Gout is caused by raised levels of urate and is a condition in which diet is known to play a part. If plasma urate concentration increases too much, some will precipitate as uric acid crystals. These crystals may then deposit in the joints, causing pain and inflammation. Uric acid is the end product of purine metabolism. Purines are a constituent of DNA and during cell turnover they are released and converted into uric acid, which is excreted via the kidneys. Dietary purines are also broken down to uric acid and excreted. However, there is no dietary requirement for purines as they are synthesised endogenously.
Purine content of some common foods |
|
| High | Low |
| Yeast extracts (eg, Marmite), yeast tablets, beer | Tea |
| Meat, offal | Coffee |
| Shellfish | Cheese |
| Sardines | Eggs |
| Fish roes | Milk |
| Mycoprotein (eg, meat substitutes, such as Quorn) | Cereal |
This series of "dietary advice tips" is intended to be a reminder of the main points to be made by pharmacists when giving nutritional information to the public. The conditions included in the series are those where diet is a well recognised risk factor, those in which diet contributes to the management of the condition, and others for which patients may welcome sound dietary advice. The series is written by Dr Pamela Mason (a pharmacist with a postgraduate qualification in nutrition)
