Column: The effects of diet on gout



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A challenge of being a health professional is that there is often a gap between what we say and what people hear.

This has been demonstrated by my father's new visit with a dietitian. father had gout, a painful type of inflammatory arthritis that is caused by the accumulation of uric acid in the joints.

Uric acid is produced from purines, compounds that result from the natural death of cells.

The foods are richer in purines and are known to exacerbate gout, so his visit to a dietitian.

The information he gleaned was very pleasing to him

"So dad, what did you learn from the dietitian?" [19659002Unthemgreatthinkingtowardbadtill"Jenepeuxplusangerilleslons!"

My father, a big carnivore, occasionally eats lentils when my mother forces him to do so.

"What else did she say?"

"Oh, I do not remember."

Related: Eating as an Olympian

Now, being a dietitian myself, I know the recommendations of gout.

Purine-rich foods may contribute to increased levels of uric acid.

The purest foods include: anchovies and herring, kidneys, liver and sweetbreads, yeast, alcohol and beer.

Nuts and other seafood, red meat, poultry, broths, beans, spinach, oat flakes, wheat germ and bran. And, as my father will tell you, lentils are also a source of purines.

What my father has not heard is the other risks of gout, including being overweight, taking certain medications such as diuretics or high blood pressure). Drinking alcohol can also trigger breakouts because alcohol limits the clearance of uric acid by the kidneys, in addition to the fact that beer is an important source of purines. Dehydration caused by alcohol can also limit the clearance of uric acid, and staying hydrated is important.

If you suffer from overweight, diuretics, alcohol and gout, you may choose to attack one or the other.

Serena Caner is a Registered Dietitian at the Shuswap Lake General Hospital.


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