Diseases of affluence are caused by eating! 3 tips for eating hotpot to keep away from gout

The temperature has dropped sharply and the weather is freezing cold. Can gout patients eat hot pot? Doctors point out that hot pot soup base contains purine from all foods and can easily induce gout, so people should stay away from hot pot. However, hot pot is a popular dish in Taiwan and it is difficult not to eat hot pot. It is recommended to choose low-purine ingredients and alcoholic beverages to avoid worsening of gout lesions.

Wu Qingren, attending physician of the Department of Internal Medicine at the Vitality Zhongshan Spine Surgery Hospital, pointed out that gout is a disease of affluence caused by eating and is closely related to diet. Originally, gout was more common in people over 40 years old, men, and obese people, but now half of gout patients are under 40 years old, and there are even high school students who come to seek medical treatment for the disease, which has become a new health crisis for the younger generation.

High-purine foods are prone to hyperuricemia

Clinically, the "precursor" of gout is hyperuricemia, and uric acid is the nucleic acid in the body, which is the final metabolite of purine. If you eat a lot of nucleic acids, you will produce a lot of uric acid. A large part of uric acid is excreted from the body through the kidneys and gastrointestinal tract, but if there is an imbalance between the production and excretion of uric acid, it will lead to high uric acid levels.

It is recommended that gout patients reduce the intake of high-purine foods, including: offal, seafood (some fish, shrimp, crab, shellfish, etc.), some beans, dried mushrooms, seaweed, hot pot broth and chicken essence, etc. Although alcohol is not a high-purine food, alcohol and fructose will be metabolized into lactic acid, which affects uric acid metabolism and can therefore worsen gout.

Gout comes and goes quickly, diet adjustment is the key

Dr. Wu Qingren emphasized that the most obvious symptom of a gout attack is joint pain, which may even be so painful that one cannot walk. The most common locations include the big toe, heel, knee, etc. There will be redness and swelling near the attack site, and if not carefully identified, it may be mistaken for cellulitis.

In fact, gout "comes quickly and goes away quickly". In treatment, some non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and colchicine, or combined with steroids, are usually used to suppress the inflammatory response of the joint cavity. Although drug treatment can relieve acute symptoms more quickly, the most important thing is still to adjust the diet and drink enough water.

3 tips for eating hot pot healthily without worrying about gout

Doctors remind that winter is a high-risk season for gout. In fact, as long as you pay a little attention to your diet, including: controlling your weight, limiting protein intake to 1 gram/kg, avoiding excessive fat intake, and reducing the intake of high-purine foods. If you have to eat hot pot, you should keep these 3 tips in mind to avoid gout attacks.

1. Pot base: You can choose to base it on vegetables, such as tomato pot, Korean kimchi pot, pumpkin pot, etc.

2. Ingredients: Meat should be low in fat, and the amount should be around 2 to 3 taels. You should avoid eating shrimp heads, and you should only taste a little seafood. At the same time, you can cook more vegetables at the beginning, which can not only add sweetness to the soup, but also increase the intake of dietary fiber.

3. Drinks: You can choose sugar-free soft drinks, such as tea, coffee or low-calorie drinks, which can not only avoid the intake of excess calories, but also promote the excretion of uric acid in the body.

【Intimate Reminder】：

When eating hot pot, you should drink less soup and not eat too much alcoholic supplements. Especially in winter, when you drink less water, uric acid concentration can easily soar. Remember to drink plenty of water after eating to help excrete uric acid and reduce the chance of gout attacks.