Those who suffer from gout often find that they have periods where the pain is more intense than others and this could be related to the food they eat. Most people know that purine-rich foods are often the culprit, but some high-protein foods can also be a problem. Both tend to raise uric acid levels in the body, and that means the painful crystals associated with gout form more quickly and easily. A gout patient should not only worry about what they are supposed to eat, but also find a list of foods that cause gout pain so that they can be avoided.
As more and more information is released, it becomes clearer which foods taste bad and which are safe to eat. Some say that all shellfish is bad, but that claim is currently being re-evaluated. Now it seems that some shellfish will cause problems and should stay on the list of gout-causing foods, but others are actually fine, and since shellfish is good for the body, this is very good news. Mussels, for example, are high in purines and should be avoided. The same can be said for scallops, haddock, herring, sardines, smelt, all kinds of trout, and salmon. Anything else may be fine, but may be individual to each patient.
Yeast seems to be a problem with flavor, and many people avoid some breads. However, it seems that whole grain breads are the ones to avoid the most. Other types of bread can be tried to see what reaction there is, if any, if someone wishes to reintroduce bread into their diet. However, yeast is in all breads, so it can still be problematic for some people. Yeasts and whole grain breads are considered high- or medium-purine foods, so be careful and monitor pain if you add them back to the diet. Beer contains yeast, so this may also need to be avoided.
Most don’t like to hear it, but bacon is another food best avoided. Bacon is a protein and moderately high in purines, depending on the cut, and is probably something to avoid.
The heart tissue of any type of animal is very rich in purines and should be avoided. Other types of meat to avoid are other organ meats, turkey, lamb, grouse, veal, pheasant, and goose. Like heart tissue, these are richer in purines and raise uric acid levels in the system.
Some studies suggest that vegetables should be on a list of foods that cause gout pain, but again, this is being carefully reconsidered. Avoiding vegetables like spinach, cauliflower, asparagus, and mushrooms was said to be vital to good health for gout patients, but that might not be the case for everyone. Some have to avoid vegetables too. These include dry items like peas, beans, and even soybeans. You now have room to experiment with all of these instead of instantly mounting your diet.
Some sufferers think that it will be incredibly difficult for them to follow and avoid the list of foods that cause gout pain, but after enduring the pain for so long, cutting out some of these foods should be quite easy. With taste and diet, it’s largely a matter of elimination and trial and error before figuring out which foods are pain triggers and which ones can be tolerated.
