Gout foods might be important, but never in isolation.
In my explanation of the right approach to gout foods, I try to explain that there are no good gout foods, and no bad gout foods. There is only the right approach to all gout foods.
This is very hard for people to accept.
Gout sufferers are inundated with lists of foods to avoid, and occasional lists of foods that might be good for gout. I say these are dangerously misleading.
Trying to link individual foods, or small groups of foods, to gout is pointless. Yes, we know that meat contains purines that can boost uric acid production, but this does not make all meat bad. Moderate amounts of meat balanced by at two or three times the amount of vegetables is a good basis for a healthy diet. Depriving yourself of a healthy diet by cutting out essential nutrients is never good for gout.
It is true to say that the average American eats too much meat. This is a bad eating habit, but it does not make meat a bad food. Excess meat is bad, so cut that out, but avoiding meat completely is just as likely to harm gout as help it, unless you take other steps to balance essential nutrients.
On the other hand, some gout foods, such as dairy proteins and coffee, are regarded as good for gout. But they are only good if they form part of a healthy menu. A diet restricted solely to one or two food items is very bad for gout. The resulting malnutrition would make your gout much worse, as well as being bad for general health.
Elsewhere, I focus on establishing a healthy diet for gout sufferers. Here, I am just looking at this pointless classification of so-called gout foods.
I say there are no gout foods, good or bad. There might be good gout diet plans and bad gout diet habits, but individual foods can never be good or bad.
What do you say?
Can you think of any gout foods? Please share your opinions below, and be sure to include why you believe they are good or bad.
Please read my guidelines on the right approach to gout foods before commenting.
In the old forum, Katie, concerned about her Mom, asked:
This is a fine example of why there are no bad gout foods. It is important to develop a diet for the person. If someone has a food allergy, it is important to plan the diet for that condition. Only when that diet is established can you review it and say if the total intake is good or bad for gout.
Specific foods are never important to gout – complete diet is often important.
That is why I say there are no gout foods – unless you know different.