A properly composed diet will allow you to forget about excruciating joint pain and lead a full life. We talk about the diet for gout: what is useful and what is not.
Gout is a chronic systemic metabolic disease that causes inflammation, swelling, and pain in the joints. The disease is associated with the accumulation and retention in the body of uric acid salts - urates. Gout has been known since antiquity, its main symptoms were described by ancient doctors. Many famous people suffered from gout, for example Alexander the Great, Emperors and Empresses, the English King Henry VIII, the German scientist Gottfried Leibniz, the philosophers Voltaire Kant and Schopenhauer.
Gout is still a very common disease. Most often, this disease affects men. As for the age at which the first attack usually occurs, in men it is 35 to 45 years and in women it is 45 to 50 years.
gout symptoms
A characteristic sign of gout is the formation of so-called tophi (deposition of uric acid salts in the form of nodules and bumps in the connective tissue). Gout sufferers complain of sharp joint pain - most often the big toe is affected. From the ancient Greek language, the name of the disease is translated as "leg in a trap", as most often patients are worried about sharp pains in the joints of the feet. The pain intensity increases rapidly and reaches a peak after about 24-48 hours. The joint area is red and swollen. Body temperature may rise, chills appear. Gout attacks are also unpleasant because they limit the patient's movement. If you don't resort to proper treatment, the acute period lasts for about a week, then the symptoms gradually disappear. Gout can progress: attacks of pain become more frequent, new joints, for example, elbows, hands, are involved in the pathological process. Due to the growth and enlargement of the nodes, the joints are deformed, their mobility and functionality are impaired. And that leads to movement problems: the patient is less mobile. In later stages, gout can lead to the development of urolithiasis.
Depending on the nature of the course, the disease can be acute (acute gouty arthritis) or chronic (recurrent arthritis). There are also atypical forms of gout, for example, pseudophlegmonous, asthenic, rheumatoid, etc. They are much less common.
Reasons for the development of the disease
As we have already said, gout develops when too much uric acid is formed in the body, which is not readily excreted from the body. A large number of factors can contribute to this. Here are the main causes of high uric acid levels and the development of gout.
- hereditary predisposition. Most often, it manifests itself in the form of various genetic disorders, in which the amount of one or another enzyme is reduced in the body.
- Increased intake of purine bases in the body. These substances are contained in the DNA and RNA of living organisms and are involved in the transfer of hereditary information. Purine bases enter the body with food, drink and also during the breakdown of the body's own cells. In the Middle Ages, gout was called the "disease of kings". This is explained by the nobility's love for hearty meals. The body of those who abused meat food and alcohol (and there are mainly purines) could not cope with the huge concentration of uric acid. Ordinary people ate poorly, mostly plant foods, and therefore rarely suffered from gout.
- Problems with the excretion of uric acid in the urine. Usually seen in chronic kidney disease. It is generally accepted that gout in these cases is secondary, that is, it is a consequence of another disease. If it is eliminated, the drop will also disappear.
Gout treatment and prevention
Successful gout treatment is an integrated approach. If possible, specialists try to determine the root cause of the disease and eliminate it. However, this is not always possible, therefore, it should be limited to symptomatic treatment that aims to eliminate the manifestations of the disease and improve the quality of life of a gout sufferer.
The main directions in the treatment of gout
- Medical treatmentwith anti-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory drugs. Anti-inflammatory drugs are mostly taken during an exacerbation to relieve pain and swelling. Antigout - for a long time, sometimes for a lifetime. This is a group of drugs that directly affect the metabolism of purine bases and uric acid in the body.
- spot treatment.It is prescribed both during the period of remission and during exacerbation. It consists of the use of compresses with analgesics and anti-inflammatories, in addition to physiotherapeutic procedures. During the period of remission, applications with paraffin, therapeutic mud are useful - this helps to eliminate urates and improves joint mobility.
- Surgery.Assign with strong growth of nodes and cones. They are removed to prevent severe deformation of the joints and limit their mobility.
- Diet.Diet plays an important role in the prevention and treatment of gout. The main purpose of such a diet is to reduce the content of uric acid compounds in the body. If the therapeutic and prophylactic diet is followed, then purine bases practically do not enter the body from the outside, and the level of uric acid decreases. By limiting consumption or completely eliminating certain foods from the diet, we prevent the development of the disease and delay the next attack. It is recommended to follow a therapeutic and prophylactic diet for gout sufferers throughout their lives, not just during periods of exacerbations.
how to go on a diet
Experts recommend taking Food Chart #6 as a basis for gout. This therapeutic and preventive diet was developed by a well-known nutritionist for patients with diseases that are accompanied by the accumulation of uric acid in the body: gout, urolithiasis and uric acid diathesis. All these diseases are metabolic pathologies and cause serious complications. A special diet helps to reduce the concentration of uric acid in the bloodstream and normalize metabolism in the body. Thanks to a special diet, it is possible to reduce the formation of uric acid and the accumulation of urate in the kidneys and joint spaces. The diet also prevents the buildup of purine bases, which leads to gout. If you follow this, you can quickly improve your general condition, reduce joint pain and discomfort.
Features of the number 6 diet table
The therapeutic diet is balanced in terms of chemical composition and caloric content of the products, sufficient in terms of mineral, vitamin, protein, fat and carbohydrate content. The energy intensity is 2, 700 to 3, 000 kcal. If you are overweight, it is recommended to reduce your total calories by cutting down on carbohydrates.
- The amount of fat is 80-90 g per day. Preference should be given to fats of vegetable origin, whose source is vegetable oils.
- The daily amount of protein is 70-80 g, while at least half of the recommended amount should come from plant-based protein foods.
- The amount of carbohydrates is 380-400 g per day with normal body weight. With overweight and obesity, the amount of carbohydrates is reduced to 250-300 g per day.
- The amount of salt should not exceed 10 g per day.
- The daily volume of fluid consumed should not exceed 1. 5-2 liters (excluding first courses).
The diet for gout does not entail strict restrictions, therefore, as a rule, it is well tolerated. Food should be boiled, baked, steamed. Try to avoid frying. It causes the formation of a large number of extractives and carcinogens, which affect the digestive, urinary and cardiovascular systems. You need to eat fractionally, every 2-3 hours, in moderate portions, without overeating.
Foods allowed for gout
The basis of the therapeutic diet for gout is alkaline foods: they normalize the metabolism of purine bases and also reduce the amount of uric acid.
What can you eat with gout?
- Any kind of vegetables - fresh and heat-processed.
- Bakery products made with rye and wheat flour, as well as with the addition of wheat bran.
- First dishes cooked in a weak vegetable and fish broth, vegetarian okroshka, beets, lean pickles, as well as meatless cabbage soup.
- Dairy and dairy products: Low-fat kefir, buttermilk, whole milk, low-fat sour cream, plain yogurt, fermented milk, and low-fat cottage cheese.
- Fresh and heat-processed fruits and berries.
- Green and black tea with lemon, honey and milk. Homemade fruit and berry kisses, fruit and vegetable juices, red fruit drinks. Herbal infusions (from chamomile flowers, rose hips), fruit compotes, chicory.
- Desserts and sweets: natural honey, marshmallow, natural marmalade, berry jam, jam, homemade marshmallow.
- Fats: refined sunflower, corn, olive oil, linseed oil. Butter is also allowed.
The foods and foods listed are considered safe for gout. There are also a number of products that you cannot delete from the menu, but limit your usage.
- Quail and chicken eggs, cooked in steamed omelets, hard-boiled or soft (no more than 1 egg per day).
- From meat products, it is allowed to eat veal, lean beef, rabbit, turkey and chicken. From fish - fish of food varieties. Meat and fish dishes should be eaten no more than three times a week, preferably cooked. Thanks to this heat treatment method, meat and fish are cleansed of purine bases, extracts and uric acid fragments.
- Masses are recommended to be limited to a minimum.
What not to eat with gout
Your diet should not contain foods that contain large amounts of purine bases and uric acid. Here are foods that are not recommended for gout.
- Alcoholic and carbonated drinks.
- Chocolate, cocoa.
- First courses cooked in meat and strong fish broth.
- All kinds of nuts and vegetables, grape juice.
- Hard and canned cheeses.
- Sausage products, smoked products, sausages, preserved fish and meat, offal as well as meat and fish ingredients with a high fat content.
- All kinds of appetizers, spreads, sauces, spices, spices, ketchups, mayonnaise, mustard, grated horseradish root.
- Puff pastry and pastry products, cakes, chocolate and caramel candies.
Sample menu of the week
Here's a sample menu for seven days for those with gout. It can be adjusted according to your preferences.
Monday
Breakfast:vegetable salad seasoned with vegetable oil (sunflower, corn or olive); 1 boiled chicken egg; pumpkin or carrot juice.
Lunch:roasted pumpkin with honey; a glass of whole milk or plain yogurt.
To have lunch:boiled chicken breast with vegetable stew; a glass of orange or apple juice.
Afternoon snack:vegetarian borscht with potatoes; boiled fish fillet; weak green tea or rosehip drink.
To have lunch:vegetarian cabbage rolls; fruit and berry jelly; low-fat cottage cheese with the addition of dried fruit.
Before going to bed, you can drink a glass of low-fat milk or kefir.
Tuesday
Breakfast:scrambled eggs with vegetable salad seasoned with vegetable oil (corn, olive or sunflower), a glass of fruit or vegetable juice.
Lunch:puree of any fruit or vegetable; cottage cheese dough with the addition of dried fruit; a glass of herbal tea.
To have lunch:zucchini cooked with fresh herbs; mashed potatoes; vegetable salad, black or green tea.
Afternoon snack:a serving of fresh berries or fruit; milkshake or a glass of whole milk.
To have lunch:cottage cheese with the addition of red fruit jam or dried fruit; berry and fruit compote.
Wednesday
Breakfast:boiled rice porridge with the addition of grated apple; weak black or green tea.
Lunch:a serving of fruit salad seasoned with plain yogurt.
To have lunch:vegetarian cabbage soup; pumpkin cutlets; a glass of whole milk
Afternoon snack:a glass of fermented milk or kefir; portion of fruit.
To have lunch:pancakes with fruit filling; fruit and berry compote.
Thursday
Breakfast:curd and carrot casserole; oatmeal; fruit compote.
Lunch:homemade pasta cooked in milk.
To have lunch:steamed beef chops with boiled white cabbage; boiled buckwheat porridge, pumpkin juice.
Afternoon snack:Carrot Juice.
To have lunch:beetroot and boiled carrot salad, seasoned with olive oil; Fruit Gelatin.
Friday
Breakfast:curd souffle; fruit or vegetable juice.
Lunch:natural yogurt with the addition of wheat bran.
To have lunch:white cabbage salad and grated carrots; vegetarian soup; tomato juice.
Afternoon snack:fruit jam or a serving of fruit.
To have lunch:roasted vegetables; oatmeal, weak green or black tea.
Saturday
Breakfast:steam cheesecakes; natural yogurt; Fruit Gelatin.
Lunch:corn or oats with milk.
To have lunch:steamed diet fish with mashed potatoes; vegetarian soup with zucchini; weak black tea with lemon.
Afternoon snack:berry or milkshake.
To have lunch:vegetable salad; corn grain porridge; pumpkin, apple or carrot juice.
Sunday
Breakfast:vegetable salad; a slice of bread with bran; rosehip drink.
Lunch:carrot and pumpkin salad, 1 boiled chicken egg.
To have lunch:potato cutlets with the addition of grated zucchini; homemade pasta cooked in milk; Fruit Gelatin.
Afternoon snack:cottage cheese casserole with berries.
To have lunch:vegetable cabbage rolls; a glass of whole milk or low-fat kefir.
Revenue
Vegetarian vegetable borscht
Ingredients:2. 5 liters of water, 1 onion, 2 carrots, 1 beet, 1 tomato, 1 celery root or stalk, 2 potatoes, 200 g of white cabbage, salt, pepper - to taste, herbs (dill, parsley), sour low-fat cream or plain yogurt - for serving.
Instruction. Put the vegetables cut into small cubes or grated on a coarse grater in boiling water: onion, carrot, celery, beet, potato, cabbage, tomato (without skin). Cook until the vegetables are ready. Salt, season. Then put chopped greens. Remove the pan from the heat and let the borscht ferment. Serve with sour cream or yogurt (optional). On the finished borscht you can put a piece of boiled lean meat.
Omelet with chicken or meat
Ingredients:turkey breast fillet (chicken, guinea fowl) cooked skinless or lean meat (beef, veal), 2 eggs, 2 tbsp. I. skimmed milk, salt to taste.
Instruction.Beat the eggs with the milk. Salt. Pieces of boiled or roasted poultry (meat), pour over the stirred dough. Bake on both sides in the microwave, slow cooker or in a deep skillet.
cooked cod
Ingredients:500 g of cod fillet, 1 tsp. lemon juice, 1 onion, 1 bay leaf, 1 tbsp. I. olive oil, parsley root (to taste), pepper (4-5 peas), herbs (dill, parsley) - 1 tbsp. l. , salt to taste.
Instruction.Wash the fillet in cold water with the addition of lemon, cut into portions. Place the pieces in the boiling broth with roots and spices so that the water covers the fish. Cook the cod under the lid for 12 minutes. Serve with vegetable stew.
Carrot, Apple and Pumpkin Salad
Ingredients:100 g of fresh pumpkin, 1 medium carrot, 1 green apple, 1 tsp. lemon juice, 2-3 slices of orange or tangerine.
Instruction.Rub the vegetables on a coarse grater, mix. Add the lemon juice and decorate the salad with slices of orange (tangerine).
Pike perch rolls with Chinese cabbage
Ingredients:500 g of perch, 200 g of curd (5%), 4 egg whites, 1 green Chinese cabbage, salt and pepper to taste.
Instruction.Grind with a mixer or pass the pike perch fillet through a meat grinder twice. Then mix with the cottage cheese. Beat the whites and add to the dough, mix, salt, pepper. Divide the minced meat into 4 parts and place each one on a separate sheet of aluminum foil, greased with olive oil. Roll into a roll, secure the edges. Cook in a water bath for 10-14 minutes. Wash the cabbage, disassemble into leaves, salt, pepper and cook in a water bath for 10 minutes. Place the cabbage leaves on a plate, the pike perch rolls removed from the foil.
vegetable stew
Ingredients:1 onion, 1 carrot, 1 tomato, 200 g white cabbage, 1 potato, 1 pepper, 100 g small corn, 1 c. I. vegetable oil, herbs (dill, parsley, celery), salt, pepper to taste.
Instruction.Place the chopped onion, grated carrot, peeled and chopped tomato in a heated pan with oil. Save lightly. Then add the cabbage and potatoes cut into squares, as well as the corn. Stir, add a little water, cover and cook until done. Five minutes before it is ready, add pepper and chopped greens.
vegetable casserole
Ingredients:1 onion, 1 carrot, 300 g cauliflower, 1 potato, 1-2 eggs, herbs (dill, parsley, celery), salt and pepper to taste.
Instruction.In a deep baking dish, greased with olive oil, place a mixture of vegetables: chopped onion and carrot, cabbage and potatoes cut into squares. Stir, add chopped greens, pepper, salt, beaten eggs. Place in a preheated oven at 200 degrees. Bake for 20-25 minutes.
Zucchini rolls with cheese
Ingredients:2 medium zucchinis, 1/2 red pepper (no seeds), 1 cucumber, 100 g low-fat cottage cheese, 1 bunch of arugula, 1 tbsp. I. olive oil, 1dl. chopped fresh herbs, salt to taste.
Instruction.Wash the zucchini, cut into thin longitudinal strips, lightly fry on both sides with oil for 2 minutes on each side (can be baked in the oven). Mix cottage cheese with herbs, salt to taste. Pepper and cucumber cut into thin longitudinal strips. Put some cottage cheese at the end of the zucchini strip. Add a few strips of red pepper, cucumber, arugula leaves, roll up and place on a plate vertically.
Cottage cheese casserole with apples
Ingredients:400 g fat-free cottage cheese, 2 eggs, 1 tsp. starch, 1/4 tsp. salt, 1 tbsp. I. sugar, 2 Antonovka apples.
Instruction.Beat eggs with salt and sugar, add cottage cheese and starch. Peel the apples, remove the core, cut into small cubes and add to the dough. Mix it all up. Microwave for 12 minutes or in the oven until cooked through. Serve with yogurt, honey or compote.
Cottage cheese dessert berry
Ingredients:400 g of low-fat cottage cheese, 100 g of fresh fruit, 2 egg whites, 1 tbsp. I. sugar, 12 g of gelatin, 1/4 sachet of vanillin.
Instruction.Soak the gelatin in 5-7 tablespoons of cold water. Beat the whites. Add vanillin, sugar to cottage cheese, add whipped proteins. Melt the gelatin over low heat until dissolved and add to the curd mass, beat. Leave in the fridge for 5 hours and serve decorated with berries.