Red Meat

The mantra that all red meat is no bueno as part of a gout diet is an unfounded, inaccurate myth. To clarify, in this article I use the term “red meat” only to refer to beef…the muscles of cows.

Allow me to set the record straight on red meat.

red meat for gout

  • Red meat is often called a “high purine” food, but in fact it only has medium levels of purine density.
  • Red meat can be a good source of many nutrients, including vitamins, minerals, and healthy fats.
  • The quality of beef you eat determines whether it will be a good or bad food in a gout-free diet.

Why Is CAFO Meat Bad for Gout?

  1. Concentrated Animal Feeding Organizations (CAFOs) are large-scale cattle-raising facilities that are infamous for creating unhealthy, disease-ridden cows.
  2. The prevalence of CAFOs as a source of the nation’s meat supply has dramatically affected the nutritional quality of most of the beef consumed in the U.S. today.
  3. Prior to CAFOs, most cows ate grass while roaming the pasture. However, cows in an indoor CAFO are fed corn, not grass.
  4. CAFO cows are prone to infections, and massive amounts of antibiotics are used to keep these cows alive. The antibiotics end up on your dinner plate, which will not help you win the war on gout.
  5. Beef from corn-fed CAFO cows is high in omega-6 oils, which increase inflammation and gout pain.
  6. Beef from grass-fed cows is high in omega-3 oils, which reduce inflammation and gout pain.

 . . .

Hi Bert,


The “remedy” of BS and ACV worked immediately as you said it would. A steady diet of banana-blueberry smoothies, green tea and celery on Day 2 has kept the swelling down. Not sure what caused the flare up as we eat a lot of fresh fruit and vegetables, lean beef, chicken and fish, and moderate alcohol use. Your theory of too much acid, possibly caused by stress, makes sense. Will try lemon-infused water to make my body more alkaline – plus continue the bananas, celery and cherries. Other ideas welcome. The drugs the doctor prescribed were making me sick, so your remedy (other than the ACV ? was a welcome relief.



. . .

The Best Beef for Gout

  • The best red meat for gout will be from cows that were fed grass, not corn.
  • The grass source will be either an organic pasture or from organic hay feed.
  • The cows themselves will not have received any hormones or antibiotics.

High-quality beef like this is readily available at local health food stores. As well, a few exceptional online stores will ship it directly to your home at reasonable prices.

How Much Beef Is it OK to Eat?

If you are having an active gout flare, you should avoid all foods with moderate and high levels of purines, including beef.

If you are in-between gout attacks, and focused on gout prevention, it is safe to eat 4-6 ounces of organic, grass-fed beef a few times per week.

 + Bottom Line:  A modest amount of organic, grass-fed beef is an excellent food to include in a natural gout treatment diet!


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