Your doctor might prescribe a low-purine diet for you if you have kidney stones or have had an organ transplant, but the most common reason is gout. Gout usually manifests as a swollen, painful big toe, and is caused by an excess of a chemical known as uric acid in the blood. Treatments for gout include medications to block uric acid, but a diet low in purines is often prescribed as well. If you suspect you have gout, see your doctor for definitive treatment.
Gout Explained
Purines broken down by the body create uric acid as a by-product. Uric acid removal is usually handled by the kidneys, but sometimes the amount of this chemical can build up in the body. If the concentrations in the blood become too high, uric acid can form a crystal that causes inflammation and pain in the joints, most notably the joint of the big toe. However, not all people with high uric acid in the blood proceed to the painful joint stage. Only 20 percent reach this stage, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center. Dietary restriction of purines and medications to block uric acid are two types of treatment.
Meats High in Purines
Although eating a diet low in purines is not a front-line treatment for gout and kidney stones, it might help lower your uric acid levels. Meats high in purines are primarily organ meats. Meats that have 100 to 1,000 mg per 3 oz. include bacon, mackerel, codfish, herring, liver, shrimp and anchovies, according to The Kidney Stone Treatment and Prevention Centers. Meats that contain 9 to 100 mg per 3 oz. include fish, poultry, red meat and shellfish. Aim to consume 100 to 150 mg per day. The average person consumes 600 to 1,000 mg per day of purines.
Foods to Avoid
Other foods besides meats contain high amounts of purines. Yeast is a very high purine food, so limit beer and other yeast-containing foods. Eat no more than 2/3 cup of oatmeal, 1/4 cup wheat bran or 1/4 cup wheat germ daily, according to New York University Langone Medical Center. Limit yourself to 1/2 cup per day of mushrooms, beans, spinach, asparagus or cauliflower. Bullion and broth are also high in purines, so limit your consumption of them. Eat no more than 1 cup of cooked lentils per day.
Low Purine Diet Tips
The Kidney Stone Treatment and Prevention Centers recommends drinking a glass of water both before and after eating a food high in purines. This practice dilutes the uric acid in the urine and can help avoid kidney stones. Other tips include eating non-fat diary products because they help reduce gout flares, according to New York University Langone Medical Center. Avoid rapid weight-loss and low-carbohydrate diets, as these can increase uric acid levels in the blood.
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