Low Purine Yogurt Diet

Purines are found in every cell in the body and in most foods. Certain food elevates purines, which produce uric acid. When uric acid levels are elevated it brings on an attack of painful gout. Gout is treated with medication and diet. In some cases gout can be controlled by a low purine diet alone. This guide explains a low purine diet for reducing purines in the body.

Purines

• Purines are normally formed in the body and are in every cell. Purines are found in a variety of foods like liver, kidneys, sardines and anchovies. Fifteen percent of the body's uric acid comes from purines. Excessive uric acid in the body creates a painful condition known as gout. Kidney function works to keep uric acid levels to a normal level. In the company of a kidney disorder, uric acid levels will rise. When high uric acid levels cause gout, the condition can be managed with medication and diet. Diet and medication will lower uric acid by reducing the presence of excessive purines in the body.

Low purine diet

• In America a serving of any food is one-half cup. There are a few exceptions. A slice of bread or a medium apple is one serving. A glass of fruit juice or milk is 8 ounces (1 cup). There is a difference between amounts of raw verses cooked vegetables. One cup of raw vegetables or one-half cup cooked vegetables is a serving. One egg, two tablespoons of peanut butter, or one-half cup cooked beans is a serving. The low purine diet is measured in servings.

  Eat six to 11 servings a day from the bread, cereal, rice and pasta group. Have two to four servings of fruit each day. Note: Avocado is a fruit but contains high levels of fat and should be consumed in moderation. Eat twp servings daily of low fat milk and low fat dairy or yogurt. Have three servings each day of vegetables.

  Choose six ounces daily from the meat, poultry, fish, dried beans, peas, eggs and cheese group. One ounce of low fat cheese is considered a serving. Avoid organ meats because it will raise purine levels. Limit beef, peas, and dried beans to two servings a week. Limit fats (butter, margarine, oils or mayonnaise) to three teaspoons a day.

  Acceptable beverages are soda, coffee, tea, low fat soups, low fat milk, and all the water you can drink. Condiments are salt, herbs and spices, and low fat condiments. Desert choices are sugar free gelatin, sugar free low fat pudding (counts as 1 serving of dairy), low fat frozen yogurt (counts as 1 serving of dairy), and vanilla wafers. Fruit for desert is far more satisfying.

Following the diet

• Drink eight glasses of water a day. Avoid high purine foods like mincemeat, sweetbreads, scallops, goose, liver, kidney and gravies. Alcohol increases purine production and should be avoided. Limit meat to three ounces per meal. Stop eating high fat foods like ice cream, French fries, and creamy high fat, high calorie salad dressing.

  Eat recommended amounts of carbohydrates to help expel uric acid from the body. Rapid weight loss can increase uric acid levels so lose weight slowly. Avoid bakers or brewers yeast found in non-cake donuts or beer for example.

Tips

• With any diet for health or weight loss a good rule to follow is to avoid anything white (processed sugar, white flour, white rice, etc. An example of white food is processed sugar. To go a step further, white sugar is in cola, cookies, candy, ice cream and many other things. Eat brown rice instead of white rice. Choose whole wheat bread, muffins, or bun instead of white baked goods. Caffeine is a powerful stimulant which increases appetite. Make it a goal to completely eliminate caffeine from your daily intake. Caffeine is not something you can just quit using without intense side effect such as nausea and sever headache. Slowly remove caffeine from your diet over a six to eight weeks period to avoid symptoms. Salad Spritzer come in several flavors, has one calorie per spray, adds flavor to any salad, and helps you give up fat filled salad dressing.