Gout Information

Reducing meat and dairy produce

It is only people who eat large amounts of purines who should try to reduce their purine intake. Red meat, particularly offal, and shellfish contain perhaps the highest levels. You should, therefore, try to eat a piece of offal meat weighing about 85 g (3 oz), or the size of the palm of your hand, no more than twice a week.

If you then suffer a flare-up of gout, it would obviously be best to cut out offal and shellfish completely. Poultry and fish are good sources of protein and oils, but they do contain purines. Limit your consumption of the fish high in purines, such as herring, sardines, scallops, mackerel, roe, shrimp, mussels and anchovies, and eat poultry no more than twice a week. If, after doing this, you continue to suffer attacks of gout, you would be well advised to eliminate all meats, poultry and fish from your diet, replacing them with other forms of protein, such as tofu, tempeh, and miso. Meat and dairy products contain arachidonic acid, a fatty acid that contributes to the inflammation experienced in arthritic conditions. In one study,5 arthritis sufferers reported a complete absence of symptoms after following a