recommended.
- Chicken eggs.
- Vegetable oil. Including canola, coconut, olive, and hemp oils.
- Fish. Several types of fish, such as salmon, catfish, and tuna, are safe for consumption by people with gout.
In addition, some foods contain moderate amounts of purines so that they can be consumed in limited quantities. Foods that are considered to contain moderate amounts of purines are those that contain 100–200 milligrams of purines per 100 grams.
The following include:
- Meat, such as including chicken, beef, pork, and lamb.
- Certain types of fish, such as sardines and anchovies generally contain lower levels of purines than most other fish.
What Foods Should Be Avoided?
If you’re prone to sudden gout attacks, it’s important to avoid its main trigger, which is high-purine foods. Foods are considered high in purines if they contain more than 200 milligrams of purines per 100 grams. Foods high in sugar or fructose should also be avoided or at least limited.
Here are some foods high in purines and foods high in fructose to avoid:
- All organ meats, including liver, kidney, and brain.
- Bird meat, such as pheasant, veal, and venison.
- Herring, trout, mackerel, sardines, anchovies, haddock, and more.
- Other seafood, such as clams, crabs, shrimp, and fish eggs.
- Sugary drinks, especially fruit juices and soda.
- Added sugars, such as high fructose corn syrup.
That’s a little explanation about foods that can and can’t be consumed by people with gout. Make sure you pay close attention to the choices of types of food consumed daily so that gout attacks don’t recur.
For more details, please see the table below
Low Purine Diet Food Table
| Food Ingredients | Recommended | Restricted | Avoided |
| Carbohydrate Source | Rice, Porridge, Vermicelli, Bread, Wheat, Macaroni, Pasta, Corn, Potato, Sweet Potato, Taro, Cassava, Oatmeal | ||
| Sources of Animal Protein | Egg whites, skimmed milk/low-fat milk | Meat, chicken, tuna, mackerel, pomfret, milkfish, clams, and shrimp are limited to a maximum of 50 grams per day | Those containing high purines, purine levels between 150 – 800 mg/100 grams of food ingredients: liver, kidney, heart, spleen, brain, ham, sausage, tripe, intestine, lung, sardines, broth, meat, duck, bird, goose, mussels and yeast. |
| Vegetable Protein Sources | Maximum 50 grams/day of tempeh, tofu, and 25 grams/day of beans (green beans, peanuts, soybeans) | ||
| Vegetables | Carrot, chayote, long bean, eggplant, bitter gourd, cucumber, cucumber, water gourd, watercress, tomato, lettuce, radish, green beans | Spinach, seeds, peas, cauliflower, asparagus, kale, and mushrooms maximum 100 grams/day | |
| Fruits | All kinds of fruits | ||
| Beverages | All kinds of non-alcoholic drinks | The Condensed or Coffee | Drinks containing soda and alcohol: soft drinks, wine, kisses, beer |
| Others | All kinds of spices to taste | Fatty foods and the use of thick coconut milk, fried foods | Yeast and Broth |
How to Set a Low Purine Diet:
1. Cooking by boiling, steaming, baking, sautéing, and grilling.
2. Eat lots of water-containing fruits to expedite the release of uric acid.
Things that Need to be Considered :
1. Exercise regularly to prevent joint stiffness
2. Be careful with energy drinks or supplements (better consult a doctor)
After reading the article about what a low purine diet is supposed to do when a gout attack comes, you don’t need to panic. Get plenty of rest, improve your diet and consult your regular doctor
