Food Adventures and Life Endeavors: Gout

Gout is caused by uric acid build up. The uric acid comes from eating purines and high acidic foods. The extra uric acid turns into crystals which are ultra painful. Most of the time it settles into the big toe or foot. Can also settle in the brain or heart or eye. My dad has had gout for a while now, mostly from his old diet of lobster,shellfish and beef.
It usually happens over time from eating high amounts of purines, your body can only get rid of so much uric acid so it keeps building up if you eat more purines than your body can process. Various food types and their purine content.

224 Foods (alphabetically)	Total Purines in mg uric acid/100 g (Average)	Min	Max	Nutr. Density in mg/MJ
HIGHEST IN PURINES (400 mg. uric acid/100 g and higher)
Fish, sardines in oil	480	399	560	519.5
Liver, Calf's	460			837.5
Mushroom, flat, edible Boletus, dried	488			932.8
Neck sweet bread, Calf's	1260			3012.9
Ox liver	554			1013.3
Ox spleen	444			1052.6
Pig's heart	530			1382
Pig's liver	515			937.9
Pig's lungs (lights)	434			911.2
Pig's spleen	516			1208.2
Sheep's spleen	773			1702.6
Sprat, smoked	804			795.6
Theobromine	2300			1611.3
Yeast, Baker's	680			2071.3
Yeast, Brewer's	1810			1866.6
MODERATELY HIGH IN PURINES (100 to 400 mg. uric acid/100g)
Bean, seed, white, dry	128			127.1
Bean, Soya, seed, dry	190			139.1
Beef, chuck	120			192
Beef, fillet	110			216.4
Beef, fore rib, entrecote	120			185.4
Beef, muscles only	133			292.1
Beef, roast beef, sirloin	110	110	120	201.4
Beef, shoulder	110			203.9
Black gram (mungo bean), seed, dry	222			194.3
Caviar (real)	144			141.6
Chicken (breast with skin)	175			288.4
Chicken (chicken for roasting), average	115			165.8
Chicken, boiling fowl, average	159			149.2
Chicken, leg with skin, without bone	110			152.2
Duck, average	138			146.2
Fish, Anchovy	239			560
Fish, Carp	160			330.9
Fish, Cod	109			335.9
Fish, Haddock	139			425.2
Fish, Halibut	178			439.9
Fish, Herring roe	190			342.4
Fish, Herring, Atlantic	210			216.9
Fish, Herring, Matje cured	219			197.6
Fish, Mackerel	145	95	194	191.2
Fish, Pike-perch	110			311.3
Fish, Redfish (ocean perch)	241			544.1
Fish, Saithe (coalfish)	163			473.4
Fish, salmon	170	110	250	202
Fish, sardine, pilchard	345			693.2
Fish, Sole	131	125	137	376.2
Fish, trout	297			686.7
Fish, Tuna	257			273.7
Fish, Tuna in oil	290			246.2
Goose	165			116.7
Grape, dried, raisin, sultana	107			86.4
Ham, cooked	131			248.1
Heart, Sheep's	241			367.6
Horse meat	200			438.8
Kidney, Calf's	218			419.6
Lamb (muscles only)	182			371
Lentil, seed, dry	127	114.45	164.65	93.8
Linseed	105			67.4
Liver, chicken	243			426.3
Lobster	118	60	175	346.4
Lungs, Calf's	147			389.1
Mussel	112			391.5
Ox heart	256			504.3
Ox kidney	269			569.5
Ox lungs (lights)	399			961.4
Ox tongue	160			186
Peas, chick (garbanzo), seed, dry	109			84.2
Pig's kidney	334			784.5
Pig's tongue	136			208.2
Pike	140			406.7
Poppy seed, seed, dry	170			86
Pork belly	100	80	110	92.3
Pork belly, raw, smoked dried	127			82.6
Pork chop with bone	145	140	150	260
Pork chuck	140	135	145	170.4
Pork fillet	150	145	150	334.8
Pork hip bone (hind leg)	120	115	130	155
Pork leg (hind leg)	160	150	160	357.4
Pork muscles only	166			374.9
Pork shoulder with skin (blade of shoulder)	150	145	150	165.2
Rabbit meat, average with bone	132	95	150	207.7
Rabbit/Hare (average)	105			219.4
Sausage "Jagdwurst"	112			127.8
Sausage salami, German	104			65.9
Sausage, liver (liverwurst)	165			122.2
Sausages, frying, from pork	101			80.2
Scallop	136			505.8
Shrimp, brown	147	60	234	397.9
Spleen, Calf's	343			815.9
Sunflower seed, dry	143			59.5
Turkey, young animal, average, with skin	150			237.3
Veal chop, cutlet with bone	140			309.6
Veal fillet	140			347.3
Veal knuckle with bone	150	140	160	353.2
Veal, leg of veal with bone	150	140	150	310.2
Veal, muscles only	172			438.7
Veal, neck with bone	150			326.9
Veal, shoulder	140			309.3
Venison back	105			205
Venison haunch (leg)	138	105	154	336.5
LOWEST IN PURINES (100 mg. uric acid/100 g and less)
Almond, sweet	37			15.7
Apple	14			60.1
Apricot	73			71.6
Artichoke	78			834.6
Asparagus	23	19.71	29.57	310.9
Aubergine	21			290
Avocado	19			20.9
Bamboo Shoots	29			402.1
Banana	57			152.4
Barley without husk, whole grain	96			71.1
Bean sprouts, Soya	80			378.3
Beans, French (string beans, haricot)	37	20	43	266.9
Beans, French, dried	45	40	50	39.4
Beef, corned (German)	57			96.5
Beer, alcohol free	8.1			75.4
Beer, Pilsner lager beer, regular beer, German	13			75.2
Beer, real, light	14			86
Beet root	19	15	21	108.5
Bilberry, blueberry, huckleberry	22			143.7
Brain, Calf's	92			203.1
Bread, wheat (flour) or (white bread)	14			13.9
Broccoli	81			691.6
Brussel sprouts	69			456
Cabbage, red	32	19.79	36.62	350.2
Cabbage, savoy	37	19.87	42.71	342.6
Cabbage, white	22			210.3
Carrot	17	14	25	155.9
Cauliflower	51			537.9
Caviar substitute	18			37.8
Celeriac	30			390.6
Cheese, Brie	7.1			5
Cheese, Cheddar/Cheshire cheese, 50% fat content in dry matter	6			4.3
Cheese, cottage	9.4			22
Cheese, edam, 30% fat content in dry matter	7.1			6.8
Cheese, edam, 40% fat content in dry matter	7.1			5.4
Cheese, edam, 45% fat content in dry matter	7.1			4.8
Cheese, Limburger, 20% fat content in dry matter	32			41.7
Cherry, Morello	17			75.5
Cherry, sweet	7.1			64.2
Chicory	12			171.8
Chinese leaves	21			412.4
Chives	67			581.2
Cocoa powder, oil partially removed, not including theobromine	71			49.7
Corn, sweet	52			140.9
Fish, Crayfish	60			220.3
Cress	28			200.8
Crispbread	60			44.9
Cucumber	7.3			141.7
Currant, red	17			122.6
Date, dried	35			29.9
Elderberry, black	33			144.4
Endive	17			297.7
Fennel leaves	14	10	16	139
Fig (dried)	64			60.4
Fish, eel (smoked)	78	45	110	57.2
Frankfurter sausages	89	68.74	129.52	80.2
Gooseberry	16			101.3
Grape	27			94.6
Grass, Viper's (black salsify)	71			939.4
Kale	48			309.1
Kiwi fruit (Chinese gooseberry, strawberry peach)	19			88.5
Kohlrabi	25	10.86	29.61	243.9
Leek	74			714.1
Lettuce	13	9.75	29.25	274.4
Lettuce, Lamb's	38			645.3
Meat, luncheon	70			58.8
Melon, Cantelope	33			143
Millet, shucked corn	62			41.9
Morel	30			748.9
Mushroom	58	55.48	60.52	858.2
Mushroom, flat, edible Boletus, cep	92			1011.6
Mushrooms, canned, solid and liquid	29			488.5
Mushrooms, Chanterelle	17			356.2
Mushrooms, Chanterelles, canned, solids & liquids	17			114.2
Nuts, Brazil	23			8.3
Nuts, hazelnut (cobnut)	37	27	42	13.9
Nuts, peanut	79			33.8
Oats, without husk, whole grain	94			63.6
Olive, green, marinated	29			51.1
Onion	13			112.4
Orange	19			105.9
Ox brain	75			140.7
Oyster	90			322.6
Oyster, mushroom	50			1054.6
Parsley, leaf	57			266.2
Pasta made with egg (noodles, macaroni, spaghetti, etc.	40			26.6
Pea, pod and seed, green	84			245.7
Pea, seed, dry	95	84.78	166.56	82.7
Peach	21			119.6
Pear	12	2	17	51.5
Peppers, green	55			681
Pig's brain	83			161.71
Pineapple	19			81.4
Plaice	93			257.6
Plum	24			116.8
Plum, dried	64			67.9
Potato	16			53.6
Potato, cooked with skin	18			60.3
Pudding, black	55	37.23	90.55	42.8
Pumpkin	44			422
Quince	30			185
Radish	15			234.3
Radishes	13			210.6
Raspberry	18			126.3
Rhubarb	12			212.6
Rolls, bread	21			18.2
Rye, whole grain	51	47	63	41
Sauerkraut, dripped off	16	12	20	224.7
Sausage "Bierschincken"	85			117.3
Sausage "Fleischwurst"	78			66.8
Sausage "Mortadella"	96	79	130	67.4
Sausage "Munich Weisswurst"	73			65.7
Sausage, Vienna	78			65.7
Sausages, frying, from veal	91			81.5
Sausages, German (Mettwurst)	74			45.9
Sesame (gingelly) seed, Oriental, dry	62			26.5
Spinach	57			844.7
Squash, summer	24			296.2
Strawberry	21	11.81	25.59	156.8
Tench	80			243.8
Tofu	68			196.4
Tomato	11			145.7
Nuts, Walnut	25			9.1
Wheat, whole grain	51	40.2	83.41	39.4
Yogurt, min. 3.5% fat content	8.1			27.7

It should be remembered that food is usually responsible for only ca. 30% of the uric acid content in the blood serum. Diet is very important to those who wish to lower their uric acid, yet other considerations should not be overlooked. Extremely physical exertion or traumatic injuries may contribute to the occurrence of gout. Also foods that elevate the blood acidity, despite their low purine content, may cause an aggravation of gout. Some examples may be: very spicy and greasy food, coffee, alcohol, excess tea, deeply fried food and more. In Chinese medicine concepts, these foods fall under the category of Heat and Damp producing foods and beverages.