"Purine content in food is an important indicator when choosing foods for people with high uric acid and gout.". Because the "root cause" of gout is hyperuricemia, purines in food can be metabolized into uric acid in the body, affecting blood uric acid levels.
"The purine content in the skins of various grains is relatively high, and it has been believed that friends with gout or high uric acid should eat more refined grains with lower purine content such as refined white rice and refined white flour;"; Coarse grains with higher purine content, such as oats, taros, corn, and millet, should be eaten less.
But with the deepening of research, this view began to lose its footing.
The purine content of coarse grains is not necessarily high
Currently, the most professional book on food nutrition in China, "Chinese Food Composition List", does not include food purines in it.
There are many sources of "food purine content" in various data, and the relevant data are not very consistent, with some significant differences. This may be related to factors such as the measurement method, the origin, variety, maturity, and moisture content of the selected food.
The following is the data from Nutrition and Food Hygiene published by the People's Health Publishing House:
Purine Content Chart - 900.gif
From the above data, the purine content in many daily coarse grains such as millet, corn, sorghum, taro, potatoes, water chestnut, and sweet potato is not high, even far lower than that of refined white rice and refined white flour.
White rice and noodles can be eaten safely, and coarse grains with lower purine content can also be eaten.
Plant purines are different from animal purines
In the past, there has been a lack of in-depth research, so it has not been recognized that the effects of purines in plant based foods and animal based foods on gout are different.
However, recent research has found that purines in vegetable foods such as vegetables and coarse grains rarely increase blood uric acid levels and do not affect gout control.
In addition, the dietary fiber and various nutrients contained in coarse grains are higher than those in fine grains. If there is no special need, friends with high uric acid and gout need not reduce the intake proportion of coarse grains.
Therefore, it is enough for everyone to match the thickness of their daily staple foods, without having to specifically choose more refined grains, let alone avoid coarse grains.
Dietary fiber in coarse grains is beneficial for gout
Coarse grains contain more vitamins, minerals, dietary fiber, and fewer carbohydrates than refined grains, which are beneficial for controlling hyperuricemia and gout.
1. Lose weight and prevent gout
Dietary fiber has strong water absorption and swelling properties. After absorbing water, its volume and weight increase by 10-15 times, which can not only increase the feeling of fullness, but also reduce the absorption of fat by the human body, which is beneficial for preventing gout attacks.
2. Reduce the occurrence of hyperlipidemia
Gout is a metabolic disease, and gout patients are more likely to have hypertension, diabetes, hyperlipidemia and other conditions.
"Pectin" in dietary fiber from coarse grains can bind cholesterol and make it excrete directly from the intestine, thereby reducing the absorption rate of cholesterol in the diet, thereby reducing total cholesterol levels and reducing the incidence of hyperlipidemia. ".
3. Beneficial to the improvement of diabetes
Many gout patients are often accompanied by diabetes. In diet, not only the problem of gout, but also the problem of diabetes control should be considered.
Pectin in coarse grain dietary fiber can reduce the absorption rate of glucose and prevent a sharp increase in postprandial blood sugar, which is also beneficial for blood sugar control.
How to mix coarse and fine grains best?
For common patients with elevated blood uric acid or gout, they can freely mix and match according to their dietary preferences.
For gout patients who are overweight or even obese, it is recommended to increase the proportion of coarse grains as much as possible, while controlling the total amount of staple foods consumed every day to reduce weight. Obesity is also an important reason for affecting the control of high uric acid and gout. With good weight control, gout can also be improved.
For patients suffering from diabetes at the same time, it is recommended that the ratio of coarse grains to fine grains be 1 ∶ 1 or a larger proportion of coarse grains to help control blood sugar.
However, for people with gout and gastrointestinal diseases (such as gastric ulcers), the proportion of coarse grains should be reduced, and the proportion of coarse grains and fine grains should be matched according to their digestive capacity.