Gout is medical condition whereby uric acid crystals accumulate in the smalls joints such as the big toe, fingers or wrists causing swelling, inflammation and severe pain.  Management by your doctor involves treatment of the acute pain as well as medication to reduce uric acid production.  At the same time, patients can help themselves by following a healthy diet low in purine and lifestyle modification to reduce their risk of getting future gout attacks.  Around 1/3 of the uric acid in our body come from the food we eat.  This uric acid comes from the breakdown of purines in the food.  Purine is necessary in our diet because it is an essential component for the cell DNA and RNA  as well playing a role in how energy is made in the cells in our body.  However, when there is excess uric acid, this will result in uric crystals being deposited in the small joints causing the inflammation and pain known as gout.

Useful Tips

• Maintain a healthy weight for your age and height because being overweight makes it more difficult for the kidneys to excrete uric acid
• Eat more complex carbohydrates rather than processed foods
• Reduce the amount of high fat dairy products and saturated fats in your diet
• Maintain adequate hydration by drinking enough water everyday especially during a hot day or while exercising
• Get your protein from lean meat such as chicken or fish as well as beans, eggs or soya
• Add more fruits and green vegetables in your diet as it helps uric acid excretion

Click to view John Hopkins Medicine video on The Gout Diet

Avoid the following foods which are HIGH in purines which can precipitate gout attacks

• Red meat such as game or lamb
• Shellfish such as clams, mussels, scallops, prawns, oysters or crabs
• Offal such as liver, intestine, stomach or kidney
• Oily fish such as anchovies (ikan bilis), herring, sardines, trout or mackerel
• Certain vegetables such as asparagus, fava beans, lentils, peas, spinach or cauliflower
• Alcohol such as beer or fortified spirits such as port or brandy

Discuss your diet plan with your doctor, dietician or nutritionist to help you eat more healthily

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