Uncle Zhang clutched a physical examination report tightly in his hand. The two big words "gout" on this report weighed on his heart like a boulder.
"I've obviously paid a lot of attention to my diet, and I usually eat very little meat, so how can I get gout?" Uncle Zhang muttered to himself with a puzzled face.
At this time, his wife, Aunt Li, came over and saw the report in her husband's hand at a glance, and she couldn't help but chuckle in her heart.
Aunt Li picked up the report and looked at it carefully, and then asked softly, "Lao Zhang, have you eaten too much asparagus recently?" I remember that a few days ago you said that asparagus in the market is cheap and fresh, and you bought a lot of it. ”
Uncle Zhang was stunned for a moment, nodded and said, "Yes, I think asparagus is a vegetarian dish, so it should be okay to eat more." Speaking of this, he paused suddenly, as if realizing something, "Could it be that eating asparagus can also get gout?"
Aunt Li frowned, and said uncertainly: "I don't know very well, but I heard that some vegetarian vegetables are also very high in purine, so we still have to be careful about this." Hearing the word "purine", Uncle Zhang's heart was even tighter.
01
Purine, a seemingly unfamiliar term, is actually closely related to our health. Purines are nitrogenous organic compounds that are widely found in our food.
When purines enter the human body, they are metabolized to produce uric acid. The right amount of uric acid can act as an antioxidant to protect our blood vessels, but once there is too much uric acid, it can be deposited in the joints or kidneys, leading to diseases such as gout or kidney stones.
So, why does uric acid rise? It has to do with our eating habits. When we consume too many purine-containing foods, the production of uric acid in the body increases.
At the same time, if the kidney function is not good, it will also affect the normal excretion of uric acid, which will lead to an increase in the level of uric acid in the blood.
Long-term hyperuricemia may not only trigger an acute attack of gout, but may also lead to chronic diseases such as arthritis.
02
When it comes to purine-containing foods, many people may first think of meat dishes such as meat and seafood.
However, the purine content in some common vegetarian dishes is not low. If these "invisible purines" are neglected, long-term large intake may also cause adverse health effects.
01. Asparagus
Asparagus is known as a delicious and healthy ingredient and many people love to eat it. However, what you may not know is that asparagus contains as much as 500mg/100g of purines, which is much higher than many seafood.
At the same time, asparagus also contains high oxalic acid, which competes with uric acid for excretion pathways, thus affecting the normal excretion of uric acid. Therefore, asparagus is not an ideal choice for people with high uric acid.
02, Partial sprouts
Soybean sprouts and pea sprouts are common vegetables in daily life, but they are also relatively high in purines. The purine content of every 100 grams of soybean sprouts or pea seedlings can reach about 500mg.
While mung bean sprouts are slightly lower in purines, they are still higher than many other vegetables.
Therefore, it is best for people with high uric acid to avoid these sprouts or remove their roots before eating them, as purines are mainly concentrated in the roots.
03, Purple Cabbage
Seaweed, as a popular seaweed food, is very common in Asian diets. However, what you may not know is that the purine content per 100 grams of nori is also quite high. This high purine level is even comparable to some meats.
Therefore, it is very necessary for patients with hyperuricemia or gout to reduce the intake of seaweed.
04. Shiitake mushrooms
Shiitake mushrooms are one of the commonly used ingredients in cooking, but the purine content of both fresh and dried shiitake mushrooms is not low. In particular, the purine content of dried shiitake mushrooms is as high as 400mg/100g or more. Therefore, it is also necessary to control the appropriate amount when consuming shiitake mushrooms.
03
After learning about these high-purine vegetarian dishes, how should we make reasonable adjustments in our daily diet?
01. Choose a low-purine diet
First of all, we can choose low-purine foods to increase our intake. For example, most root vegetables (such as carrots, potatoes, etc.) and melons (such as pumpkin, cucumbers, etc.) are low-purine and nutritious food choices.
02、
For vegetables that contain high purine content, proper treatment can be carried out before cooking to reduce their purine content. For example, blanching can help reduce some of the purines and other harmful substances in vegetables.
03. Balanced intake
We should also pay attention to a balanced intake of various foods and avoid over-reliance on a single high-purine food. A varied diet helps maintain good health and meet the needs of various nutrients.
04. Control the intake of soy products
While soy products are a healthy source of protein, some soy products may cause increased purine content during processing. Therefore, it is also necessary to control the consumption of soy products in moderation and pay attention to your body's reactions.
There are also many "big purines" hidden in vegetarian food. For middle-aged and elderly people who pay attention to health preservation and pursue health, it is more necessary to be vigilant about the potential risks brought by these foods.