Can mung beans cause gout?
What is gout? Is it the same as arthritis?
Arthritis is a term that has been loosely used to describe joint pain. It is actually a joint disease wherein part of, or the entire, joint is affected and/or damaged. But it is not just one disease. In fact, there are over 100 types of arthritis, and gout is just one of them. Gout is the most common inflammatory arthritis in Filipinos. It is characterized by episodic, severely painful joint swelling due to an increase in uric acid in the blood. Uric acid can crystallize and deposit into the joint when there is an excess amount and cause a gout “attack” or “flare.”
What do I feel if I have gout?
In a gout attack, there is severe pain and swelling that rapidly develops (over 24 hours to reach maximum intensity) usually involving the big toe, foot, ankle, or knee, which makes walking difficult. These bouts of pain come and go, and in between gout flares, there is no joint pain. But as gout progresses and uric acid remains uncontrolled, more joints, can be involved, and the pain may occasionally be prolonged, and almost without its characteristic “pain-free intervals.” Aside from the joints, uric acid crystals also deposit into the connective tissues in the body resulting in damage to the affected organs.
How do I know if I have gout?
The uric acid level in the blood may help point to a diagnosis of gout, but it is good to remember that this may be misleading at times, especially if measured at during a gout attack (because it can be falsely low as uric acid crystals are already in the joints and less in the blood). Not everyone with high uric acid also has gout; will develop gout; or should be given medications.
What food do I avoid to help prevent or treat gout? Are mung beans prohibited?
It is good to avoid food rich in purine because this eventually transforms into uric acid in the body. Examples include alcoholic drinks (especially beer and hard drinks); shellfish and small fishes (such as anchovy and sardines); food and drink containing high-fructose corn syrup; and liver or other organs. It is better to decrease portions of red meat such as beef and pork, and salty food as well.
So what can people with gout eat? Contrary to popular belief, mung beans (munggo), as well as other types of beans, are NOT prohibited! Gout sufferers are encouraged to eat vegetables, even those touted to have high purine content. Rice, pasta, soup (that is not too salty), low-fat or non-fat dairy, and coffee are not bad for people with gout.
What medications are recommended to treat gout?
There are two goals when we medically treat a person with gout. The first one is to control the intense pain and swelling using anti-inflammatory medicines, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), or steroids (oral, intra-muscular, or intra-articular).
The second, and more important, treatment objective is to control the cause of gout, which is high blood uric acid, by medications. Treating the root of the problem will ensure lesser, minimal, to even no gout attacks in the future. Damage to the kidneys, joints, and other organs can slow down or be halted.
Treatment should be tailored to each patient.
What other things should I do to help myself?
Aside from improving your diet to lower your purine intake, it is advisable to control your weight by exercising more, minimizing stress, and address other frequently associated diseases, such as high blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol, or heart disease. Gout can be managed easily if patients and doctors partner together.
St. Luke’s Medical Center-Global City has a Rheumatology, Allergy and Immunology (RAI) Center that addresses the diagnosis, treatment, and management of a wide range of rheumatologic and immunologic conditions. It is staffed by local and international board-certified rheumatologists, allergologists, and immunologists with individual expertise on specific diseases under this extensive field. For more information, contact the St. Luke’s-Global City RAI Center at 789-7700 ext. 2103.
Dr. Geraldine Zamora-Racaza was awarded The Outstanding Young Men and Women (TOYM) for Medicine in 2016. She was a class valedictorian of the University of the Philippines College of Medicine and now serves her alma mater as a Clinical Associate Professor. She is part of the Internal Medicine Residency Training Committee of St. Luke’s Medical Center-Global City. She is also a board member of the Sagip Buhay Medical Foundation, Inc., the Vice-President of Hope for Lupus Foundation, Inc., and co-author of the books, Living with Lupus, Rayuma in the Young, and Bawal ba ang Munggo sa Rayuma? Her Facebook page, “Doc Geraldine (Ging) Zamora Racaza” aims to teach Filipinos here and abroad regarding the different types of rheumatism using the vernacular.