Gout is a very painful inflammatory condition of the joints, caused by the accumulation of crystallized uric acid around the affected joint. The most common joint affected is the big toe; however, gout can affect the ankle, instep, heel, knee, spine, elbow, wrist, and finger. In severe cases, gout can deform the affected joint.

People prone to gout tend to have high levels of uric acid in their blood. High uric acid levels may be due to the kidneys not properly removing uric acid from the blood.

uric acid level

You say, “Okay, my kidneys aren’t working properly. So what can I do to cure my gout?” The answer is that you can do a lot.

First of all, certain foods and drinks raise the body’s uric acid level and certain foods and drinks do not. So if you avoid the foods and drinks that raise your uric acid level and consume the foods and drinks that don’t, you’ll never have a gout attack, thus curing your gout condition!

What are the foods and drinks that increase the level of uric acid in the body and cause a gout attack? Meat and seafood favor taste attacks. Do you like beef, pork, lamb, liver, bacon, fish, lobster, mussels, scallops, or shrimp? Sorry, you have to pass these. To a lesser degree, chicken, turkey and duck favor gout attacks. You like beer? Well, not anymore, because beer favors gout attacks.

protein rich foods

Avoiding meat and shellfish puts you in a dilemma. You avoid these foods to avoid gout attacks, but your body can’t function properly without protein—meats and seafood are common sources of protein! What do you do for a living?

Fortunately, there are high-protein foods that do not trigger gout attacks. They are listed below categorically.

Eggs and dairy products: Milk, cheese, cottage cheese, yogurt, and eggs are high in protein.

Grains and cereals: Those rich in protein are buckwheat, amaranth grain (usually sold in health food stores), and quinoa.

Nuts and seeds: Peanuts, almonds, cashews, walnuts, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, and flaxseeds are rich in protein.

Beans, including soybeans: Tofu, soy milk, kidney beans, soybeans, and peas are high in protein.

Red wine

So all you have to do is substitute these high-protein foods for the meats and seafood you regularly eat. “But what about beer? Is there a substitute for that? I need a beer to wind down after work,” you say. Once again, you’re in luck.

Since red wine does not raise the body’s uric acid level, it does not cause gout attacks. In fact, red wine can even lower uric acid levels! And certainly red wine is just as effective as beer in helping you relax.

High dose of vitamin C

Not only can red wine lower uric acid levels, vitamin C can also do the same. High-dose vitamin C lowers uric acid levels in most gout patients. However, for some gout sufferers, high doses of vitamin C make their condition worse.

A dose of 500 mg per day significantly lowers uric acid levels in most gout patients. But before starting a vitamin C regimen, you must get your doctor’s approval; because high doses of vitamin C possibly remove uric acid from your body too quickly, causing kidney stones.

Is protein substitution practical?

Some of you may be saying right now, “Okay, this all makes sense, but it’s not practical. This protein substitution lacks variety; there’s no way I can keep up with it.” Lack of variety? Let’s see. I will try to brainstorm a variety of foods that are high in protein and safe for taste.

The following foods contain cheese and may be served without meat or shellfish: Pizza, Cheese Ravioli, Baked Ziti, Mozzarella Sticks, Eggplant Parmesan, Cheese Omelet, Lasagna, Egg and Cheese Muffin Sandwich, Mac and Cheese , baked potato with cheddar cheese sauce, Italian stuffed shells, cheese manicotti in marinara sauce, salad with blue cheese dressing, cheesecake, broccoli and cheese soup, asparagus with parmesan cheese, smoked mozzarella fonduta, fettuccine alfredo, penne with goat cheese and ricotta gnocchi.

The following foods contain buckwheat and may be served without meat or shellfish: buckwheat pancakes, buckwheat loaves, buckwheat muffins, buckwheat crackers, buckwheat bagels, buckwheat crackers, buckwheat tortillas , some breakfast cereals, buckwheat grits, kasha, buckwheat porridge, buckwheat salad with mushrooms and parsley oil, kasha varnishkes, buckwheat noodles, Japanese soba noodles, California buckwheat chapati, kasha knishes and some blini.

The following foods contain peanuts and may be served without meat or shellfish: peanut candy, salted nuts, peanut butter, peanut butter sandwiches, mixed vegetable salads with peanut sauce, peanut dipping sauce, peanut butter, mandelonas (almond-flavored soaked peanuts), some health food bars, some breakfast cereals, peanut butter crackers, peanut butter-filled celery sticks, peanut honey steamed tea bread Peanut Cherry Granola, Peanut Squares, Peanut Butter Fries, Trail Mix, Some Spaghetti Sauces, Boiled Peanuts, Peanut Butter Spread on Toast, Gorp, Cajun Flavored Peanuts , Peanut Soup, Peanut Rolls, Peanut Muffins, Peanut Pie, Peanut Pudding, Peanut Baked Rice and Peanut Stuffing.

The following foods contain tofu and may be served without meat or shellfish: Mixed Vegetable Tofu, Tofu Muffins, Tofu Cheese Omelet, Stir-fried Tofu Steak, Caramel Tofu Custard, Tofu Anmitsu (Traditional Fruit Salad), grilled tofu steak, tomato and tofu paste with olives, cubed braised tofu steak with eggplant and zucchini, tofu steak with teriyaki butter sauce, tofu steak sandwich, tofu steak with sauce, tofu steak nuggets , Tofu Steak Fajita, Tofu Steak with Asian Mushroom Sauce, Tofu Egg Burger, Tofu Veggie Burger, Tofu Burger, Tofu Quesadilla, Oriental Tofu Salad, Tofu Pea Soup, Creamy Tofu Dressing Oriental Tofu, Broccoli Lasagna with Tofu, Grilled Tofu and Cheese, Spaghetti Sauce with Tofu, Spanish Rice with Tofu, Sauteed Tofu and Vegetables, Savory Italian Pasta and Tofu, Spicy Tofu Chili, Spicy Tofu Burritos, Las Tex-Mex Tofu Pineapple, Pita Stuffed Tofu Salad, Stuffed Tofu Custard Pie, Pineapple Tofu Pie, and Sesame Flavored Tofu Custard.

In an attempt for brevity, I just brainstormed gout-safe high-protein foods that contain cheese, buckwheat, peanuts, and tofu. If you were to include gout-safe high-protein foods that contain milk, cottage cheese, yogurt, eggs, amaranth grains, quinoa, almonds, cashews, walnuts, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, flaxseeds, soy milk, beans, soybeans, and split peas, I would end up writing a novel. Although I only focused on foods that contain cheese, buckwheat, peanuts, and tofu, you can see that there is a lot of variety.

Warnings, interactions and side effects

Gout attacks can be cured by following the dietary changes suggested here. However, keep in mind that it is easier to prevent gout attacks than to intervene in the midst of gout attacks. Therefore, it is better to use the suggested dietary changes proactively rather than reactively.

Some foods suggested here can dangerously interact with some prescription medications or medical conditions. For example, eating cheese while taking monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs) can kill you. Also, drinking red wine while you have liver cirrhosis can make your condition worse. So, to be safe, you should get approval from your doctor and pharmacist before following any suggested dietary changes.

People prone to gout may have a side effect from aspirin. Although normal people can take aspirin without side effects, people prone to gout can have the side effect of a gout attack. So if you are prone to gout and have a headache, you are better off taking Motrin (ibuprofen) instead of Bayer (aspirin).

Resume

Although prescription medications like allopurinol prevent gout attacks, some people prefer more natural prevention. This article describes a taste prevention plan, consisting of protein substitution, alcoholic beverage substitution, and taking high-dose vitamin C supplements. This article proposes that dietary changes alone can prevent gout attacks.