[Reading level: B2 – Upper Intermediate]
Diet cannot replace medication for treating gout, but choosing the right foods can help control uric acid levels and reduce the risk of gout attacks. Vegetables and fruits, in particular, should be included regularly in the diet because they are rich in water, fiber, vitamins, and antioxidant compounds.
Uric acid is produced when the body breaks down purines – compounds that occur naturally in the body and are also found in many foods. Normally, uric acid enters the bloodstream, is filtered by the kidneys, and is then eliminated mainly through urine. When the body produces too much uric acid or the kidneys cannot remove enough of it, uric acid can build up and form crystals in the joints, causing painful gout attacks.
Below are six vegetables and fruits that can be part of a healthy diet for people who need to control their uric acid levels.
Cucumber
Since cucumber is made up mostly of water, it is a good way to increase fluid intake through the diet. Staying well hydrated is particularly important for people with gout because water helps the kidneys remove uric acid from the body.
Cucumber also provides some fiber and various plant compounds with antioxidant properties. It can be eaten raw, added to salads, or combined with other vegetables rather than consumed as juice with added sugar.
Tomatoes
Tomatoes provide many nutrients, particularly vitamin C and lycopene – an antioxidant responsible for their characteristic red color. Antioxidants help protect cells against oxidative stress and can form part of a healthy anti-inflammatory diet.
Tomatoes also have a high water content and contain very little fat. People with high uric acid levels can include tomatoes in salads, soups, or everyday dishes.
Bitter Melon
Bitter melon, also known as bitter gourd, provides vitamin C as well as several minerals and plant compounds. It can be included as part of a varied diet for people who need to manage their uric acid levels.
However, there is not yet enough high-quality clinical evidence to confirm that drinking bitter melon juice can directly “flush out” or reduce uric acid. Therefore, rather than considering bitter melon juice a treatment for gout, it is better to regard the fruit as part of a balanced diet.
Bell Peppers
Bell peppers are particularly rich in vitamin C, especially red bell peppers. Vitamin C has been studied for its potential to help lower uric acid levels in the blood.
In addition to vitamin C, bell peppers provide fiber and a variety of antioxidants. They can be eaten raw in salads or cooked with other vegetables to increase the amount of vegetables in the diet.
Notably, dietary guidance for people with gout also commonly recommends foods rich in vitamin C, including bell peppers.
Apples
Apples provide fiber, vitamins, and a range of beneficial plant compounds. Eating a whole apple with the skin also adds fiber to the diet and can be a healthy snack in place of sweets or other foods high in sugar.
Some popular claims suggest that the malic acid in apples can “neutralize” uric acid. However, there is currently no strong clinical evidence to confirm that eating apples can directly neutralize uric acid in the blood.
The more practical benefit of apples is that they are whole fruits rich in fiber and can form part of a healthy diet. Dietary guidelines for people with gout also favor whole fruits over fruit juices, as juices may provide a larger amount of sugar in a single serving.
Carrots
Carrots are rich in beta-carotene – a compound that the body can convert into vitamin A – as well as fiber and various other antioxidants. They are easy to incorporate into meals and are well suited to a plant-rich diet.
However, as with bitter melon, there is no strong evidence that carrots alone can directly remove uric acid from the body. Their main benefit comes from their contribution to a diet rich in vegetables, fiber, and beneficial nutrients.
Carrots can be eaten raw, steamed, boiled, or added to salads and everyday dishes.
No vegetable or fruit is a “medicine for flushing out uric acid”
It is important not to expect any single vegetable or fruit to rapidly lower uric acid levels. Medical organizations recommend looking at the overall diet rather than focusing on a few “superfoods.”
People with gout should prioritize vegetables, whole fruits, whole grains, and suitable sources of protein while also staying well hydrated and limiting organ meats, large portions of red meat, certain types of seafood, fructose-sweetened drinks, and alcoholic beverages.
Notably, even some vegetables that contain relatively high amounts of purines, such as spinach and asparagus, have not been shown to increase the risk of gout in the same way as animal sources of purines. Therefore, people with gout generally do not need to eliminate vegetables from their diet simply because they contain purines.
Diet is an important part of managing gout, but it usually cannot lower uric acid enough to replace medication in people who require treatment. Those with persistently high uric acid levels or frequent gout attacks should consult a doctor to determine an appropriate uric acid target and treatment plan.
Source: Vnexpress.net
WORD BANK:
medication /ˌmed.əˈkeɪ.ʃən/ [B2] (n): thuốc; việc dùng thuốc
gout /ɡaʊt/ [C1] (n): bệnh gút
gout attack /ɡaʊt əˈtæk/ (n): cơn gút cấp
antioxidant /ˌæn.t̬iˈɑːk.sɪ.dənt/ [C1] (n/adj): chất chống oxy hóa; có tác dụng chống oxy hóa
compound /ˈkɑːm.paʊnd/ [B2] (n): hợp chất
break down sth /breɪk daʊn/ [B2] (phr v): phân giải, phân hủy cái gì
purine /ˈpjʊr.iːn/ (n): purin
bloodstream /ˈblʌd.striːm/ [C1] (n): dòng máu
filter /ˈfɪl.tɚ/ [B2] (v): lọc
eliminate /ɪˈlɪm.ə.neɪt/ [B2] (v): loại bỏ, đào thải
urine /ˈjʊr.ɪn/ [B2] (n): nước tiểu
build up /bɪld ʌp/ [B2] (phr v): tích tụ
crystal /ˈkrɪs.təl/ [B2] (n): tinh thể
joint /dʒɔɪnt/ [B2] (n): khớp
fluid /ˈfluː.ɪd/ [B2] (n): chất lỏng, dịch
intake /ˈɪn.teɪk/ [C1] (n): lượng tiêu thụ, lượng hấp thụ
stay hydrated /steɪ ˈhaɪ.dreɪ.t̬ɪd/ (phrase): duy trì đủ nước cho cơ thể
fiber /ˈfaɪ.bɚ/ [B1] (n): chất xơ
property /ˈprɑː.pɚ.t̬i/ [B2] (n): đặc tính, tính chất
lycopene /ˈlaɪ.kə.piːn/ (n): lycopene, sắc tố chống oxy hóa màu đỏ
characteristic /ˌker.ək.təˈrɪs.tɪk/ [B2] (n): đặc điểm, đặc tính
oxidative stress /ˈɑːk.sə.deɪ.t̬ɪv stres/ (n): stress oxy hóa, tình trạng mất cân bằng oxy hóa
anti-inflammatory /ˌæn.t̬i.ɪnˈflæm.ə.tɔːr.i/ (adj): chống viêm, kháng viêm
bitter gourd /ˌbɪt̬.ɚ ˈɡɔːrd/ (n): mướp đắng, khổ qua
varied /ˈver.id/ [B2] (adj): đa dạng
clinical evidence /ˈklɪn.ɪ.kəl ˈev.ə.dəns/ (n): bằng chứng lâm sàng
flush out sth /flʌʃ aʊt/ (phr v): đào thải, đẩy cái gì ra khỏi cơ thể
particularly /pɚˈtɪk.jə.lɚ.li/ [B1] (adv): đặc biệt
rich in sth /rɪtʃ ɪn/ [B1] (adj): giàu cái gì
dietary guidance /ˈdaɪ.ə.ter.i ˈɡaɪ.dəns/ (n): hướng dẫn về chế độ ăn uống
skin /skɪn/ [A2] (n): vỏ; da
in place of sth /ɪn pleɪs əv/ [B2] (prep): thay cho, thay vì
malic acid /ˈmeɪ.lɪk ˈæs.ɪd/ (n): axit malic
neutralize /ˈnuː.trə.laɪz/ [C1] (v): trung hòa
whole fruit /hoʊl fruːt/ (n): trái cây nguyên quả
serving /ˈsɝː.vɪŋ/ [B2] (n): khẩu phần
beta-carotene /ˌbeɪ.t̬ə ˈker.ə.t̬iːn/ (n): beta-carotene
incorporate sth into sth /ɪnˈkɔːr.pə.reɪt/ [C1] (v): kết hợp, đưa cái gì vào cái gì
suited to sth /ˈsuː.t̬ɪd/ [B2] (adj): phù hợp với cái gì
organ meat /ˈɔːr.ɡən miːt/ (n): nội tạng động vật dùng làm thực phẩm
fructose-sweetened /ˈfrʌk.toʊs ˌswiː.tənd/ (adj): được làm ngọt bằng fructose
alcoholic /ˌæl.kəˈhɑː.lɪk/ [B2] (adj): có cồn
beverage /ˈbev.ɚ.ɪdʒ/ [B2] (n): đồ uống
purine /ˈpjʊr.iːn/ (n): purin
spinach /ˈspɪn.ɪtʃ/ [B1] (n): rau bina, cải bó xôi
asparagus /əˈsper.ə.ɡəs/ (n): măng tây
eliminate sth /ɪˈlɪm.ə.neɪt/ [B2] (v): loại bỏ, đào thải cái gì
persistently /pɚˈsɪs.tənt.li/ [C1] (adv): dai dẳng, kéo dài liên tục
determine sth /dɪˈtɝː.mɪn/ [B2] (v): xác định cái gì
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