These popular summer foods increase gout attacks

Gout diseases often become noticeable at night. Mostly the joint of the thumb or big toe swells painfully, is extremely sensitive to touch, hot and red. These symptoms indicate severe joint inflammation, which, along with diabetes, is one of the most common metabolic diseases in industrialized countries.

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• Nutrition recommendation for gout sufferers
• Keep track of fructose
• Tips for a low uric acid level

The cause is a permanently excessive uric acid level. This phenomenon affects about 30 percent of men and two to six percent of women. The increased acidity itself does not cause any discomfort. It only becomes painful when they ensure that the uric acid deposits in the form of crystals in the joints and thereby causes the biting gout attacks. According to Antje Gahl of the German Nutrition Society, this is the case in approximately one in ten patients with elevated uric acid levels.

Painful attacks of gout often affect the thumb or ankle joint. (Image: Lovrencg / fotolia.com)

The reason that this phenomenon occurs much more often in summer is often the previous barbecue. Purines are found especially in meat, fish and beer. Although they are also important components of human body cells and indispensable for their construction, uric acid is produced during their degradation. In people who can not excrete them in sufficient quantity, it then comes to crystal formation and gout attack.

Nutrition recommendation for gout sufferers

Only a few years ago one still advised those affected to a strictly purine-free diet. In addition to meat and beer, it was therefore also to avoid offal, seafood and legumes. But meanwhile, according to Martin Smollich, head of the study program Clinical Nutrition at the Rheine University of Applied Sciences, at least the lovers of humus and seafood can breathe a sigh of relief, since the different tolerability of purine-containing foods has meanwhile been proven.

Beer is therefore considered the most dangerous of the spray-triggering food. Not only does the alcohol contained inhibit kidney urinary excretion, but its constituents sugar and yeast also have a negative effect. Hefeweizen is the worst enemy for those affected. On the other hand, it is recommended to eat fish and chicken thighs without skin during grilling, as it contains a lot of purine.

But another summer classic can be a danger: asparagus with cooked ham and white wine. The wine lovers can only comfort that dry wine is still more compatible with the small amounts of sugar than beer. Well adjusted gout patients do not have to do without the asparagus. Here it depends on the amount. Instead of a kilo only a few bars of asparagus, instead of a bottle only a glass of wine - at some point the sufferers know even without laboratory values ​​the limit of their own compatibility.

Keep track of fructose

Fruit is unfortunately often a risk factor for gout sufferers. The isolated fructose, so the fructose, increases the uric acid levels immensely. So half a watermelon or three apples can trigger a gout attack as well as a steak, the expert knows. He also advises against smoothies. Although they have a reputation for being healthy and refreshing, they often contain lots of fructose. The same applies to chilled grapes. The better alternatives are sour apples like Boskoop or bananas, as their sweetness comes from glucose rather than fructose.

Tips for a low uric acid level

Smollich's advice to positively affect uric acid levels is dairy. These, in the opinion of the scientist, have a balancing effect after purine absorption, since milk proteins such as casein accelerate the excretion of uric acid. However, one should resort to natural yoghurt instead of fruit yoghurt, which can be made tasteful with berries or flaxseed with cucumber.

Highly recommended is a plant-rich diet, because most vegetables are very low purine. Peppers in particular also contain a lot of vitamin C, which also promotes uric acid excretion.
In addition, a cup of coffee is recommended after dinner. This has a protective effect and inhibits the formation of uric acid from the outset. (Fs)