CookSmart (18th Issue) Page30

 Dietitian Guide

Should mushrooms be avoided by people with gout?

The purines in many foods are converted in our body into uric acid. Abnormal metabolism of purine may raise the uric acid level in blood and thus increase the risk of gout. Mushrooms contain just the same amount of purines as chicken and fish, and have a much smaller purine content than shrimps, crabs, geese and offal. Providing that your diet is well balanced, it is not necessary to impose zero tolerance on mushrooms.

Why are mushrooms so delicious?

Mushrooms’ rich savoury flavour (“umami”) comes from glutamates, a non-essential amino acid which the body can produce for itself without relying on food for its intake. Glutamates, when cooked, imparts the taste of umami, which enhances the flavour of the partnering food material. Other foods like tomatoes, cheese, corn and scallops also contain glutamates.