A well-composed diet will allow you to forget about excruciating pain in the joints 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 ancient times, its main symptoms were described by ancient doctors. Many famous people suffered from gout, for example Alexander the Great, emperors and empresses, English king Henry VIII, German scientist Gottfried Leibniz, 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 seizure usually occurs, it is 35-45 years in men and 45-50 years in women.
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 bumpsin connective tissue). Gout sufferers complain of sharp pains in the joints - most often the big toe is affected. From the ancient Greek language, the name of the disease is translated as "leg in a trap", because 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 to 48 hours. The joint area is red and swollen. Body temperature may rise, chills appear. Gout attacks are also unpleasant because they restrict the movements of the patient. If you do not resort to proper treatment, the acute period lasts about a week, then the symptoms gradually subside. Gout can progress: pain attacks become more frequent, new joints, eg 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 this leads to movement problems: the patient becomes 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 a large amount of uric acid is formed in the body, which is not quickly excreted from the body. Many 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 supply 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 when breaking down the body's own cells. In the Middle Ages, gout was called the "disease of kings". This is explained by the love of the nobility for hearty meals. The body of those who abused meat and alcohol (and there are especially purines) could not cope with the huge concentration of uric acid. Ordinary people ate poorly, mainly plant foods, and therefore rarely suffered from gout.
- Problems with uric acid excretion in the urine. Usually seen in chronic kidney disease. It is generally accepted that gout in such cases is secondary, that is, it is the consequence of another disease. If eliminated, the gout 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, so it should be limited to symptomatic treatment aimed at eliminating the manifestations of the disease and improving the quality of life of a person suffering from gout.
The main directions in the treatment of gout
- Medical treatmentwith anti-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory drugs. Anti-inflammatories are taken mainly during an exacerbation to relieve pain and swelling. Antigout - for a long time, sometimes for life. This is a group of drugs that directly affect the metabolism of purine bases and uric acid in the body.
- local treatment.It is prescribed both during the period of remission and during exacerbation. It consists in the use of compresses with painkillers and anti-inflammatory drugs, as well as physiotherapy procedures. During the period of remission, applications with paraffin, therapeutic mud are useful - it helps to remove urates and improves joint mobility.
- Transaction.Award with strong growth of nodes and cones. They are removed to avoid severe deformation of the joints and limit their mobility.
- Go on a diet.Diet plays an important role in the prevention and treatment of gout. The main goal of such a diet is to reduce the content of uric acid compounds in the body. If the therapeutic and prophylactic diet is followed, 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 postpone the next crisis. A therapeutic and prophylactic diet is recommended for gout sufferers throughout life, and not just during periods of exacerbations.
How to diet
Experts recommend taking dietary table No. 6 as a basis for gout. This therapeutic and preventive diet was developed by a well-known nutritionist for patients with diseases accompanied by the accumulation of uric acid in the body: gout, urolithiasis and uric acid diathesis. All these ailments are metabolic pathologies and lead to serious complications. A special diet helps to reduce the concentration of uric acid in the blood and normalize the 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 stick to it, you can quickly improve your general condition, reduce pain and discomfort in the joints.
Features of diet chart number 6
The therapeutic diet is balanced in terms of chemical composition and calorie content of products, sufficient in terms of the content of minerals, vitamins, proteins, fats and carbohydrates. The energy intensity is 2700-3000 kcal. If you are overweight, it is recommended to reduce total calories by reducing carbohydrates.
- The amount of fat is 80-90 g per day. Preference should be given to fats of vegetable origin, the source of which are vegetable oils.
- The daily amount of protein is 70-80g, while at least half of the stated amount should come from plant-based protein foods.
- The amount of carbohydrates is 380-400 g per day with normal body weight. With excess weight 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 gout diet does not involve strict restrictions, so it is generally well tolerated. Food should be boiled, baked, steamed. Try to avoid frying. It causes the formation of a large number of extractive and carcinogenic substances, 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 are 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 - both fresh and heat-treated.
- Baked goods from rye and wheat flour, as well as with the addition of wheat bran.
- First courses cooked in weak vegetable and fish broth, vegetarian okroshka, beetroot, lean pickle, as well as cabbage soup without meat.
- Dairy and curd products: low-fat kefir, curd, whole milk, low-fat sour cream, plain yogurt, fermented baked milk, and low-fat cottage cheese.
- Fresh and heat-treated fruits and berries.
- Green and black tea with lemon, honey and milk. Homemade fruit and berry kissels, vegetable and fruit juices, berry fruit drinks. Herbal infusions (chamomile flowers, rosehip), fruit compotes, chicory.
- Desserts and sweets: natural honey, marshmallow, natural marmalade, berry jam, jam, homemade marshmallows.
- Fats: refined sunflower, corn, olive, 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 exclude from the menu, but limit their use.
- Quail and chicken eggs, cooked in the form of steamed, hard-boiled or soft-boiled omelets (no more than 1 egg per day).
- From meat products it is allowed to eat veal, lean beef, rabbit, turkey and chicken. Fish - fish of dietary varieties. Meat and fish dishes should be eaten no more than three times a week, preferably boiled. Thanks to this method of heat treatment, meat and fish are freed from purine bases, extracts and fragments of uric acid.
- It is recommended to keep pasta to a minimum.
What not to eat with gout
Your diet should not contain foods with high amounts of purine bases and uric acid. Here are the foods that are not recommended for gout.
- Alcoholic and carbonated drinks.
- Chocolate, cocoa.
- First courses cooked in a strong meat and fish broth.
- All kinds of nuts and legumes, grape juice.
- Hard and marinated cheeses.
- Sausage products, smoked products, sausages, canned fish and meat, offal, as well as meat and fish ingredients with a high fat content.
- All kinds of appetizers, pates, sauces, spices, spices, ketchups, mayonnaise, mustard, grated horseradish root.
- Products from puff pastry, cakes, chocolate and caramel candies.
Sample menu for the week
Here is a sample menu for seven days for gout sufferers. 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:honey baked pumpkin; a glass of whole milk or plain yogurt.
Having dinner:boiled chicken breast with vegetable stew; a glass of orange or apple juice.
Afternoon snack:vegetarian potato borscht; boiled fish fillet; weak green tea or rosehip drink.
Having dinner:vegetarian cabbage rolls; fruit and berry jelly; low-fat cottage cheese with the addition of dried fruits.
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 mass with the addition of dried fruits; a glass of herbal tea.
Having dinner:zucchini compote with fresh herbs; mashed potatoes; vegetable salad, black or green tea.
Afternoon snack:a portion of fresh berries or fruits; milkshake or a glass of whole milk.
Having dinner:cottage cheese with the addition of berry jam or dried fruits; compote of berries and fruits.
Wednesday
Breakfast:boiled rice porridge with the addition of grated apple; weak black or green tea.
Lunch:a portion of fruit salad seasoned with plain yoghurt.
Having dinner:vegetarian cabbage soup; squash cutlets; a glass of whole milk
Afternoon snack:a glass of fermented baked milk or kefir; portion of berries.
Having dinner:fruit-filled pancakes; fruit and berry compote.
Thursday
Breakfast:cottage cheese and carrot casserole; oatmeal porridge; fruit compote.
Lunch:homemade noodles boiled in milk.
Having dinner:steamed beef cutlets with simmered white cabbage; boiled buckwheat porridge, pumpkin juice.
Afternoon snack:carrot juice.
Having dinner:salad of boiled beets and carrots, seasoned with olive oil; fruit jelly.
Friday
Breakfast:curd soufflé; fruit or vegetable juice.
Lunch:plain yogurt with added wheat bran.
Having dinner:white cabbage salad and grated carrots; vegetarian soup; tomato juice.
Afternoon snack:fruit jelly or a serving of fruit.
Having dinner:baked vegetables; oatmeal, weak green or black tea.
Saturday
Breakfast:steamed cheesecakes; natural yogurt; fruit jelly.
Lunch:corn or oatmeal with milk.
Having dinner:steamed dietary fish with mashed potatoes; vegetarian zucchini soup; light black tea with lemon.
Afternoon snack:berry or milkshake.
Having dinner:vegetable salad; corn grits porridge; pumpkin, apple or carrot juice.
Sunday
Breakfast:vegetable salad; a slice of bran bread; rosehip drink.
Lunch:carrot-pumpkin salad, 1 soft-boiled egg.
Having dinner:potato cutlets with the addition of grated zucchini; homemade noodles cooked in milk; fruit jelly.
Afternoon snack:fruit cottage cheese casserole.
Having dinner:cabbage rolls with vegetables; a glass of whole milk or low-fat kefir.
Receipts
Borscht with vegetarian vegetables
Ingredients:2. 5 liters of water, 1 onion, 2 carrots, 1 beetroot, 1 tomato, 1 turnip or celery stalk, 2 potatoes, 200 g of white cabbage, salt, pepper - to taste, herbs (dill, parsley), low-fat sour cream or plain yogurt - to serve.
Instruction.Put vegetables cut into small cubes or grated on a coarse grater in boiling water: onions, carrots, celery, beets, potatoes, cabbage, tomatoes (without skin). Cook until the vegetables are ready. Salt, season. Then put the finely chopped greens. Remove the pan from the heat and allow the borscht to infuse. Serve with sour cream or yogurt (optional). In the finished borscht, you can put a piece of lean boiled beef.
Poultry or meat omelet
Ingredients:turkey breast fillet (chicken, guinea fowl) lean or skinless boiled meat (beef, veal), 2 eggs, 2 tbsp. I. low-fat milk, salt to taste.
Instruction.Whisk the eggs with the milk. Salt. Pieces of boiled or baked poultry (meat), pour over the scrambled mass. Cook on both sides in microwave, slow cooker or deep frying pan.
boiled cod
Ingredients:500 g cod fillet, 1 tbsp. lemon juice, 1 onion, 1 bay leaf, 1 tsp. I. olive oil, parsley root (to taste), peppercorns (4-5 peas), herbs (dill, parsley) - 1 tbsp. I. , salt to taste.
Instruction.Rinse the fillet in cold water with the addition of lemon, cut into portions. Put the pieces in the boiling broth with the roots and spices so that the water covers the fish. Let the cod simmer under the lid for 12 minutes. Serve with a vegetable stew.
Carrot, apple and pumpkin salad
Ingredients:100 g fresh pumpkin, 1 medium carrot, 1 green apple, 1 tbsp. lemon juice, 2-3 slices of orange or tangerine.
Instruction.Rub the vegetables on a coarse grater, mix. Add the lemon juice and garnish the salad with slices of orange (tangerine).
Zander rolls with Chinese cabbage
Ingredients:500 g pike-perch, 200 g cottage cheese (5%), 4 egg whites, 1 Chinese green cabbage, salt and pepper to taste.
Instruction.Grind in a blender or pass the pike-perch fillet twice through a meat grinder. Then mix with the curd. Beat the whites and add to the mass, mix, salt, pepper. Divide the minced meat into 4 parts and place each on a separate sheet of foil, greased with olive oil. Roll into a roll, fasten the edges. Cook in a bain-marie for 10 to 14 minutes. Wash the cabbage, disassemble it into sheets, salt, pepper and cook in a water bath for 10 minutes. Put the cabbage leaves on a plate, pike-perch rolls taken out of foil on top.
Vegetable stew
Ingredients:1 onion, 1 carrot, 1 tomato, 200 g white cabbage, 1 potato, 1 pepper, 100 g baby corn, 1 tbsp. I. vegetable oil, herbs (dill, parsley, celery), salt, pepper to taste.
Instruction.Put finely chopped onion, grated carrots, peeled and chopped tomato in a heated pan with oil. Save slightly. Then add the cabbage and the potatoes cut into squares, as well as the corn. Stir, add a little water, cover and simmer until cooked. Five minutes before readiness, add pepper and finely chopped greens.
vegetable casserole
Ingredients:1 onion, 1 carrot, 300g cauliflower, 1 potato, 1-2 eggs, herbs (dill, parsley, celery), salt and pepper to taste.
Instruction.In a baking dish, greased with olive oil, put a mixture of vegetables: finely chopped onions and carrots, cabbage and potatoes cut into squares. Stir, add finely chopped greens, pepper, salt, beaten eggs. Place in preheated oven at 200 degrees. Bake for 20-25 minutes.
Zucchini rolls with cottage cheese
Ingredients:2 medium zucchini, 1/2 red pepper (seedless), 1 cucumber, 100 g light fromage blanc, 1 bunch of arugula, 1 tbsp. I. olive oil, 1 dl. finely chopped fresh herbs, salt to taste.
Instruction.Wash the courgettes, cut them into thin longitudinal strips, lightly fry them on both sides in olive oil for 2 minutes on each side (can be baked). Mix cottage cheese with herbs, salt to taste. Pepper and cucumber cut into thin longitudinal strips. Place a little 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 standing dish.
Apple Curd Casserole
Ingredients:400 g fat-free cottage cheese, 2 eggs, 1 tbsp. 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 mass. Mix everything. Microwave for 12 minutes or bake until cooked through. Serve with yogurt, honey or jam.
curd dessert berry
Ingredients:400 g low-fat cottage cheese, 100 g fresh berries, 2 egg whites, 1 tbsp. I. sugar, 12 g of gelatin, 1/4 sachet of vanillin.
Instruction.Soak the gelatin in 5 to 7 tablespoons of cold water. Whisk 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, whisk. Leave in the refrigerator for 5 hours and serve garnished with red fruits.