What should gout patients pay attention to when dining out?

Hey friend, I totally get it. As someone who's been dealing with this for a while, eating out can indeed be a challenge, and it's easy to "fall victim" if you're not careful. Let me share some of my personal experience, hoping it helps you too.

Just remember one core principle: we need to steer clear of "purines," as they are the raw material for uric acid. Restaurants often use rich ingredients for better flavor, and many dishes are high in purines, so you need to be extra vigilant.

These items are basically "minefields" and best avoided:

1. Seafood and freshwater seafood: Especially shellfish like clams, scallops, oysters, and also dried small fish, sardines, and anchovies. These are purine "hotbeds," and one bite could undo all your efforts.
2. Animal offal/organs: Things like kidneys, liver, large intestines, brain... these are among the highest purine foods and absolutely must be avoided.
3. Various rich broths: Whether it's hot pot broth, or long-simmered meat, bone, or fish broths, purines dissolve into the soup. So, when eating hot pot, only eat the cooked ingredients, and absolutely do not drink the broth. The same goes for noodles or rice vermicelli; eat them dry, don't drink the soup.
4. Alcohol, especially beer: Beer is the number one enemy of gout; it promotes uric acid production and hinders its excretion, a double whammy. Try to avoid spirits and rice wine too. If you absolutely can't refuse, a small glass of red wine might be a slightly better, but still a last resort.
5. Sugary drinks: Avoid sweet beverages like cola, fruit juice, and milk tea. The fructose in them can affect uric acid metabolism, making them as dangerous as alcohol.

When ordering, you can choose more from these "safe zones":

1. Drink plenty of plain water or soda water: This is the most, most, MOST important point! Drinking lots of water helps flush uric acid out of your body; it's the best "medicine." Drink plenty before and during your meal.
2. Eat plenty of vegetables: Most vegetables are safe, such as various leafy greens, cabbage, cucumbers, tomatoes, eggplants, potatoes, etc. They are your good friends.
3. Eggs and low-fat dairy products: Eggs, milk, and yogurt are good choices for high-quality protein and are very low in purines.
4. Staple foods: Rice, steamed buns, and noodles can be eaten without worry.

Here are a few practical tips:

• Choose cooking methods: When ordering, try to pick dishes that are steamed, blanched, cold-dressed, or stir-fried, and avoid heavy-flavored methods like braising, deep-frying, stewing, or dry pot dishes.
• "Make requests" to the server: You can tell the server, "Please make the dish lighter, with less oil and salt."
• Taste meat sparingly: Red meats like pork, beef, and lamb aren't entirely off-limits, but you must control the portion. Just a bite or two to satisfy your craving is fine; don't feast on them. Chicken and duck are relatively better.
• Soy products depend on the individual: It used to be said that soy products were high in purines, but new research suggests the impact is minimal. This varies from person to person; you can try it yourself. If you don't react badly, you can eat moderate amounts of tofu and dried tofu.

In short: gatherings are for enjoyment, but your body is your own. Don't be embarrassed, and don't force yourself for the sake of appearances. Knowing what you can and cannot eat will give you peace of mind. Wishing you happy and worry-free dining!