Indian diet Plan for Gout (What to eat and avoid in Gout)

Out of the various illnesses that have become prevalent in India, Gout cases have been on the rise as well. Here is an Indian diet plan for gout that will help you in decreasing your purine levels markedly. Read on to know about Indian diet to reduce Uric acid level in the body.

Image : Copyright: rob3000 / 123RF Stock Photo

What is Gout?

Gout, also known as Gouty Arthritis. This is the name given to a sudden burning sensation accompanied by pain and swelling in the joints. The gout pain and inflammation come all of a sudden as an attack and can occur over and over till you get proper treatment for Gout. Although it occurs mostly in men, some women also get affected by it. Frequent attacks can cause harm to your tendons, joints, and tissues and the person feels extremely uneasy while walking. If you are overweight and consume too much alcohol, then you are at a greater risk of contracting gout. Most of the times, a person suffers a gout attack during the night. It begins with a sharp pain in the big toe accompanied by swelling, redness, tenderness and a strong burning sensation.

What causes Gout?

The root cause of gout is uric acid. Hyperuricemia is too much uric acid in your blood creates crystals of uric acid in the joints and this leads to gouty arthritis. The elevated uric acid levels lead to pain and inflammation of the joints along with swelling and redness. When certain proteins called purines in our body are broken down, the uric acid gets produced as a byproduct. Purine is found in the body naturally but it is also found in certain foods.

The uric acid levels in the body can get high due to obesity, genetics, and chronic decreased kidney function and due to certain medicines such as diuretics. Consuming too much red meat, fish and other seafood can also increase the uric acid levels in the body.

Read – How to decrease Uric acid levels naturally?

Symptoms of Gout:

Gout is characterized by the following symptoms:

• Redness in the joints
• Tophi – nodules under the skin
• Pain in the joints
• Swelling in the joints
• Tenderness in the joints
• Purplish or red skin around the joint

The symptoms of gout and the way they show up for different individuals may vary. Although most people experience gout in the form of an attack, some may have chronic gout. They have it all the time. Many a time, a person shows symptoms of gout after recovering from an illness or after surgery. Gout can also cause inflammation in the fluid sacs in the knees and elbows.

Indian Diet plan for Gout:

A person suffering from Gout needs to take great care of his diet. He should take a diet that is low in purine and hence low in uric acid. It might not be able to cure the disease but it will definitely help to lower the uric acid levels in the body and also decrease the risk of frequent painful gout attacks.

Before we move on to the actual Indian diet plan for gout, let us first see some useful tips that will help you in keeping gout away in the long run. These tips will also help to reduce uric acid levels in the body.

Simple tips to relieve from Gout and reduce Uric acid:

• Lose weight:

As mentioned earlier, obesity can increase the risk of contracting gout. Obesity leads to various other health problems. If you are overweight, it is advisable to reduce your calorie intake and get back in shape. Not only will it help to decrease the risk of gout but also reduce the stress on your joints and make you feel healthy.

• Drink plenty of water:

Keep your body hydrated so that all the toxins along with uric acid get eliminated from the body. Lack of water makes you feel dehydrated and also accumulates toxins and wastes in the body which affect all parts of the body. Drink at least 8 to 10 glasses of water every day. Research has shown that keeping your body hydrated helps to decrease the frequency of gout attacks. So make water an important part of your Indian diet plan for Gout.

• Keep a check on poultry, seafood, and meats:

Avoid eating red meats and other organ and glandular meats such as kidney and liver since these contain high quantities of purines. Avoid eating sea foods such as sardines, mackerel, scallops, tuna fish, herring and anchovies. These can contribute to high uric acid levels in your blood. Decrease your intake of fatty poultry as well as any other high-fat dairy products.

• Eat more of complex carbohydrates:

Avoid eating processed foods such as white bread, cakes, pizzas, burgers, pasta, candies, artificially sweetened beverages as well as aerated drinks. Avoid eating foods that contain high fructose corn syrup. Eat whole grains, fresh fruits, and vegetables which provide complex cabs to your body. Read – Indian foods rich in complex carbs.

• Eat proteins from selected sources:

Our body does require appropriate amounts of proteins so consume proteins from selected sources such as low-fat yogurt, low-fat milk, and other fat-free dairy products. You cannot rely on your protein supply from meat, fish, and poultry. These should be taken in moderate amounts only occasionally. Lentils and beans are also good protein sources that do not cause any harm to the body.

• Eat plenty of vegetables:

Vegetables contain various nutrients along with purines but they do not increase the uric acid level in our blood. Purines from vegetables do not cause any harm to the body. Vegetables that contain purines are spinach, asparagus, cauliflower, peas, and mushrooms.

• Keep alcohol intake under check:

Excessive intake of alcohol, especially beer has been associated with increased levels of uric acid in the blood. Not only does it increase the levels of uric acid, but also makes the body dehydrated. It is better to steer away from alcohol or take advice from your medical practitioner about the quantity of alcohol that is allowed to you. Read – Alcohol and weight loss.

• Take Vitamin C supplements:

Research has shown that Vitamin C can help to decrease the uric acid levels in the blood. It helps to increase your immunity and keeps the body strong. However, it is better to check with your physician if these supplements will benefit you or not. Read – Sources of Antioxidant.

• Drink coffee –

Good news is that you can include a little coffee in your Indian diet plan for Gout. A moderate amount of coffee consumption has also shown to decrease the levels of uric acid in the blood. It can help to decrease the risk of gout. If you suffer from any other medical problem such as high blood pressure, talk to your physician before consuming coffee, since coffee is not recommended to people with high BP.

• Add cherries to your diet –

Adding cherries to the diet might be helpful in reducing the risk of gout. Eat a handful of cherries while snacking.

Food List for Indian Diet plan for Gout

Here is a quick list of Foods that you should include in your Indian Diet plan for Gout.

Foods to include In Gout –

• Low-fat dairy products like Skim milk, yogurt, cheese, cottage cheese.
• Whole-grain products like whole wheat flour, broken wheat, oats, Brown Rice
• Vegetable based oils like olive, canola, sunflower.
• Vegetables
• Cherries
• Fruits like – Amla, orange, Apple, Guava, Papaya, Watermelon, Musk melons, Lemons, Pomegranate, Custard apple, and Sapota.
• Coffee

Foods to Avoid in Gout  – 

• Red meat and organ meats and glandular meats  liver, tongue, and sweetbreads
• Seafood like Sardines, mackerel, scallops, tuna fish, herring and anchovies
• Refined carbohydrates like maida, white bread, white rice, pasta, sugar, etc
• Processed foods like chips, nachos, Kurkure, Pasta base, mixtures.
• Sugary beverages and syrups.
• Alcohol

Indian Diet plan for Gout: 

Ok so here is a sample Indian Diet plan for Gout that you can follow.

The above mentioned Indian Diet Plan for Gout has both vegetarian and non-vegetarian options, as well as both North Indian and South Indian food options for convenience.  Hope this Indian Diet Plan for Gout proves to be of Help to you or your loved one.  Please feel free to leave your query in our comment section and we will get back to you with an apt solution to it.