Gout is a chronic sluggish disease of the articular apparatus resulting from the deposition of urea crystals in the articular cavity. This condition develops when there is a violation of the exchange of purine-type bases in the human body. Gout is characterized by the appearance of so-called tofuses, which look like bumps above the surface of the interphalangeal or elbow joints. This disease is accompanied not only by severe pain syndrome, but also leads to partial or complete limitation of mobility. People with advanced gout often lose their potential for self-care, as a result of which they are forced to apply for a disability. In modern medical practice, there are many new generation drugs that affect the root cause of the development of this disease.
Despite the effectiveness of these drugs, complex therapy for gout cannot be fully implemented without a specialized diet. The main rule of such a diet is to strictly limit or completely eliminate ingredients containing a large amount of purine bases from the diet. Dietary recommendations allow not only to normalize metabolic processes and reduce the load on the kidney apparatus, but also make it possible to normalize water and electrolyte metabolism, as well as improve the patient's overall well-being.
Characteristics of the disease
Pathological changes in the joints in this disease are directly related to the accumulation of urea fragments in the inter-articular space. As the disease progresses, the deposition of uric acid crystals occurs not only in the joints, but also in the internal organs, which leads to disruption of their functional activity. First of all, this disease affects the urinary system, as the kidneys no longer cope with the volume of uric acid that appears in the body.
The most likely complication of gout from the kidney is urolithiasis, which eventually leads to kidney failure and death. As a rule, this pathological phenomenon affects the interphalangeal joints of the feet, hands, knee, elbow and ankle joints. This disease is characterized by cyclicality, when periods of relative remission are replaced by periods of exacerbation.
During an exacerbation of the disease, a person is faced with the following pathological symptoms:
- swelling and redness of the formed tophi over the area of the damaged joint;
- intense pain syndrome, which tends to intensify even when air flows;
- increase in body temperature over 38 degrees.
During the debut of a gout attack, the characteristic symptoms usually affect only the metatarsophalangeal joint of the first toe. In 80% of cases, the symptoms of gout make themselves felt at night. An exacerbation attack can last from several hours to several days, depending on the severity of the pathological changes. The frequency of seizures directly depends on the individual characteristics of the human body. In some patients, this happens every six months, and some forget about the presence of gout for several years. Despite the fact that this disease is hereditary in nature, in order to provoke the onset of gout, it is necessary to create favorable conditions in the form of inappropriate nutrition, improper lifestyle, alcohol, caffeine and nicotine abuse.
Very often, gout is of a secondary nature, and develops against the background of pathologies such as diabetes mellitus, leukemia or hypertension. Uncontrolled and prolonged use of acetylsalicylic acid also leads to disruption of the metabolism of uric acid in the human body. Regardless of the severity of the course of this disease, a person diagnosed with gout needs timely complex treatment, which includes a radical revision of the diet.
Diet characteristics
If urea metabolism is impaired, such patients are prescribed a diet that restricts the intake of purine bases from the outside, which will help to inhibit the synthesis of uric acid and shift the pH of urine to the alkaline side. According to the classification of dietary tables, people with diagnosed gout are recommended table No. 6. The energy value of such a table is on average from 2700 to 2800 calories.
In addition, the chemical composition of such a diet is as follows:
- The daily amount of carbohydrates is between 350 and 400 g.
- The volume of the protein component is 80-90g per day, while at least half of the specified volume should be animal proteins.
- The daily amount of fat consumed should be between 80 and 90 g, while the amount of vegetable fat should be at least 30%.
There are also separate principles of nutrition, following which a person diagnosed with gout improves the general condition of the body and reduces the risk of another relapse of the disease. These principles include:
- Correct fluid replenishment.The daily volume of drinking water should be at least 1. 5 and not more than 2 liters. This amount of water is enough to normalize the level of urea in the body and for the rapid elimination of its excess by the kidneys.
- Compliance with food intake.In order to reduce the metabolic load on the body and exclude the accumulation of harmful compounds, it is recommended to eat in small portions, in moderate portions, up to 5 times a day. It is very important for this disease to avoid overeating.
- Complete cessation of alcohol consumption.Drinking beer, wine, champagne and other alcoholic beverages can provoke another attack of the disease, since they not only slow down the excretion of excess uric acid, but also contribute to its excessive production. For example, red grape wine contains an abundance of purine bases, the accumulation of which in the body leads to the development of gout.
- Limited salt intake.In order to prevent another attack of excruciating pain, the amount of table salt consumed must be limited to 6 g per day.
- Reducing the amount of protein consumed.A complete rejection of protein components is dangerous not only for health, but also for human life, therefore, patients with diagnosed gout are advised to give preference to plant proteins, as well as meat ingredients containing a minimum amount of purine bases.
- Normalization of body weight.Extra pounds create an exorbitant burden on the entire body, leading to a decrease in the metabolic rate. Obesity to one degree or another negatively affects the condition of the kidneys and joints, leading to an exacerbation of the disease. In order to prevent obesity and recurrence of gout, it is recommended to limit sugar intake.
Prohibited Food Ingredients
A key condition for effective nutrition in this disease is the strict limitation or complete exclusion of components containing large amounts of purine bases.
Food elements such as broths and first courses of red meat and mushrooms, coffee, strong black and green tea, as well as cocoa and chocolate must be completely removed from the everyday diet. The diet for gout does not provide for fasting and fasting days, since insufficient food intake leads to an accelerated production of uric acid.
The complete elimination of such food components from the daily diet helps to improve the general condition and reduce the metabolic load on the body:
- hard cheeses containing spices and herbs;
- any kind of offal;
- concentrated broths;
- high fat fish and meat ingredients;
- smoked and canned sausages, sausages, meat and fish ingredients;
- all varieties of mushrooms;
- dried fruits;
- canned, pickled and salted vegetable ingredients;
- confectionery;
- sauces, mayonnaise, ketchup, mustard, horseradish root and chili peppers;
- products made of puff pastry;
- raspberries, lingonberries, figs, cranberries;
- drinks containing carbon dioxide, alcohol, colors and flavors;
- refractory types of animal fats;
- vegetable components such as peas, beans, cauliflower, broccoli, spinach, sorrel, rhubarb.
Allowed Food Ingredients
The list of acceptable products includes those items that contribute to the normalization of urea metabolism in the human body.
The gout diet has a lot in common with a vegetarian diet, as it involves a sharp restriction of animal products, and the predominance of plant foods in the diet.
Such a diet not only has a beneficial effect on the state of metabolism, but also normalizes the evacuation function of the large intestine, solving the problem of constipation. Eatable foods also create minimal stress on the kidneys, allowing them to focus on eliminating excess uric acid.
You can form a daily menu with the inclusion of the following food ingredients:
- soy products;
- bakery products made from wheat or rye flour;
- chicken eggs in the amount of 1 piece per day (or quail - 3 pieces);
- first courses with the addition of whole milk, noodles, fruits, permitted cereals and vegetables;
- low-fat meat ingredients (chicken, turkey, rabbit, lean fish);
- rice, buckwheat and wheat groats;
- whole milk and fermented milk ingredients with a low percentage of fat;
- freshly squeezed fruit and vegetable juices, medicinal table mineral waters with an alkaline composition;
- vegetable components (carrots, white cabbage, zucchini, pumpkin, lettuce);
- crab meat, shrimp, squid;
- butter without added salt, ghee and vegetable oil;
- some types of confectionery (marshmallow, marmalade, marshmallow, natural honey, fruit and berry jam);
- you can add bay leaves, cinnamon, citric acid, dill and parsley, vanillin as seasonings;
- citrus fruits, pineapples, berries, melons.
Rational nutrition for gout has a beneficial effect not only on the work of blood vessels and the heart, but also allows you to reduce the amount of drugs used. A restrictive dietary regime reduces the risk of relapse of the disease, normalizes body weight and strengthens the body's defenses.
Consequences of not following the diet
If a person with a diagnosed gout neglects a balanced diet, then he may face a whole list of severe complications.
These complications include:
- atherosclerotic changes;
- irreversible kidney damage (gouty nephritis);
- accumulation of uric acid crystals in internal organs, which is fraught with the formation of so-called gouty nodes;
- occurrence of renal failure;
- diffuse damage to the articular apparatus with the development of an erosive form of arthritis;
- irreversible damage to blood vessels and heart, as well as the formation of persistent arterial hypertension.
Sample menus for every day
A person with gout can compose a daily menu based on their gastronomic preferences, being guided by the list of permitted foods. As an example, the standard diet menu will be indicated in violation of the metabolism of uric acid in the body.
This menu looks like this:
Day One
- Breakfast. Hercules flakes, boiled with milk or in water, 2-3 fresh cucumbers, rosehip uzvar.
- Second breakfast. 150-200 g of low-fat cottage cheese with the addition of 15% fat sour cream, 1 glass of fruit and berry jelly or 250 ml in homemade yogurt.
- Lunch. Chicken soup with potatoes, carrots and other permitted vegetables, zucchini stuffed with rice groats and vegetables, seasoned with sour cream sauce, 1 glass of whole milk or berry juice.
- Afternoon snack. Vegetable salad dressed with vegetable oil, 150g of boiled turkey fillet and 1 glass of rosehip uzvar.
- Dinner. Vegetable cutlets from white cabbage, cheese cakes with sour cream 15% fat, 250 ml of tomato juice. Before going to bed, it is allowed to eat 1-2 fresh apples or drink 1 glass of homemade yogurt.
Day two
- Breakfast. Grated carrots, seasoned with sour cream 15% fat, rice groats boiled in water or milk, 1 soft-boiled chicken egg, weak black tea with lemon.
- Second breakfast. Jacket potatoes, vegetable salad seasoned with vegetable oil, 250 ml of fruit and berry jelly or apple juice.
- Lunch. Vegetable soup with sour cream, milk jelly, curd casserole with raisins.
- Dinner. 2-3 baked apples with cinnamon, steamed egg omelet, any fruit juice. Before going to bed, it is recommended to consume 250 ml of homemade yogurt or kefir with a low percentage of fat.
Day Three
- Breakfast. White cabbage and carrot salad, seasoned with sour cream 15% fat, herbal tea made from chamomile flowers, thyme and linden herb.
- Second breakfast. Steamed fish fillet, cucumber salad with herbs, tomato juice.
- Lunch. Vegetarian borscht, a small slice of boiled chicken fillet with sour cream sauce, berry juice.
- Afternoon snack. Carrot and apple juice, biscuits or biscuits.
- Dinner. Buckwheat porridge cooked with the addition of milk, vegetarian cabbage rolls with rice groats and vegetables. In the evening, it is allowed to consume 1 glass of tomato or apple juice.
Day Four
- Breakfast. Grated beetroot salad with sour cream 15% fat and garlic, 1-2 slices of bread with bran, weak black tea with milk.
- Second breakfast. Any juice from permitted vegetables or fruits.
- Lunch. Vegetable soup with pearl barley, egg-breaded cabbage schnitzel, carrot-pumpkin juice.
- Afternoon snack. Orange or grapefruit juice, biscuit biscuits.
- Dinner. Carrot pancakes with sour cream 15% fat, homemade milk or fruit jelly.
Day Five
- Breakfast. Oatmeal porridge, cooked with milk, rosehip decoction, carrot salad with apple.
- Second breakfast. A portion of low-fat cottage cheese with honey, raspberry or strawberry jelly.
- Lunch. Stewed zucchini with carrots and tomatoes, vegetable soup with potatoes, milkshake with banana.
- Dinner. Cabbage cutlets, boiled rabbit meat, tomato juice.
Day six
- Breakfast. Rice cereal porridge with milk, salad of carrots and apples with the addition of walnuts, weak green tea.
- Second breakfast. 1 soft-boiled chicken egg, herbal tea.
- Lunch. Vegetable okroshka, curd casserole, milk jelly.
- Dinner. 1-2 baked apples with honey, carrot-apple juice.
Day Seven
- Breakfast. Milk buckwheat porridge, cabbage salad with herbs, weak green tea.
- Lunch. Vegetarian hodgepodge, 1-2 slices of bran bread, milk jelly.
- Afternoon snack. Apple-carrot casserole, rosehip drink.
- Dinner. Pumpkin pulp, baked with honey, apple juice.
Recipes
The following recipes for preparing some dishes will help diversify the diet of a person with diagnosed gout, as well as saturate his body with vital components, vitamins, minerals and amino acids. The list of ingredients used can be changed depending on culinary preferences.
Cabbage and beet salad
In order to prepare this dietary meal, you need to: take 1 head of medium red cabbage, 2 medium beets, 35 g of walnuts, 1 teaspoon of honey, a few drops of lemon juice and salt to taste. Cooking must be started by boiling the beets and chopping them on a medium grater. After that, you need to finely chop the cabbage, salt it and stand for 9-11 minutes. After that, all the ingredients are gently mixed, seasoned with honey and a mixture of lemon juice with olive or sunflower oil. In order to improve the taste, chopped walnuts are added to the salad.
Baked potatoes
You must first stock up on such ingredients as peeled potatoes in an amount of 350-400 g, a small pinch of caraway seeds and vegetable oil. Pre-peeled potatoes are cut into wedges and boiled until half cooked in salted water. Half-finished potatoes are spread on a baking sheet greased with sunflower or butter, greased with vegetable oil on top and sprinkled with caraway seeds. It is recommended to bake this dish in the oven for 35-40 minutes at a temperature of 120 degrees.
Rice and meat puree
In order to prepare a diet meal you need the following ingredients:
- 300-350 g of chicken, turkey or rabbit meat;
- 30 g raw rice cereal;
- dill or parsley;
- salt to taste.
Cooking Recipe:
- The meat must first be boiled, cut into medium-sized pieces, and then chopped in a blender or meat grinder.
- Rice groats are boiled and washed thoroughly, mixed with chopped meat and re-passed this mixture through a blender or meat grinder.
- Salted the finished mass to taste, mix and incubate over low heat for 5-7 minutes.
- When the dish boils, mix it thoroughly, add 1 tablespoon of sunflower oil and mix again.
Sprinkle with herbs before serving.
Milk Jelly
Before making this dessert, you need to stock up on the following ingredients:
- 150 g granulated sugar;
- 30 g gelatin;
- 15 g minced almonds
- 800 ml whole milk;
- a small pinch of vanilla.
Add 4-5 tablespoons of boiled water to chopped almonds and mix the ingredients until they form a mush. Almond gruel, vanillin with sugar are added to the heated milk, after which the mixture is brought to a boil. After that, the milk is removed from the heat, gelatin is added to it and gently mixed until the granules are completely dissolved. The finished mixture is poured into pre-prepared forms and left to solidify.
Stewed Pumpkin
The following components are required to prepare the dish:
- 100 ml whole milk;
- 300 g peeled pumpkin pulp;
- 1 teaspoon butter
- 1 medium orange;
- 2medium apples;
- 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar;
- Vanillin and cinnamon to taste.
Cooking like this:
- Peeled pumpkin pulp should be grated on a medium grater and boiled in milk for 15-20 minutes, after which sugar, peeled crushed apples, butter are added to the hot mixture.
- The resulting mixture is cooked over low heat for 10 minutes.
Before serving, sprinkle with vanilla and cinnamon and garnish with peeled orange slices.
Vegetable borsch
Vegetable borsch is one of the simplest options for preparing a lunch dish. Such a dish does not require much time and money, while its taste will be equally pleasant for both adults and children.
To prepare borscht, you need the following ingredients:
- 2 liters of clean water;
- one medium sized bell pepper;
- 3-4 medium tomatoes;
- white cabbage;
- 2-3 medium potatoes;
- dill and parsley.
How to cook:
- The vegetables listed should be peeled, washed and diced.
- White cabbage should be finely chopped, and the tomatoes should be washed, scalded with boiling water and peeled.
- Add diced potatoes and pre-made juice from peeled tomatoes to boiling water.
- When the potatoes are half-cooked, add cabbage and bell peppers. When the dish boils (after adding cabbage and pepper), it must be cooked for 7 minutes, then remove from heat and add chopped dill and parsley.
It is recommended to serve the dish with 1 teaspoon of sour cream.