Food Avoidance For Gout

Gout is characterized by uric acid production in your joints and tissues. According to "Arthritis Today," these crystals can cause limited mobility, redness and painful swelling. Uric acid is formed from purines, substances used to build DNA and RNA molecules. Consuming certain foods can elevate your uric acid levels and increase your risk of experiencing a gout attack.

Meats

Organ red meats often trigger gout attacks because of the large amount of purines, which produce uric acid crystals. As a result, you should avoid consuming liver, kidney and brain parts while limiting your consumption of goose, pork, beef and lamb. For best results, MayoClinic.com suggests you eat no more than 170 g or 6 oz. of animal protein daily. Soups made with meat should be eaten in moderation.

Seafood

Seafood contains extremely high purine levels. You should not ingest herring, mussels, scallops, sardines, haddock, cod, trout, anchovies, sardines, crabs, shrimp, tuna, lake trout, halibut, herring, mackerel and other sources. MayoClinic.com recommends you limit your seafood intake to no more than 6 oz. daily if you suffer from gout.

Trans Fats

According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, trans fat foods can trigger gout attacks. You should restrict your consumption of trans fats food such as doughnuts, crackers, cookies and other commercially baked foods. Margarine, french fries, onion rings and other fried sources also contain trans fat and should be avoided.

Additional Avoidance Foods

Asparagus, mushrooms, spinach, green peas and cauliflower contain medium to large amounts of purines. Legumes also contain high purine content. Oats, including those in bran, wheat germ, oatmeal and whole grain cereals and bread contain medium amounts of bran. In the book "Getting Rid of Gout" author Bryan Emmerson recommends limiting your consumption of these foods to one serving or 1 cup daily.