leetj 
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« on: May 03, 2007, 01:16:11 pm » |
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Gout is a condition due to "excessive" uric acid in the body. The level of uric acid which is considered "excessive" varies from one to another. High uric acid can be either due to decreased excretion from the body or increased production in the body.
85% of uric acid in the body is made by the human body. The rest of them comes from food we consume. Uric acid is "produced" from purine contained in our food. If one continues to take high purine-containing food for 1 to 2 weeks, the uric acid in the blood can raise by 0.1mmol/L. Ths is a small but significant raise!
Reseaches have shown the increased risk of acute attack of gouty arthritis in 5 years of almost 20% if blood uric acid is more than 0.54mmol/L. If the level falls by 0.1mmol/L, the risk is less than 1%!
During an acute attack, one should consume low purine-containing food for at least 1 week. One should limit consumption of alcohol and fat to prevent acute attack. Alcohol causes raised uric acid by:
1. decreasing excretion of uric acid
2. causing increased urine output hence dehydration; which further increases uric acid formation.
3. Alcohol itself contains high purine (the "raw meterial" for uric acid)
However, many of the moderate purine-containing food is beneficial e.g. high fibre bread, unpolished rice etc. Therefore, during "normal" period, one can carefully consume those food.
DIETARY TIPS
High Purine Food (more than 150mg/100g)
Strategy: Avoid during both acute attack and normal period
Examples: Internal Organs, games, sardin, alcohol
Moderate Purine Food (100 - 150mg/100g)
Straetegy: Avoid during acute attack. Moderate consumption during normal period
Examples: chicken, beef, pork, mutton, prawn, lobster, crab, soya bean, high fibre bread, unpolished rice, green bean, oat, mushroom
Low Purine Food (less than 50mg/100g)
Strategy: Moderate consumption during acute attack
Examples: polished rice, flour, barley, most vegitables and fruits, dairy products, eggs, seeds
Reproduced from: Guang Ming Daily 1-5-2007 B7)
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