Does a vegetarian diet
contribute to high uric acid?
Q. I am a 63 year old, fit person. My height is 6.9 and weight
around 79 kgs. I go for 6-8 kms brisk walk 4 times a week. I am a
vegetarian and avoid fried/oily/fast food and drink lots of water.
However, for the last 5-6 years I am suffering from high uric acid,
gout and stone formation in the body. My gallbladder and one of the
salivary glands have already been surgically removed due to stones.
Stone was also seen in one kidney 3 years ago but fortunately it
got washed out by drinking lots of water. My uric acid level is
mostly moderately high (around 7.5 at worst) but my big toe or
ankle gets swollen/inflammed quite frequently. I have started
taking 1 zyloric tablet (100mg) daily which helps partly. Are there
some vegetarian items (vegetable or pulses) which could create this
problem? Could taking red wine even in moderation aggravate uric
acid/gout and stone formation? Is taking 1 Zyloric tablet/day
harmful in the long run?
A. Actually most people with hyperuricemia (increased uric acid) do
not develop gout. Therefore it is not necessarily the high level of
uric acid causing gout but perhaps a rapid change in its level.
Gout attacks can be precipitated by dehydration, injury, fever,
heavy eating, moderate to heavy drinking of alcohol, and recent
surgery. Other contributory factors include obesity, weight gain,
high blood pressure, abnormal kidney function, and drugs. Please
ask your doctor if our kidney function has recently been checked
and if it is normal. Since you are vegetarian, you already consume
diet which is not high in purine but for more detailed listing
please see below. Prevention of acute gout involves: maintaining
adequate fluid intake; weight reduction; dietary changes (given
below); reduction in alcohol consumption; medications to reduce
hyperuricemia. According to the American Medical Association (AMA),
purine-containing foods include: Beer, other alcoholic beverages.
Anchovies, sardines in oil, fish roes, herring. Yeast. Organ meat
(liver, kidneys, sweetbreads) Legumes (dried beans, peas) Meat
extracts, consomme, gravies. Mushrooms, spinach, asparagus,
auliflower.
Foods which may be beneficial to people with gout include: Dark
berries (that may contain chemicals that lower uric acid and reduce
inflammation). Tofu which is made from soybeans may be a better
choice than meats. Certain fatty acids found in certain fish such
as salmon, flax or
olive oil, or nuts may possess some anti-inflammatory benefits. As
per the AMA, a balanced diet for people with gout include foods:
High in complex carbohydrates (whole grains, fruits, vegetables),
low in protein (15% of calories and sources should be soy, lean
meats, poultry), No more than 30%
of calories from fat (10% animal fat).
NATURAL TREATMENTS FOR GOUT
Check your medications to see if they are having any effect on your
gout attack. Discuss them with your doctor. For pain relief rely on
ibuprofen (Nuprin, Advil, etc.) but not aspirin (which can worsen
symptoms) or acetaminophen (which is less effective). If you need a
stronger, anti-inflammatory, consult your doctor. Adopt a
low-purine diet, that is, one that eliminates foods that promote
the production of uric add, including anchovies, shellfish, smoked
meat, meat extracts, mincemeat that contains real meat, kidneys,
liver, brains, sweetbreads, sardines, mackerel, yeast (bakers and
brewers), asparagus, mushrooms, and dried peas. Increase your fruit
and vegetable consumption. Eliminate alcohol from your diet: Be
sure to drink adequate fluids: 3 quarts liquid daily. Adopt
stress-reducing techniques. Eat one-half pound of cherries each
day, either canned, frozen, or fresh, If you dont notice reduction
of symptoms in a week or two, discontinue. Eliminate or reduce
niacin; don't take more than 100 mg. daily. Don't take more than
5,000 I.U. of vitamin A daily, and if attacks continue, eliminate
vitamin A intake entirely..
17 May, 2004
Answered by
Dr. Naveen Atray
Asst. Professor of Medicine and Nephrologist,
Overton Brooks VA Medical Centre,
USA
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