Fish & Gout
Gout has been called the rich man's disease because of types of food that cause it. Meat, once a luxury, is high in purines, compounds associated with gout. The role of fish in a gout diet is less clear-cut.
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Uric Acid Levels
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Purines are chemical compounds that metabolize into uric acid, which can bring on gout. On the Dietary Fiber Food website, uric acid levels are listed in order of mg uric acid per 100 g food. Fish above 170 are troublesome for people with gout. Tuna comes in at 257, anchovy at 239, and salmon at 170.
Portion Size
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Because the portions are given in mg per 100 grams of food, eating a small amount of a food high in purines might give you no more gout problems that eating a larger amount of a food with a slightly lower content. Portion size matters.
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How Frequently Eaten
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Best Gout Remedies suggests that you eat high- to moderate-purine fish no more than two times per week. To counter the extra uric acid formed by the purines, the website recommends you eat low uric acid foods, such as vegetables, with it.
Weight Loss
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The Weight Loss Professional website's "The Gout Diet" says that "Obesity can be linked to high uric acid levels in the blood." Since gout responds well to gradual weight loss and it is easier to lose weight eating fish than meat, eating fish can be beneficial.
Omega-3
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While heart-healthy Omega-3 fish oils are helpful in any diet, Best Gout Remedies explains that the best policy is to balance the benefits of the particular fish with its purine content.
Geography
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The location people live in affects their diet, and so it affects the number of people there who have gout. For example, people near the ocean in the Philippines eat so much fish their government posts the purine contents of local types of fish, says Best Gout Remedies.
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References
Resources
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