Gout Information

A high-purine diet

Gout arises from the normal breakdown of our own DNA into nucleic acids, then into purines, then into uric acid. This process accounts for some of the uric acid in our bodies, but a proportion of our purines comes from our diets as well - and again these purines are broken down into uric acid. Unfortunately, a diet that is high in purines burdens the kidneys with a large load for excretion. The same is the case in individuals who eat a large amount of food containing only a moderate amount of purines. The kidneys may not always be able to cope, hence the raised levels of uric acid.

Purines come from the nuclei of cells, not only of animals but also of plants. The foods that contain purines are: all meats, poultry and seafood, asparagus, mushrooms, dried peas and beans, lentils, soya, spinach and yeast. With meat, a good rule of thumb is that eating any part that has worked hard during its life is more likely to lead to raised levels of uric acid - liver and kidneys, for example. Chicken breast meat is also lower in purines than the legs on which the bird ran about. Active fish, such as sardines and salmon, contain more purines than such fish as plaice and flounder. Regarding alcohol, a product of yeast fermentation, the picture is a little more complex. Most alcoholic drinks contain only small amounts of purine, but its breakdown within the body causes uric acid levels in the blood to rise.

For people who consume moderate amounts of purine foods, cutting them out for five to seven days can significantly reduce levels of uric acid, as shown in a study in 1997. People who are used to eating large amounts of purine foods can find by eliminating them for a few days that their uric acid levels fall even more. A urine test after a week of elimination will show the extent of benefit that might be achieved from modifying the diet. If uric acid levels remain unchanged, purine intake is not the real problem. Purines are not the only cause of hyperuricemia - in fact, moderate to high purine consumption is thought to account for only 15 per cent of cases of gout.