I have heard this many times before, “Beans and peanuts give me arthritis!” Really? Have you ever considered the other food items that you have been consuming that may have a higher purine content compared to these wrongly accused plant food?
Purine is naturally produced in the body and is also a chemical component found in food. This is broken down in the body to form uric acid. The accumulation of which is the culprit for your elevated blood uric acid level and the development of painful gouty arthritis.
Do you get to eat one cup of cooked beans a day? Its purine content is equivalent to eating pork, beef, or chicken that is a little over the size of a woman’s palm.
A typical serving of meat consumed in one meal, not even for an entire day. And how many meals do we eat in a day that include meat and poultry? Two or three sometimes more! Some fish and seafood tend to have a higher purine content too. Don’t be deceived. Therefore, if you consume animal meat and seafood more than the amount of beans that you eat in a day, then please don’t blame your gout on the harmless legumes. Discontinue or reduce your animal meat intake and you will be pain free!
For reference, 30g of peanuts have 22g of purine. 100g of canned sardines has 399g purine. While 100g of chicken has 130g of purine compared to 100g of tofu which contains only 68g purine. Food that contains over 200mg of purine per serving is considered a very high source, greater than 100mg of purine is high, between 50 to 100mg purine is moderate. Lastly, low purine food sources have less than 50mg per serving. Cooked garbanzo beans boast low purine content at 19g per ½ cup serving. Which is your friend or foe when it comes to purine content?
Furthermore, other food sources impact the uric acid level in the blood. Specifically, food that is high in saturated and trans fat. Toss those fries, butter, margarine, cheese and other dairy products. Animal fat and lard, as well as, products that use animal fat sources like ice cream, pastries and the like. Fat impedes the excretion of uric acid from the body. Use nut milk and soymilk as dairy substitutes.
Aside from fat, sugar is another culprit. Excess sugar gets converted into fat in the body and we already know that fat sabotages the excretion of uric acid. Another form of simple sugar known as fructose gets VIP treatment by the liver as it is taken up by the organ as soon as it is consumed and absorbed. This process leads to increased production of purine nucleotide leading to increase in uric acid level.
Fructose is the natural sugar found in fruits and honey. Now, before you avoid fruits, wholesome and fresh fruits have nothing to do with your gout. Fruits that are unprocessed contain fiber, phytochemicals and antioxidants that quell inflammation including that of gouty arthritis. Thus, you should eat your fresh fruits regardless of the fructose content. What you should avoid are fruits that have been dried with added sugar or preserved fruits that are laden with syrup. In this case, you can drain the syrup and wash it off before eating canned fruits if fresh isn’t available.
Moreover, you should avoid High Fructose Corn Syrup which is processed with enzymes from corn and potato syrup to increase the fructose content. This is a major ingredient in packaged snacks, cereals and other ultra-processed food and beverages. Are you snacking on these sweetened beverages, cookies and the like? It is wise to replace these with fresh fruits, don’t you think?
How is your intake of water? We are talking about plain water and not just fluid intake in general. If you do not have adequate hydration every day, how can you excrete uric acid through your urine? Your kidneys need water to filter properly.
Depending on your physical activity, an adult must drink at least two liters of water per day. You will need more as your physical activity increases.
Lastly, how is your stress level? When we are under stress, the body produces toxic chemicals called free radicals. This is related to the development of diseases such as cancer. Free radicals are neutralized by antioxidants which is abundant in plant food sources like fruits and vegetables.
Did you know that uric acid serves as an antioxidant for the brain? Given this attribute, then uric acid may not be all that bad, right? Unfortunately, this antioxidant has its limitations. It isn’t as perfect as the antioxidants innately possessed by our precious plant food sources.
Although uric acid is an antioxidant, it also reacts with oxidants and produce the harmful free radicals. Therefore, doing more damage to the body. The more stressed you are, your body may produce more uric acid.
If you have elevated uric acid in the blood or are suffering from the pains of gout, reflect on your food intake. Avoid refined sugar, unhealthy fat and animal-based products. Eat a lot of vegetables including legumes like soy and lentils, eat fresh fruits, whole grains, some nuts and seeds. Drink water throughout the day to stay hydrated and learn coping skills to manage your stress. Take pockets of rest throughout the day and make an effort to sleep at least seven hours at night.