Eating turkey bacon aggravates gout, but only if you eat too much. Gout is an arthritic condition that causes severe pain and commonly flares up at night. People with hypothyroidism, lead exposure and who are overweight are more susceptible to gout. Taking medications and dietary supplements, including aspirin, diuretics, niacin and cyclosporine also put you at a higher risk of developing gout.
Turkey Bacon
Turkey bacon is a substitute for regular bacon made from pork. People eat it when they don't want to eat pork and as a healthier substitute for regular bacon. When you eat a 3.38 oz. serving of turkey bacon, you reduce the fat content of your meal by 12.4 g. The same 3.38 oz. serving of turkey bacon contains 151 fewer calories than regular bacon.
Gout
You get gout when uric acid crystals form and build up around a joint. This treatable form of arthritis is more prevalent in men than women -- although post-menopausal women have a higher risk. Gout is associated with overindulging in meat, seafood and alcoholic beverages. People with a higher risk of developing gout include those with high blood pressure, high cholesterol and arteriosclerosis. Symptoms of gout include sudden and severe redness and tenderness of the joints. The onset of gout typically originates in the joint of your big toe. Typical treatments for gout include medication and dietary restrictions.
Purine
Foods high in purine aggravate gout symptoms. Purine occurs naturally in some foods. When you eat purine, your body produces uric acid crystals. These crystals build up in your soft tissues and joints, which causes the painful symptoms associated with gout. You can limit your purine intake but not totally eliminate it by avoiding food with high purine content. Foods high in purine include turkey and turkey products like turkey bacon, as well as shellfish, alcoholic beverages and organ meats.
Animal Protein
All animal proteins contain purine. People on a diet to reduce the symptoms of gout should limit their intake of animal protein to less than 6 oz. per day, according to MayoClinic.com. This means it's possible to consume turkey bacon on a gout diet, but you should limit your intake. One ounce of raw turkey bacon yields .56 oz of meat when you cook it, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
References
- Arthritis Foundation; Safe Foods For Gout; Ronenn Roubenoff
- USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference: Turkey Bacon / Pork, Cured, Bacon, Cooked, Pan-fried
- MayoClinic.com; Gout Diet; March 2010
- MayoClinic.com; Gout; November 2009
- National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases; Gout; May 2010
