Gout is an inflammatory arthritic condition characterized by severe attacks of pain and swelling in the joints. It's most likely to occur in the joint at the base of the big toe but can also affect the ankles, heels, knees, wrists, fingers and elbows. Evidence suggests that consuming seafood can exacerbate and intensify inflammatory attacks in people who have already developed gout. However, a limited amount of flounder might still have a place in your diet.
Cause of Gout
The cause of gout is the buildup of excess uric acid in your blood. Uric acid is a crystalline waste product that can become lodged in the joints and the surrounding capillaries. The main process through which the human body creates uric acid is the breakdown of purines, a type of organic compound that is present in a variety of foods, though primarily in meat and dairy. For this reason, diet is the largest factor that contributes to gout. However, you are more likely to acquire gout if you are male, drink alcohol regularly and have a family member with the disease.
Purines in the Diet
According to a 2004 study published in "The New England Journal of Medicine," men who consume large amounts of meat and seafood are more likely to face an increased risk of gout due to elevated uric acid levels in the blood, compared to men who eat less meat and seafood. Flounder, like most seafood, contains up to 100 mg of purine per every 3 oz. This is a moderate amount, but it's still capable of contributing to the development of gout. A typical low-purine diet, by comparison, restricts purine consumption to no more than 150 mg daily, though the exact amount varies. Your doctor will have a list of recommended foods. There is no "purine counting" involved.
Diet Recommendations
Kaiser Permanente, a nonprofit health care provider and the largest managed care organization in the United States, advocates eating medium-purine foods, such as flounder and other cold water fish, only once in a while. They are better alternatives for the treatment of gout compared with high-purine fish such as anchovies and mackerel, which you should avoid completely. However, the best solution is to increase your consumption of dairy products and vegetables at the expense of most meat products. This should ameliorate the symptoms of gout or prevent the onset of gout in the first place.
Treatment
The first gout attack will likely end on its own within the first several days. When gout returns, however, the attacks might last longer and occur more often, so immediate treatment is critical to stopping the further development of gout in your joints. Fortunately, a combination of diet changes and medicine is effective at reducing both the length and frequency of attacks. If left untreated, gout potentially causes permanent joint and kidney damage. Uric acid buildup can also lead to kidney stones.
References
- MedlinePlus: Gout
- "The New England Journal of Medicine"; Purine-Rich Foods, Dairy and Protein Intake, and the Risk of Gout in Men; Hyon K. Choi, et al.; March 2004
- Litholink Corporation; The Kidney Stone Treatment and Prevention Center; Low Purine Diet; 2003
- Kaiser Permanente: Purine-Restricted Diet
