What’s the Connection Between Gout and Your Diet?
The intense pain and swelling you experience during a gout flare-up occur when urate crystals accumulate in your joint, according to Mayo Clinic. These crystals develop due to an excess amount of uric acid in your blood, which comes from the breakdown of purines — a substance naturally found in your body.
Your kidneys typically remove uric acid from your blood. However, if your body produces too much uric acid or your kidneys can’t clear it from your blood fast enough, the uric acid turns into needlelike crystals.
In addition to being found naturally in your body, purines are also present in food, including bread. And the more purines you eat, the higher your risk is of your uric acid levels rising. The Arthritis Foundation notes that foods high in purines include anchovies, sardines, organ meats, bacon, turkey, and alcohol. Other meats like beef, chicken, and pork also have moderate amounts of purines.
Bread, on the other hand, isn’t known as a high-purine food, according to the UK Gout Society, so it is safe to eat in moderation. A low-purine diet was once recommended as a treatment for gout. However, according to the Arthritis Foundation, the gout diet is too restrictive and it’s impossible to limit purines altogether. So your best bet is to keep a log of which high-purine foods trigger your symptoms, so you know what to limit in the future.
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