Diet » Therapeutic Diets » Low Purine diet

A low purine diet can help people to reduce Gout attacks.

What is low purine diet?

A diet which consists of low purine content in foods we eat known as low purine diet. Eventhough diet is not a solution for reducing Gout attacks, it is recommended to avoid purine rich foods. Purines are natural substances found in body cells and in all foods.Purines are part of nucleic acids. Purines from the diet we eat are transferred to cells for DNA structure and maintenance. Disorder of purine metabolism causes gout. Uric acid is the end product of purine metabolism. Uric acid levels are elevated in Gout disorder and kidneys ability to eliminate uric acid is lost. As a result uric acids builds up in the body. The body will form crystals that accumulate in joints and can lead  to pain , swelling and also kidney stones.Foods high in purines should be avoided for those who are prone to gout or already suffering from it.

Dietary guidelines:

Low purine diet should be comprised of

High in complex carbohydrates, food low in protein that is 15% of calories,not more than 30% of calories from fat and with only 10% animal fats.

Tips to eat low purine foods:

• Limit fat intake, by choosing low fat dairy products, lean meats and foods cooked with less oil.
• Drink plenty of water to help the body to eliminate excess amount of uric acid build up in the body.That is around 8 to 16 glasses of water.
• Avoid alcoholic beverages.
• Diet should include more amount of fruits and juices.
• Foods high in vitamin C are good as it may reduce the levels of uric acid in you blood.
• Include complex carbohydrates in your diet such as whole grain cereals,whole grain breads etc.
• High purine foods: 400mg uric acid/100 gm
• Sweet breads
• Liver
• Yeast
• Pork

Medium purine foods: Do not eat more than 2 medium servings cooked 100 to 400 mg/100 gms

• Beans
• Cauliflower
• Asparagus
• Peas
• Lentils
• Spinach
• Dried beans
• Eggs
• Oat meal
• Fish
• Fats
• Yeast
• Mushrooms
• Broth
• Shellfish
• Meat soups and gravies
• Skim milk
• Chicken and turkey
• Wheat germ

Low purine foods: Less than 100 mg uric acid/ 100gm

• Soda
• Fruits and juices
• Gelatin
• Low fat milk
• Tea
• Coffee
• Low fat or fat free cheeses
• Sweets
• Vegetable soups without meat extracts
• Nuts
• Avacado
• Apricot
• Banana
• Apple
• Straw berries
• Blue berries
• Black berries
• Tofu
• Cocoa
• Dried dates
• Wheat whole grain