The foods you eat can have a significant impact on the levels of certain chemicals in your body, which can in turn affect the development of diseases. Gout is an extremely painful form of arthritis that is caused by the development of crystals in the joints, particularly the joints of the big toes. People with gout often have to follow special diets, which may involve the restriction of some protein sources.
Gout Pathology
In order to understand the role of certain proteins in gout, it is important to understand what causes gout. Gout is caused by uric acid levels getting very high in the blood, causing the uric acid to come out of solution and form crystals in the joints. These crystals cause massive joint inflammation, leading to intense pain and swelling of the affected joints. The main way to prevent gout is to lower uric acid levels in the body.
High Purine Foods
One of the things that can trigger gout is foods that are high in a type of chemical known as purines, which can increase uric acid levels in the body. Purines can be found in high quantities in organ meats like liver and sweetbreads. Other high purine foods include sardines, mackerel, seafood and red meat, the Mayo Clinic explains. People who suffer from gout should limit their consumption of these foods to keep uric acid levels low.
Misconceptions
Because foods that are high in purines are protein-rich meats, some people confuse high protein foods with foods rich in purines, GoutPal.com reports. Purines are actually a component of DNA, not protein. Thus, protein on its own does not increase uric acid levels, though some forms of proteins, including animal proteins, are also high in purines, which can cause the confusion.
Plant Proteins
For people who are looking to avoid high-purine diets, plant proteins can be used to replace purine-rich meats. Beans, nuts and legumes, including peanut butter, can not only help you reduce your purine intake, but they can also help you reduce your saturated fat consumption. This is important because a diet high in saturated fat can lead to obesity, which can exacerbate symptoms of gout, the Mayo Clinic explains.
Whey Protein
Although protein consumption does not directly cause increased uric acid levels, "Arthritis Today" notes that the use of protein supplements could indirectly affect gout. Protein supplements, such as those containing whey protein, can flood the body with extra amino acids. Excess amino acids are excreted by the kidney, which also eliminates uric acid. Burdening the kidneys with amino acids could make it harder for them to clear uric acid from the body, particularly if they are already somewhat damaged. Consequently, if you suffer from gout you may want to avoid consuming large quantities of protein or using protein supplements.
