Eat with me: Do not get gout

Author: Zhang Ming
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-01-01
Features: Gout is a gradually increasing metabolic disease worldwide and one of the representative pain-related conditions. As its name suggests, gout is a particularly painful form of arthritis; the character "wind" describes its sudden onset and remission, resembling turbulent waves during attacks and calm seas during recovery, hence the saying "gout comes and goes like the wind."
Gout is a group of metabolic diseases caused by long-term purine metabolism disorders. Elevated blood uric acid leads to uric acid crystal deposition in joint tissues, triggering an inflammatory response. In traditional Chinese medicine, gout falls under the category of "bi syndrome." It typically affects individuals over 30, with men accounting for about 95% of cases. Initially, gout presents as recurrent acute attacks of characteristic arthritis, which may later progress to joint deformity and dysfunction, subcutaneous gouty nodules, kidney stones, and uric acid nephropathy, the latter of which can significantly shorten patients' lifespans. Additionally, gout patients often suffer from hypertension, hyperlipidemia, type 2 diabetes, and coronary heart disease. Since gout is a non-curable disease, it severely impacts quality of life and poses significant harm. The medical community warns that in the 21st century, gout will become the second most common metabolic disease in humans after diabetes.
Gout is also known as the "disease of kings" or "disease of the wealthy," as it was primarily prevalent among emperors, generals, and the affluent in the past. Today, however, gout is no longer exclusive to royalty; even ordinary people can suffer from it. The underlying cause of gout is essentially overeating delicious foods, leading to nutritional excess. Therefore, preventing and treating gout, starting with diet, is particularly important. So, how should gout patients pay attention to their diet—what to eat and what to avoid? This book provides concise answers. Authored by experts including Zhang Ming, the book is meticulously compiled and divided into seven chapters, covering the epidemiology and genetic predisposition of the "strange disease" gout; the pathogenesis of gout; diagnosis and differentiation of gout; complications of gout; prevention, self-care, and dietary principles for gout. To support the treatment and prevention of gout, the book includes over 100 low-purine animal and plant foods, categorized as forbidden foods, foods to use with caution, and optional foods, all recommended for gout patients. The content is novel, easy to understand, highly scientific, and informative, making it an ideal popular science book for non-pharmacological treatment and prevention of gout. It is suitable for the general public to learn and prevent gout, as well as for gout patients and their families.