Gout from spinach??

pembr0ke

I've been eating spinach daily for dinner during the last week, with either salmon or chicken. Keeps me full and is only 400 calories. Unfortunately, I woke up with an attack of gout yesterday which is unusual as I haven't been drinking or eating red meat,offal or shellfish. After a bit of googling it appears the spinach is likely to blame. Too many purines that cause Uric acid to form and crystallise. Bloody painful and now instead of training I'm stuck in bed! Are there any other 'unsuspecting' food I should look out for/avoid?

iamMichelletoday

I found a site that has what seems to be some pretty good information about purines and gout.
whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=george&dbid=51

kami3006

I don't have anything constructive to add. I just wanted to say that I have seen my best friend struggle with this for years and spend time with him when he has a flair up and can't get out to do much of anything. I know it's painful and I hope you are feeling better from this episode very soon!

Fitness_WonderWoman

I have never knew spinach is one of the foods to bring about "gout" i am glad you posted this because i eat baby spinach (bagged but fresh) almost daily as well with meats usually or just as a salad and never was aware of the negatives.

pembr0ke

kami3006 wrote: »

I don't have anything constructive to add. I just wanted to say that I have seen my best friend struggle with this for years and spend time with him when he has a flair up and can't get out to do much of anything. I know it's painful and I hope you are feeling better from this episode very soon!

Thank you!

pembr0ke

athelete2010 wrote: »

I have never knew spinach is one of the foods to bring about "gout" i am glad you posted this because i eat baby spinach (bagged but fresh) almost daily as well with meats usually or just as a salad and never was aware of the negatives.

Surprised me, especially as I've spent the last couple of weeks eating super clean and healthy. Feels a bit like a kick in the teeth

tryin2die2self

As I suffer from gout I have done a ton of research. Let me throw out the top three suspects:

1. Turns out our bodies are incredibly effective at eliminated purines (the little bugger that get converted into uric acid). We generate 2/3 of the purines in our body with the other 1/3 coming from what is consumed. Here is a new kicker, processed sugars have to be taken care of by the liver IN PLACE of filtering out uric acid. Also, processed sugars slow down the filtering process. Even if you don't take in a lick of extra purines your body builds up on what you already have. Since we eat too, it like like water building up behind a damn. Eventually it is going to spill over the top and you get a flare up. So my first question is are you taking in processed sugars?

2. Cold water fish and organ meats are really high in purines. If you are taking a "non-filtered" fish oil supplement you can be flooding your body with purines. It is like concentrated evil. It takes a pharmaceutical grade facility to filter purines out. The only filtered fish oil I could find is manufactured by Nordic Naturals. If you are taking a fish oil supplement, is it filtered?

3. The other big purine problem child is wheat. Which means that products that concentrate wheat in their process are an even bigger threat. Enemy #1, beer. Have you had a beer lately?

I am going through a three day water fast right not (almost done with Day 2) to help filter out uric acid and reset my immune system. It is my hope I can flush a lot of extra purines out with the flush too. It seems I am always on the very of a flare up and I am hoping this will help.

That said, what are you taking for maintenance or to break your flare up?

Fitness_WonderWoman

pembr0ke wrote: »

athelete2010 wrote: »

I have never knew spinach is one of the foods to bring about "gout" i am glad you posted this because i eat baby spinach (bagged but fresh) almost daily as well with meats usually or just as a salad and never was aware of the negatives.

Surprised me, especially as I've spent the last couple of weeks eating super clean and healthy. Feels a bit like a kick in the teeth

Yeah no kidding, I could only imagine. Am i deciding whether to keep eating my spinach or no. lmao. i mean i dont want to waste, maybe ill just eat it less often but still every week. I don't know. just sucks overall. lol

charlieandcarol

Are the fish and chicken new as daily items? I have a friend who always flares his gout when he eats more than average protein.

earth_echo

I've recently learned it's best to diversify when it comes to veggies. Too much spinach leads to kidney stones and gout. Too much broccoli or cauliflower can hinder thyroid function. There's probably more, but those are the ones I can think of at the top of my head. I got the hint. Veggies are awesome, but it's best to not eat the same ones every day, day in, day out.

MorganMoreaux

earth_echo wrote: »

I've recently learned it's best to diversify when it comes to veggies. Too much spinach leads to kidney stones and gout. Too much broccoli or cauliflower can hinder thyroid function. There's probably more, but those are the ones I can think of at the top of my head. I got the hint. Veggies are awesome, but it's best to not eat the same ones every day, day in, day out.

If you pair spinach with kale the kale neutralizes (?) the oxalates so you don't have to worry about kidney stones. I have spinach, kale, chard, and arugula daily and have had it daily for a few years and have yet to have issues. I have a one to one ratio. Just throwing that out there as I'm pretty routine and don't like to switch my food staples often lol.

choppie70

I don't have gout, but a few years ago I wound up in the emergency room with a huge kidney stone (22mm) that turned out to be a uric acid stone. I had ingested too many purines during my diet change. My urologist said the triggers had to be either legumes, alcohol, yeast, mushrooms , poultry, or spinach. I had been eating a spinach salad with every meal!

There is a pretty strong correlation between gout and uric acid kidney stones.

Ang108

MorganMoreaux wrote: »

earth_echo wrote: »

I've recently learned it's best to diversify when it comes to veggies. Too much spinach leads to kidney stones and gout. Too much broccoli or cauliflower can hinder thyroid function. There's probably more, but those are the ones I can think of at the top of my head. I got the hint. Veggies are awesome, but it's best to not eat the same ones every day, day in, day out.

If you pair spinach with kale the kale neutralizes (?) the oxalates so you don't have to worry about kidney stones. I have spinach, kale, chard, and arugula daily and have had it daily for a few years and have yet to have issues. I have a one to one ratio. Just throwing that out there as I'm pretty routine and don't like to switch my food staples often lol.

Kale does not neutralize enough of the oxalates in other dark green leafy vegetables, because it has oxalates also, if that is what one is looking for.
I had a heart attack in March and another one in April and all three cardiologist I saw told me right away when they found out about my whole foods home cooked diet that I had to avoid 100% all dark green leafy vegetables, because the oxalates interfere with the absorbtion of Warfarin , which I am taking.
I was also told that if I had no problems with certain health problems ( gout, kidney and gall bladder stones etc ) before, I could return to eating those vegetables once I stopped taking Warfarin, because basically they are very healthy and people who do not have those aforementioned problems do not have to worry. According to that you are perfectly fine to eat leafy vegetables whichever way you like.

MorganMoreaux

Ang108 wrote: »

MorganMoreaux wrote: »

earth_echo wrote: »

I've recently learned it's best to diversify when it comes to veggies. Too much spinach leads to kidney stones and gout. Too much broccoli or cauliflower can hinder thyroid function. There's probably more, but those are the ones I can think of at the top of my head. I got the hint. Veggies are awesome, but it's best to not eat the same ones every day, day in, day out.

If you pair spinach with kale the kale neutralizes (?) the oxalates so you don't have to worry about kidney stones. I have spinach, kale, chard, and arugula daily and have had it daily for a few years and have yet to have issues. I have a one to one ratio. Just throwing that out there as I'm pretty routine and don't like to switch my food staples often lol.

Kale does not neutralize enough of the oxalates in other dark green leafy vegetables, because it has oxalates also, if that is what one is looking for.
I had a heart attack in March and another one in April and all three cardiologist I saw told me right away when they found out about my whole foods home cooked diet that I had to avoid 100% all dark green leafy vegetables, because the oxalates interfere with the absorbtion of Warfarin , which I am taking.
I was also told that if I had no problems with certain health problems ( gout, kidney and gall bladder stones etc ) before, I could return to eating those vegetables once I stopped taking Warfarin, because basically they are very healthy and people who do not have those aforementioned problems do not have to worry. According to that you are perfectly fine to eat leafy vegetables whichever way you like.

Thx for clarifying that. I was told by my doctor to pair them and I would be fine, but I know docs are not nutritionists lol. I would be sad if I had to give up the leafy greens.

Also, thx for the heads up about leafy greens interfering with blood thinners - need to let my dad know. I got him on kale and I don't want it to interfere with his meds.

Liftng4Lis

I've heard of spinach messing with people's stomach's.

pembr0ke

charlieandcarol wrote: »

Are the fish and chicken new as daily items? I have a friend who always flares his gout when he eats more than average protein.

No, the fish/chicken are stables of my diet, but I have been eating tons of proteins recently to aid weight training, avg 200+ grams a day. Protein derived from fat-free Greek yogurt, whey powder, fruit, nuts, seeds and protein bars (as well as the lean meat/fish and green veg) I'm trying to keep calories at 2000 per day eating five meals.

pembr0ke

earth_echo wrote: »

I've recently learned it's best to diversify when it comes to veggies. Too much spinach leads to kidney stones and gout. Too much broccoli or cauliflower can hinder thyroid function. There's probably more, but those are the ones I can think of at the top of my head. I got the hint. Veggies are awesome, but it's best to not eat the same ones every day, day in, day out.

Such as shame, as I don't like most green vegetables; peas are the Devil's veg I guess I can still enjoy cabbage, kale etc if sautéed with garlic, ginger and chilli finished with a splash of soy. I certainly don't like the sound of kidney stones! BTW, I read last night that asparagus is as bad as spinach for purines...

pembr0ke

MorganMoreaux wrote: »

earth_echo wrote: »

I've recently learned it's best to diversify when it comes to veggies. Too much spinach leads to kidney stones and gout. Too much broccoli or cauliflower can hinder thyroid function. There's probably more, but those are the ones I can think of at the top of my head. I got the hint. Veggies are awesome, but it's best to not eat the same ones every day, day in, day out.

If you pair spinach with kale the kale neutralizes (?) the oxalates so you don't have to worry about kidney stones. I have spinach, kale, chard, and arugula daily and have had it daily for a few years and have yet to have issues. I have a one to one ratio. Just throwing that out there as I'm pretty routine and don't like to switch my food staples often lol.

Thanks, I'm they same, just trying to find some vegetables to eat regularly that I enjoy (which is a small list!)