For the over 8 million Americans living with gout, worrying about what foods may trigger painful flares is an everyday reality. Meat is commonly cited as one of the worst offenders for increasing uric acid and bringing on gout attacks. But does that apply to all meats equally? What about more affordable and versatile options like ground beef?
Ground beef is an American dinner staple, but those managing gout wonder if it should be off the menu. While research shows red meat in general may contribute to gout risk, not all meats affect uric acid levels the same. Understanding which cuts of beef are more likely to cause issues enables making informed choices to prevent flares.
How Uric Acid Causes Gout
To understand if ground beef aggravates gout, it helps to first review how gout develops. Gout results from excess uric acid crystallizing in the joints Uric acid comes from the breakdown of purines.
Purines are natural compounds found in some foods When the body metabolizes purines, uric acid is created as a byproduct Most uric acid dissolves in the blood and passes through the kidneys into urine. But in people with impaired kidney function or other risk factors, uric acid accumulates and crystallizes into needle-like deposits inside joints.
This causes sudden attacks of severe joint pain, most often in the big toe, ankles, and knees. Agonizing gout flares can last for days or weeks when untreated. Reducing blood uric acid levels is key to preventing recurring gout attacks.
Meat and Gout Risk
So do purine-containing foods like meat increase uric acid production? Research confirms that higher meat intake is associated with a greater incidence of gout:
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A major 2012 study found that people who ate over 4 servings of meat per week had a 30% higher gout risk than those eating less than 1 serving.
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Data from the famous Nurses’ Health Study linked frequent meat consumption to a higher occurrence of gout in women.
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A meta-analysis of multiple studies concluded diets low in meat correlated to reduced gout risk.
The implication is that something in meats may trigger gout attacks. Could it be the purines? Possibly, but other mechanisms are likely also at play.
Purines Alone Don’t Explain Gout Risk
If purines alone caused gout, you’d expect all high-purine foods to be problematic. But that’s not the case.
For example, a study in the New England Journal of Medicine found that purine-rich vegetables did not increase gout risk. Other research concludes that moderate intake of purine-containing beans or nuts poses little gout risk.
This indicates factors beyond just purines impact uric acid. That’s why some meats affect gout more than others.
Not All Meat Is Equally Risky
Studies reveal that red meat and processed meats have the strongest association with increased gout risk. Poultry – and especially lean white meat chicken and turkey – tend to have neutral or minimal impact on gout likelihood.
Seafood is middling in risk, with fatty fish like salmon tending to be safer while shellfish like mussels and scallops are higher in purines.
But what about common red meats like ground beef? Here’s how different types compare:
Ground Beef and Gout
- Moderate purine levels
- Linked to gout in studies, but less than organ meats
- Fat content and added ingredients may influence impact
- Leaner choices may be less risky (90% vs. 80%)
Steak and Gout
- Also moderate in purines
- Less processed forms may pose less risk
- Fatty cuts like ribeye likely worse than lean sirloin
Organ Meats and Gout
- Very high in purines
- Strongly associated with increased gout attacks
- Includes liver, kidneys, sweetbreads, brains
Deli and Processed Meat and Gout
- Added preservatives and salt may influence gout risk
- Includes bologna, salami, hot dogs, sausage, ham, bacon
Best Meats for Gout Diets
While no food is completely off limits, those with gout can reduce flares by making smart meat choices:
- Limit serving size to 4-6 ounces
- Opt for leaner cuts over high-fat options
- Choose chicken, turkey, and fish more often
- Avoid organ meats and limit processed deli meats
- Eat plant-based protein sources like beans and nuts
Being selective about meat intake while emphasizing vegetables, whole grains, low-fat dairy and other gout-friendly foods can make a difference in uric acid levels.
Tips for Handling Ground Beef with Gout
For those who don’t want to fully eliminate ground beef, there are ways to enjoy it more safely:
- Look for 90% lean or higher to minimize fat
- Limit portion to the size of your palm or 4-6 ounces
- Avoid added high-fructose corn syrup in enhancements
- Balance with vegetables and go easy on pork or processed meats
- Stay hydrated and limit alcohol, sugar, and yeast extracts
While lean ground beef in moderation may be manageable with gout, it’s still smart to opt for plant proteins and lean poultry more often.
Should You Avoid Ground Beef with Gout?
Research confirms that frequent red meat consumption is associated with higher gout risk. So those prone to gout attacks should be cautious about intake.
However, meat alone likely does not cause gout. Factors like genetics, obesity, and impaired kidney function play significant roles. Eating a diet higher in vegetables, low-fat dairy, whole grains and plant proteins may matter more for gout prevention than avoiding all meats.
Lean ground beef in moderate portions a few times a month is likely fine with gout for most people. But limiting red meat and opting for lean poultry, fish, beans, and nuts more often is an evidence-backed way to prevent painful gout attacks through diet.
Takeaways on Ground Beef and Gout
While no specific food alone causes or cures gout, dietary choices can reduce painful flares. For those with gout, it pays to be selective about meat:
- Prioritize chicken, fish, beans, and nuts over beef and pork
- Choose leaner cuts and limit portion sizes if eating red meat
- Avoid organ meats and processed deli meats
- Balance meat intake with plant foods like vegetables and whole grains
With attention to diet details, you can still enjoy an occasional burger or meatballs made with lean ground beef. Just be mindful of portions and pair with gout-friendly sides to prevent spikes in uric acid levels.
A combination of medication, staying hydrated, maintaining a healthy body weight, and making smart dietary choices offers the best odds of successfully managing gout. While ground beef is not entirely off the menu, being selective about intake enables reducing gout flares.
But there’s more to the sugar story
Carbs that are broken down quickly, like sugar, flour, starch, fruit juice, and white potatoes, are known to cause insulin levels to rise. Insulin tells the kidneys to reabsorb uric acid into the blood instead of excreting it into the urine. Why? Because insulin is, first and foremost, a growth hormone. The more cells you make, the bigger you get. To make more cells, you need more purines.
Thus our dear meat-mourning Mr. Bruni is dutifully eating a low-purine, high-refined carb diet, which both lowers and raises uric acid. There’s no way that could work. It’s like putting a humidifier and a dehumidifier in the same room and letting them fight.
So what should he eat? If we told him he couldn’t eat carbs, meat, or alcohol, what would he be left with? Fat and low-purine vegetables? Sad to say, that diet is dangerously low in nutrients. Which is worse for gout—meat or carbs?.
My beef with the meat-purine-gout hypothesis
- We don’t eat more meat now than we did 100 years ago.
- Some groups that ate a lot of meat, like Arctic peoples in the 19th century who ate mostly animal foods, did not get gout. “Eskimos and Northern Indians don’t have gout, even though they eat a lot of purines.” ”.
- Animal foods are higher in protein than plant foods. Proteins help the body get rid of purines through urine, which can lower uric acid levels.
- There are a lot of purines in plant foods like spinach, asparagus, mushrooms, legumes, and plants that grow quickly or densely.
- “The purine content of the diet does not usually contribute more than 1 mg/dl to the serum urate concentration.” This is because most of the uric acid in the blood comes from inside the body, as cells are being replaced every day: ”.
Researchers have found that people who eat more meat tend to have higher levels of uric acid and/or a higher risk of getting gout. These studies are called epidemiological studies. These studies have not taken carbohydrate in general, nor fructose in particular, into consideration. So, we don’t know if the people who said they ate more meat also ate more fructose. This is a very important question to ask since we’ve known since 1967 that fructose can make uric acid levels rise. Furthermore there are some epidemiological studies that find no association whatsoever between meat and uric acid levels. Either way, as many of you know, epidemiological studies are not experiments and correlation does not equal causation.
What Causes GOUT? (Meat Doesn’t Cause Gout) 2024
FAQ
Does ground beef make gout worse?
Can you eat burgers with gout?
What is the safest meat to eat with gout?
How often can I eat beef if I have gout?
What foods are bad for gout?
High-fructose corn syrup, found in diet drinks, bakery goods, breakfast cereals, fast foods and more. Be sure to check labels. Seafood. Shellfish, anchovies and and tuna used to be off limits for people with gout. Now the health benefits of moderate amounts of fish are thought to outweigh potential harm. 100% fruit juice.
Can you eat ground beef if you have gout?
If too high, reduce red meat consumption (see forum quotes below). Otherwise, look at other food groups in your healthy eating plan. Gout sufferers who are concerned about their ground beef intake often look for alternatives. However, the choice of beef substitute is totally dependent on personal food preferences.
What is ground beef & gout?
My original article about ground beef & gout was based on a discussion with a Romanian gout sufferer . But in that country and elsewhere, ground beef is referred to as “minced beef”. Anyway, since that article, there have been many changes to national gout guidelines. Also, many changes to my approach to helping gout sufferers.
Is it allowed for gout patients to eat fish?
Some types of seafood, such as anchovies, shellfish, sardines and tuna, are higher in purines than other types. However, the overall health benefits of eating fish may outweigh the risks for people with gout. Red meat, including beef, lamb and pork, should be limited in serving sizes.