A low-purine diet can help limit incidences of gout for those who are prone to this condition. Many protein sources tend to be high in purines, however, making it potentially difficult for people to get the protein they need while limiting purines. Beans tend to be a better choice than meats — although they are still moderately high in purines — since they have a lower fat content.
Beans and a Low-Purine Diet
Patients suffering from gout are often advised to avoid the habitual consumption of meat, seafood, animal proteins, and plant-based high-purine foods. However, according to a study appearing in the July 2015 issue of Arthritis Rheumatol, plant-based high-purine foods appear to have less impact on recurring instances of gout than animal-based high-purine foods.
This means it is more important to limit purines from meat than those from beans. Because obesity is linked to gout and most meats tend to be high in both fat and purines, this could account for some of the difference in the effects of animal- and plant-based sources of purines. This doesn’t mean you can eat an unlimited amount of beans, however; you still need to take their purine content into consideration.
Lowest-Purine Beans
Based on a serving size of 1/2 cup of cooked beans, the purine content of beans ranges from 19 to 75 milligrams, making them low to moderate purine foods. Among the better choices are garbanzo beans, with 19 milligrams of purines per 1/2-cup serving; lima beans, with 49 milligrams; red beans, 55 milligrams; and pinto beans, 57 milligrams.
Higher-Purine Beans
Black-eyed peas, lentils, and great northern beans have more than 70 milligrams per serving, and small white beans, split peas, and soybeans all have more than 60 milligrams of purines per serving. This is still lower than the purine content of meat or fish, which is more than 100 milligrams per 3.5 ounces serving, but you should opt for lower-purine beans more often than these types of beans.
Recommended Intake
Drugs.com recommends limiting your consumption of beans to no more than 1 cup per day and your consumption of meat, poultry, and fish to no more than 4 to 6 ounces per day when following a low-purine diet. You can make up the rest of your protein needs from low-fat dairy products, nuts, and peanut butter, and eggs, all of which are low in purines.
Important Notice: This article was originally published at www.healthyeating.sfgate.com by Jessica Bruso where all credits are due.
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