What Foods Are on a Low Purine Content List?
Foods on low purine content lists include enriched breads and pastas, skim and low-fat dairy products, and all fruits and vegetables. Soda, coffee and tea are low in purine, as are some snacks, including gelatin, vanilla wafers and angel food cake. Beef, veal, pork, poultry, veal and several types of fish are also acceptable on a low-purine diet.
Patients prescribed a low-purine diet should avoid whole milk products and items with high fat content. When choosing meats, avoid organ meat, as well as anchovies, mackerel, scallops, mussels, and goose. Alcohol should also be avoided, as it causes the body to produce purine.
Those on a low-purine diet should eat plenty of carbohydrates to help rid the body of excess uric acid. Weight loss should be done gradually, as quickly losing weight stimulates uric acid production. Limit meats to 3 ounces per serving, and drink eight to 12 cups of water per day. Avoid baker’s or brewer’s yeast supplements.
Purines are responsible for 15 percent of the body’s uric acid content. Excessive levels of uric acids are the cause of kidney stones and gout. Patients with these conditions are often prescribed a low-purine diet in addition to daily medications. Individuals who have received organ transplants are also prescribed this diet.
