Are Tomatoes Bad for Gout? Why There’s Confusion About This Fruit Among Patients With Inflammatory Arthritis?

Tomatoes have a mixed reputation among gout patients, with some avoiding them and others claiming they are fine to consume. Here's why there's confusion about whether this fruit is safe for those with gout.

Are Tomatoes Bad Gout?

Gout is a kind of arthritis that develops when the blood's elevated uric acid levels begin to crystallize and accumulate around joints, causing painful flareups. Some meals can worsen it.

This is because when purine, an organic molecule found in some foods, is broken down by the body, it produces uric acid. As a result, those who have gout should consume fewer high-purine meals, such as meat (especially organ meat), some seafood, alcohol, and sugary drinks.2

However, only about 10% of gout cases are related to diet. Most are caused by heredity and other health issues, including obesity and insulin resistance, which prevent the body from excreting uric acid, leading to an increase in levels.

Foods that cause a flareup in one person may not cause one in another, even in cases where nutrition plays a role. Since tomatoes are low in purines, they are typically considered gout-safe. However, some recent research indicates they may cause gout in certain individuals.

Some studies reveal that increased consumption of tomatoes is associated with elevated uric acid levels, which are known to trigger gout flareups. However, not everyone with gout experiences this. The degree to which certain foods, like tomatoes, provoke gout depends more on your genetic makeup and general health.

This implies that whereas tomatoes may not react at all in one individual, they may provoke a gout flare in another. Furthermore, studies have shown that most serum uric acid (500-600 mg/day) originates from sources inside the body, with purine-containing meals accounting for a lesser percentage (100-200 mg/day).

Due to this, eliminating items that raise the formation of uric acid may help some people manage flareups, while others won't notice a difference in their diet.

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How To Know If Tomatoes Triggers Gout For You?

You can find out if tomatoes or any other food triggers you by closely monitoring what you eat and monitoring any subsequent gout flareups.

Keep a diet log, monitor your symptoms, and cut tomatoes from your diet for a few weeks. If your gout symptoms improve after cutting tomatoes out of your diet, they may cause gout.

Maintain an accurate log that includes the following details: