Gout is one of those conditions that can never be cured without a diet. If the patient really wants to overcome his illness, he will have to stick to some restrictions in his usual diet for the rest of his life.
The cause of pain and swelling in gout is the high content of uric acid and purines in the body. They enter the body along with food. If the menu of a patient suffering from gout is compiled correctly, it is possible to significantly reduce the intake of purines and, at the same time, accelerate the elimination of joints already deposited in the tissues.
Doctors have long been studying such a question as the influence of food on the dynamics and treatment of gout and have developed a special menu - this is the so-called diet number 6 for gout.
Classic diet for gout - basic principles
The table of a gout sufferer should be varied, rich in vitamins and minerals, but at the same time low in calories, with a minimum of fats and carbohydrates. The following basic rules are followed:
- A minimum of protein products: meat of any kind, liver.
- In limited quantities, refractory fats.
- Complete rejection of products containing oxalic acid.
- Switch to vegetable oils, in extreme cases, to clarified butter.
- An absolute taboo on meat, fish and mushroom broths.
- The exclusion of salt, better completely, the amount allowed per day is not more than 8 grams.
- Drink at least 2 liters of clean water a day, rich in alkali.
Many patients can be frightened and alarmed by such a list - and so what does an arthritic patient's table include? The gout diet is really tough, yet effective, and there are enough foods to make a varied and healthy menu for gout. In addition, it is necessary to strictly adhere to the diet during periods of exacerbation.
If the gout has been stalled for a long time, some exceptions can be made. For example, proteins enter the body mainly from by-products and meat products - these are meat, offal, lard, eggs and fatty fish. During an attack, this food is prohibited. But during the remission period, the table can be varied twice a week with a plate of lean meat or eggs.
What kind of meat and fish to choose? The menu 1-2 times a week can include:
- Skinless rabbit or turkey meat;
- Lean beef (not veal)
- Sprats, zander, cod.
Of course these products should be boiled or stewed, grilled or baked, but under no circumstances should they be fried in oil and sprinkled with salt and spices. Also, do not serve legumes on the table of a person suffering from gout: beans, peas, asparagus, lentils.
All vegetables are allowed except tomatoes, sorrel, spinach and cauliflower. The menu can include any porridge, with the exception of oatmeal - it can be eaten no more than once a week, but it is better to replace it with another. From dairy products, the taboo is imposed on:
- Spicy and salty cheeses;
- Hard and fat cheeses;
- Whole milk.
It is best to serve low-fat fermented milk products on the table: kefir, yogurt, yogurt.
The menu categorically should not contain pickles and marinades, including homemade preserves, smoked meats, preserves, canned foods and sausages, products containing caffeine, soda and alcohol.
As a dessert you can serve various jellies, dried fruit, honey, nuts, fresh fruit and berries (except figs and raspberries) on the table. All pastries, pastries, sweets, jams and preserves are excluded from the menu. Allowed drinks: weak tea, rosehip broth, herbal teas, compotes, fruit drinks.
If we talk about nutritional value, then the daily table of a gouty patient assumes the use of fat no more than 90 grams, proteins - no more than 80 grams, carbohydrates - 450 grams, of which sugar does not exceed 80 grams. The total number of calories consumed per day must not exceed 2700.
Sample menu for gout patients
The diet should consist of the following foods:
- Baked goods - every day, in minimal quantities (a few slices).
- Soups - every day, but not in meat, fish or mushroom broth.
- Low-fat meat and fish - 1-2 times a week during remission.
- Fresh fruit, vegetables and herbs - unlimited, with the exception of legumes.
- Fermented dairy products - unlimited, low-fat.
At the same time, white bread is excluded, preference is given to wholemeal pastries, rye bread with bran. Any cereal can be added to soups, oatmeal - with limitation. But you need to cook them in water. If you are making milk-based jellies and sweets, you need to dilute them with water.
Of the fruits, only citrus fruits should be taken with caution, which often cause allergic reactions. Apples and dairy products are very useful - this combination perfectly cleanses the body of toxins.
Make sure you drink plenty of fluids a day. An hour before a meal, it is recommended to drink a glass of pure mineral water with alkali. Another good tip is that the food shouldn't be too hot, but not too cold. It is best to eat in a fractional way, up to 5 times a day.
If you adhere to this menu, you can normalize metabolic processes in the body, reduce the formation of purines and accelerate their excretion from the body.
Sample menu
This is only a rough selection of dishes and products, which is adjusted by the doctor based on the physiological characteristics of the patient and his lifestyle.
- Breakfast - cottage cheese with fruit or vegetable salad with sour cream, rye bread, tea.
- Second breakfast: any porridge, soft-boiled egg, juice or jelly;
- Lunch: vegetarian or dairy soup, stewed potatoes with meat, sauerkraut, compote.
- Afternoon snack - any fresh fruit or vegetables, kefir.
- Dinner: cottage cheese or vegetable casserole, kefir, jelly.
Between meals, you should drink a decoction of wild rose, wheat bran, herbal infusions.