Gout is a disease of rheumatic etiology caused by deposition of uric acid salts in the joints. The clinical manifestations of the disease are pain, deformation of the affected joint, dysfunction and the formation of characteristic nodules (tophi).
Without treatment, the disease progresses over time and salt deposits in the form of microcrystals begin to accumulate in the internal organs. Often, the kidneys are affected, which leads to the development of pyelonephritis, kidney failure and other complications. Diagnosis is based on symptoms and is confirmed by puncture of the affected joint and X-rays. Treatment includes pharmacotherapy, special diet and physical therapy.
Basic principles of diet
Taking into account the form and severity of the disease, the presence of accompanying pathologies, the age and characteristics of the patient's body, an approximate menu is drawn up by the attending physician individually for each patient.
The purpose of the diet is to minimize the level of uric acid in the body, which leads to the improvement of the patient's general well-being and improves his quality of life. Food products should not contain purines, which are converted into uric acid after entering the body.
It is recommended to include more fresh fruits and vegetables in your diet. The recipes are quite simple, the main thing is to prepare them correctly and not to use ingredients from the list of prohibited foods.
Therapeutic nutrition at home helps the patient to quickly improve general well-being, eliminate unpleasant symptoms and even increase the duration of remission periods. Abstinence from the diet, intake of spicy and fatty foods, alcohol (especially wine and beer), coffee rapidly increases the level of uric acid in the body, which leads to another attack of the disease. Therefore, you should follow a diet regularly. Proper nutrition during periods of remission and especially exacerbations will help prevent the development of a number of serious complications.
The patient should always have a table of permitted foods in front of his eyes, as well as recipes for preparing various dishes. This will help to create an optimal menu based on the individual food preferences of each patient and taking into account the characteristics of his body.
It is important not only to use the right products, but also to follow a certain diet. You should eat food often, but in small portions (fractional meals). Fasting and overeating are unacceptable, as this can lead to an attack of the disease. If you are overweight, you need to get rid of it. But this should be done gradually, sudden weight loss can have a negative effect on health, especially if the patient is no longer young.
We must not forget the drinking regime. It is necessary to drink at least one and a half liters of liquid per day (up to three liters during an exacerbation). In addition to water, it is allowed to consume compotes, mineral waters, weak tea, fruit drinks, rose broth. It is better to drink between meals, not during meals.
Prohibited Products
You need to follow the diet not only during an exacerbation, but throughout your life. The diet should be as balanced as possible. Dairy products and vegetables are allowed. It is important to drink enough fluids because it speeds up the removal of excess uric acid from the body.
With the help of diet, you can not only alleviate the symptoms of the disease and reduce the frequency of exacerbations, but also reduce the load on the affected joints and normalize weight. The main rule is to exclude foods rich in purines from the diet.
These include:
- cakes and pastries;
- Canned food;
- legumes;
- baking;
- offal;
- processed meat products (sausages, sausages, etc. );
- oily fish;
- chocolate;
- spicy, salty, smoked, acidic foods;
- fast food;
- mushrooms;
- any alcohol, but especially wine and beer;
- cocoa, strong black tea, coffee.
If metabolic disorders occur against the background of diabetes or atherosclerosis, then it is necessary to carefully monitor the total calorie content of foods, the amount of fatty foods, cholesterol and sugar levels.
Authorized Products
The gout diet is based on the principles of a healthy diet, so it's not too difficult to follow. The main thing is to get used to the changes in your diet. Then everything will be easier. Forbidden foods should be completely excluded.
Permitted products include:
- dietary meats (rabbit, chicken, turkey);
- eggs (in small quantities);
- fermented milk products;
- vegetable oils (linseed and olive oil are the best choices);
- sea products;
- pasta, cereal;
- types of low-fat fish;
- fresh fruits and vegetables that are not on the list of prohibited foods;
- marmalade, pastille, marshmallow;
- candy without chocolate;
- dried fruits (except raisins);
- Honey.
It is necessary to clearly understand that you will have to eat according to the above recommendations for the rest of your life. Violation of diet and consumption of prohibited foods quickly lead to exacerbation of the disease.
Diet for gout: table No. 6
Unfortunately, it is impossible to completely cure the disease, especially if its course is complicated by diabetes or obesity. However, by following diet number 6, you can quickly eliminate exacerbations and reduce the frequency of disease relapses.
Nutritional features of this diet:
- Foods rich in purines and oxalic acid salts should be completely excluded from the menu;
- it is necessary to limit the consumption of salt, especially in severe cases, this product is completely removed from the diet;
- there should be milk, vegetables and other alkalizing foods on the table;
- if there are no contraindications (kidney diseases, heart diseases and a number of others), then you should significantly increase the amount of fluid consumed, which helps to quickly remove uric acid salts from the body;
- it is necessary to minimize the amount of refractory fats and animal proteins;
- if the patient is obese, then it is necessary to reduce the amount of carbohydrates in the diet.
The classic standard menu is signed by the attending physician. There may be several food options. Food should be prepared as usual, food should be at normal temperature. It is recommended to boil fish and meat. Meat and mushroom broths should be drained, as they contain a large amount of purines.
When following such a diet, nutrition is normalized, purine metabolism in the body gradually stabilizes, and the amount of uric acid salts decreases. In addition, the patient gets rid of obesity over time, which has a positive effect on health and improves the quality of life. Joint pain disappears, inflammation decreases, which reduces the likelihood of recurrence of the disease in the future.
It is important!There is no need to self-medicate. The development of the diet should be done by a specialist. Diet number 6, despite its effectiveness, may not be suitable for all patients. Much depends on the age of the patient, the course of the disease and the presence of accompanying pathologies. For example, if a person, along with gout, is obese, then he may be prescribed diet number 8, which involves more severe restrictions.
Diet for gout in men and women during exacerbation
In case of exacerbation of this pathology, it is necessary to follow diet number 6 for at least two weeks. Liquid foods should be preferred. The consumption of fatty meat, fish and poultry should be limited as much as possible.
The menu is based on liquid porridges, vegetable soups and fermented milk products. Meals are a fraction. Long intervals between meals, overeating or fasting increase the likelihood of developing an attack of the disease. You can drink compotes, jelly, mineral water, juices, weak tea.
Drinking mode
How much and what kind of water should you drink if you have gout? The total amount of liquid should be at least 2 liters per day.
If the patient has a complication in the form of urolithiasis, it is recommended to drink alkalizing mineral waters or water with potassium bicarbonate added. With the help of citrus fruits, you can increase the alkaline balance, and you can also include a large amount of vegetable protein in the diet, excluding animal proteins.
Often, alcohol consumption is one of the main causes of the disease. Therefore, you should completely give up alcohol. Even dry red wine, which is allowed to drink in small doses for other diseases, is prohibited for gout. Sometimes it is enough to drink a few sips of alcohol for another attack of the disease to appear. Cocoa, coffee and strong black tea are also completely prohibited.
In addition to cleansing the body of toxins, drinking plenty of fluids improves kidney function and stimulates the dissolution of uric acid crystals and their excretion. This allows not only to improve the health and well-being of the patient, but also to reduce the dosage of certain drugs.
Sample menu for the week
Monday
- For breakfast, you can cook a baked or steamed omelet, eat 150 grams of vegetable salad and a few slices of bread.
- For dinner, you can cook vegetable soup, eat low-fat boiled or steamed fish.
- For dinner, prepare a vegetable stew with eggplant and zucchini, and you can also eat a piece of bread.
Tuesday
- For breakfast, prepare oatmeal with dried or fresh fruit.
- For dinner, pilaf with lean chicken fillet without frying.
- For dinner, prepare a vegetable stew with potatoes baked in the oven and low-fat cheese. You can also eat a piece of bread.
Wednesday
- Breakfast: egg white omelet, zrazy with carrots and fruit, weak tea with milk.
- Lunch: thin rice soup, cauliflower cooked in milk, dried fruit compote.
- Dinner: pasta with sugar and cottage cheese, gazpacho, kefir.
Thursday
- For breakfast, they prepare a cottage cheese salad with cucumber, green onion and unsalted cheese, dressed with walnut oil. You can eat a piece of bread. Wash everything with rose water.
- For dinner, you can cook fish puree soup, prepare a salad with beets and sour cream, eat 2 jacket potatoes and drink compote.
- They eat rice porridge with milk for lunch. As a drink, chicory with milk.
friday
- Breakfast: baked cheesecakes or cottage cheese with sour cream, fruit.
- Lunch: vegetable sauce, durum wheat pasta, with seafood.
- Dinner: buckwheat porridge with lean fish baked in the oven.
Saturday
- For breakfast, they cook wheat porridge in water and eat dry fruits.
- Vegetable soup is prepared for dinner. You can also eat a piece of bread and some pumpkin seeds.
- Vegetable stew, boiled eggs, seafood for dinner.
Sunday
- Breakfast: natural yogurt, cheese sandwiches, weakly brewed tea.
- Lunch: soup with vegetables and barley, potato cutlets with sour cream.
- Dinner: a piece of lean boiled pork, salad with fresh vegetables, buckwheat porridge.