DIET FOR GOUT - GOOD & BAD

Gout – a debilitating type of arthritis, well known and felt for its symptoms of pain and inflammation – is strongly related to our diet. Good and bad. Read on to learn about the difference. 

THE PHILOSOPHY BEHIND

As you may know (and feel), gout is a type of arthritis with pain and inflammation. Caused potentially by hyperuricemia as the result of too much uric acid in the body. However, according to U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) this debilitating disease can well be handled by self-administration in terms of appropriate diet and associated weight management. 

FOOD PROS – SCIENTIFICALLY VERIFIED

When talking about appropriate nutrition, also in relation to weight management, we need to look at specific whole – not processed – food. With special reference to plant-based food which usually do not increase uric acid in the body.
 
With special reference to
 

• vegetables

such as
- leafy greens
- green peas
- broccoli
- zucchini
- tomatoes
- eggplants
- cauliflower
- mushrooms known for being non-starchy
 
Also

• fruits

with plus of fiber but minus sugar
such as
- apples
- berries
- cherries 

As well as

• legumes/lentils/beans

 &

• nuts/seeds

like
- walnuts
- chia seeds
- Brazil nuts
- pumpkin seeds
- cashews
- sunflower seeds 

Not to forget about

• whole grains

         such as
         - barley
         - buckwheat
         - oats
         - brown rice   
 
As based on research at, inter alia,
- Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore, MD
- Boston University School of Medicine in Boston, MA&
- Sydney University in Sydney, Australia

FOOD CONS – SCIENTIFICALLY VERIFIED

On the other hand, to fight and prevent gout, we should refrain from

• sugar-sweetened drinks (sodas/juices)

           &

• processed food with added sugar

 
According to research at, inter alia,
- Louisiana State University
   &
- Tulane University School of Public Health & Tropical Medicine
   (both in New Orleans, Louisiana)
- University of Otago in Dunedin
   &
- University of Wellington in Wellington
   (both New Zealand)
   &
- College of Health Sciences Kaohsiung Medical University in Kaohsiung, Taiwan     

As well as

• High glycemic index (GI) foods

(well known for raising weight)
such as
- pasta/white bread/rice
- pancakes/cookies
- fruits/vegetables like bananas/watermelons/potatoes
- high sugar/low fiber breakfast cereals  

Based on research at, inter alia,

- Harvard T.C. Chan School of Public Health in Boston, MA
   &
- Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore, MD

IN A NUTSHELL
​

Gout – a debilitating type of arthritis, well known and felt for its symptoms of pain and inflammation – is strongly related to our diet. Good and bad.    
 

ADAGE OF THE WEEK ​

​​“If people let government decide what food they eat and what medicine they take, their bodies will soon be in as sorry a state as are the souls of those who live under tyranny."
American President Thomas Jefferson
(“Man of the People”)
1743-1826