Gout and Chicken

Can Eating Chicken Cause a Gout Attack?

Chicken or poultry is one of the most popular meats in the world and is best known for its high protein content. We all love chicken breast in our salad, chicken soup when we are sick, chicken stew for lunch, I love chicken gyro with tzatziki, tomatoes, onions and lettuce wrapped in a pita. If you are looking for a great source of lean and low fat protein, chicken’s got it!

A 4 ounce serving provides about 35 grams of protein which is more then enough protein intake for one day! Check out my eBook to learn more about how much protein are bodies really need. All of the B vitamins are also present in chicken meat (B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B12) as well as plenty of sulfur-containing amino acids and branched chain amino acids which are important support for your heart and skeletal muscles.

As for minerals, selenium is the most abundant (important for metabolic performance) but you also find zinc, magnesium, copper, phosphorus and iron. Phosphorus for example, is an essential mineral that not only helps support your teeth and bones; but may also help support your kidneys and liver which is important for us gout sufferers.

For gout sufferers chicken has many health benefits, since it is packed with protein, it helps fight against bone loss in patients osteoporosis, arthritis and yes even us gout sufferers! Poultry may also help your heart health since many gout sufferers go on to suffer from heart disease later in life, there is an amino acid in chicken called homocysteine that if are high in the body may cause cardiovascular disease. By eating chicken, it may help suppress and control homocysteine levels in the body.

But Chicken is High in Purines!

Chicken is moderately high in purines and you can still eat chicken if you have gout, you just can’t go overboard with it and limit how much you eat but don’t deprive yourself of some chicken in moderation. Chicken breast with skin is 175 mg uric acid/100 g, a chicken leg with skin is about 110 mg uric acid/100 g and then you have other cuts of chicken that range in between 110 mg and 175 mg, make sure to either bake, grill, roast or boil your chicken and never eat it fried!

A gout sufferer should only eat the leanest cuts of chicken and take out the skin. Avoid adding creamy sauces and gravies on top which are high in purines and not healthy for you anyway. I personally eat chicken breast most of the time in my big salads, once a week and occasionally I’ll have my chicken gyro pita or barbequed chicken sticks in the summertime.

In conclusion, best you buy certified organic chicken with the label “pasture-raised” if you can. You want your chicken to have spent time outdoors pecking, roaming, interacting socially in a natural environment setting. For us gout sufferers I strongly recommend that you stick to eating mostly chicken breast and to add more flavor buy them with the skin intact, cook them and then remove the skin after cooking.

You’ll improve the moisture and flavor of your chicken and the fat content won’t go that much higher. Another great idea, is why not build your own chicken coop in your own backyard and provide yourself and your family with fresh organic eggs as well as raising your own chickens organically! You’ll be surprised how easy it is to build a chicken coop!