After a satisfying feast the night before, you wake up with a really grouchy big toe – inflamed, throbbing and red. Your life with gout pain has begun. This form of inflammatory arthritis is largely hereditary and strikes mostly men over 30. But women are also at risk, especially after menopause. Dietary changes alone won’t banish gout pain attacks, but it’s still important to eat gout-fighting foods and avoid those that may sabotage your body. Doing so not only lowers the risks and severity of gout attacks but can also help other conditions that accompany gout, including obesity, high blood pressure and diabetes, says Kelly O’Connor, R.D., diabetes educator at Mercy Medical Center in Baltimore. But first you need to identify your problem foods. Alcohol is also dehydrating, which limits excretion of uric acid and increases the risk of kidney stones, which are more common in those with gout, adds Lanah J. Brennan, R.D., certified diabetes educator with a private practice in Lafayette, La. If you do drink, stick to wine. Beer is much more likely to cause gout attacks because its yeast is high in purines. (For that reason, don’t overdo yeasty breads either.) Food to Avoid: Fatty fish Other finned creatures should be limited as well. Anchovies, herring, redfish (ocean perch), sardines and tuna are among proteins that cause gout pain and should be limited to 4 to 6 ounces per day. Fruit juice and high-fructose fruits, such as apples and pears, also raise the risk of gout pain. Fruit has many health benefits, but go for lower-fructose items such as berries and stone fruits like apricots and nectarines. What You Should EatFood to Add: Tofu“For those who are carnivores and miss meat, consider tofu instead,” suggests Nathan Wei, M.D., director of the Arthritis and Osteoarthritis Treatment Center of Maryland in Frederick, Md. Or add other soy-protein meat substitutes (veggie burgers, soy dogs), soy nuts, soy protein shakes, soy milk or edamame (steamed soybeans) to your plate.
