Plenty Of Starchy Carbohydrates
These may include rice, potatoes, pasta, bread, couscous, quinoa, barley or oats, and should be included at each meal time. These foods contain only small amounts of purines, so these along with fruit and vegetables should make up the basis of your meals. Wholegrain varieties are better choices as they contain more fibre and nutrients.
Tips For Following The Diet
Following a low-purine diet doesnt have to be difficult. In fact, it simply involves enjoying a variety of nutrient-rich foods that are low in purines such as fruits, veggies, nuts and seeds while also limiting your consumption of organ meats, processed meat, wild game and certain types of seafood.
Reducing your intake of alcohol can also help decrease purine consumption and keep uric acid levels low. According to one study in Clinical Rheumatology, increased alcohol consumption was associated with a higher risk of gout. However, the type of alcohol may also make a difference. In fact, one study noted that intake of beer and spirits was tied to an increased risk of gout whereas moderate consumption of wine was not.
Its also important to stay hydrated and drink plenty of water during the day, which can help promote the excretion of uric acid through the urine to prevent it from building up in the body. Be sure to always keep a glass of water on hand or try setting a timer with reminders to drink more water throughout the day.
There are plenty of low-purine recipes available online, which make it easy to find healthy meals to add to your routine. Here are a few simple recipes to help get you started:
How Do You Get Gout
How does uric acid acid get in your body?
Uric acid is a waste product produced when our body breaks down chemicals called purines. Purines are found in our tissues as well as in some types of food we eat.
It builds up when we are either making too much uric acid or when we arent able to get rid of it quickly enough.
Some common chronic diseases make this more likely and are risk factors for this type of inflammatory arthritis.
Risk factors that can be decreased with lifestyle changes :
These symptoms often come in waves with an acute attack lasting days to weeks at a time. Repeated attacks can lead to more chronic gouty arthritis, in which people feel pain that is ongoing although usually less severe than the classic flares.
Read Also: Can Gout Be Seen On Xray
Can I Drink Alcohol
Drinking alcohol can increase your risk of a gout attack as it can raise the level of uric acid in your blood. While it is possible to control gout attacks without completely cutting out alcohol, try to reduce the amount of alcohol you drink and avoid binge drinking . Talk to your doctor or read the Australian government guidelines on recommended alcohol intake.
List Of Foods To Avoid With Gout And High Uric Acid

The first line of treatment of gout is removing the causes and correcting the diet. So, here we will discuss the foods to avoid gout.
Gout is a disease ofjoints that results in arthritis or inflammation in the joints. It causessevere pain, tenderness, and jointswelling. Generally, it affects the baseof the toe. Some experience hotness orburning sensation in joints.
The basic principle toavoid foods in gout or high uric acid is to stop eating salty, sour, spicy and friedfoodstuff in excess. These food itemsaggravate the gout attack. These may also become a great hindrance to prevent areduction in uric acid in the blood.
Don’t Miss: Is It Possible To Get Gout In Your Heel
Should I Cut Out Purine
There is very little scientific proof that avoiding the purine-rich foods listed above can successfully reduce gout attacks. You may miss out on important nutrients and vitamins by completely cutting these foods from your diet.
If you notice certain foods trigger your gout attacks, you may benefit from cutting down the amounts of those foods in your diet. However not all purine-rich foods are thought to cause gout. For example, a number of vegetables are also rich in purines but appear less likely to cause gout than diets containing meat and shellfish.
Dairy foods, which can contain purines, actually appear to lower the risk of gout. For most people with gout, a healthy balanced diet is all that is needed, alongside medicines to reduce uric acid levels. Most people taking medicines to reduce uric acid levels find they can still eat purine-rich foods without attacks of gout by being careful with the quantity they eat.
Gout Hidden Danger And Bad Affects If Left Untreated
Untreated gout can cause great problems.
Also Check: Gout Symptoms Treatment And Prevention
High Purine Vegetables Are Ok
Some vegetables and plant foods, such as peas, beans, lentils, spinach, mushrooms, oats, and cauliflower, are high in purines. However, several studies have shown that they do not increase the risk of gout.
In fact, the opposite seems to be true, with a vegetable-rich diet being associated with a lower risk of gout compared with the lower consumption of vegetables. Therefore, you do not need to limit or avoid any vegetables on a gout-friendly diet.
How Does Alcohol Affect People With Gout
Alcohol disrupts the removal of uric acid from the body. Its thought that high levels of purine in alcoholic beverages lead to this disruption.
Normally, purines would break down into uric acid and get flushed out of the body through urine. However, this process is interrupted when uric acid levels get too high. Crystals form around the joints, and gout develops.
To prevent further gout attacks, stick to these guidelines:
- avoid alcohol when having an attack
- limit wine consumption
- avoid beer
Keep in mind that you should avoid alcohol altogether unless your doctor says otherwise. Gout-friendly recipes take these alcohol restrictions into account as well.
Also Check: Does Heat Pad Help Gout
Indian Diet Plan For Gout
Last Updated on August 4, 2019 | RD, Payal Banka
Out of the various illnesses that have become prevalent in India, Gout cases have been on the rise as well. Here is an Indian diet plan for gout that will help you in decreasing your purine levels markedly. Read on to know about Indian diet to reduce Uric acid level in the body.
The End Of Gout Your Ultimate Beginners Approach
Shelly Mannings The End of Gout is not only a fascinating read its also refreshingly practical.
Shelly gives you two simple quick-starts:
Eat more of these
Eat fewer of these
This simple adjustment can correct years of gout-causing errors in the eating. And you can start on this straight within minutes of receiving the program away.That really helped my problem of What Not To Eat With Gout Printable List.
The next step is to follow Shellys 7-day plan.
It tightens up the quick start advice and turns it into a solid, follow-along program.
The 7-day plan was the real clincher for me.
I am a pretty average cook Im competent but not at all skilled or adventurous. Turns out I didnt need to be.
The plan takes away all the thinking and gives me, for the first week, something I can simply copy.
After the first 7 days I used Shellys advice to adapt the plan according to my own tastes.
Which was pretty easy the plan is full of options so you can try different foods and see what you like best.
Its all food you can buy in your supermarket. And it includes lots of nice stuff the chocolate and strawberries desserts were real winners in my house!
Don’t Miss: Is Collagen Good For Gout
Achieve A Healthy Weight
Obesity may be a primary consideration to reduce levels of uric acid in the blood. Insulin resistance is commonly seen in those who are obese and it may be involved in the development of gout. Insulin resistance has been shown to decrease the amount of uric acid that is cleared in the urine. A condition known as the ‘metabolic syndrome’ is a cluster of symptoms which includes insulin resistance, along with tummy obesity, high blood pressure and abnormal blood fats – for example, high cholesterol. This condition is strongly associated with high uric acid levels, which can be improved with slow, gradual weight loss.
Weight loss has been shown to improve insulin resistance and therefore reduce uric acid levels in the blood. However, it is important to avoid strict diets such as low-carbohydrate and high-protein diets. These may increase consumption of purines, a compound that breaks down into uric acid. Additionally, rapid weight loss through strict dieting can result in breakdown of tissue. This can temporarily cause a rise in uric acid levels. A gradual, safe weight loss of 1-2 lbs a week can help to achieve an optimal body weight.
Does Fructose Cause Gout

Fructose is a sugar that is found in fruits and vegetables. It is also found in high levels in foods sweetened with corn syrup, such as bread, cereal, soft drinks and fruit juices. An American study found that men who drank five to six servings of fructose-sweetened soft drinks per week were more likely to have gout. However there is no research showing that fructose actually causes gout. Cutting down the amount of food artificially sweetened with high fructose corn syrup may be beneficial for your overall health. However naturally occurring fructose in fruit and vegetables also provides general health benefits and should not be completely avoided without advice from your doctor or dietitian.
Recommended Reading: Gout Natural Remedies Dr Josh Axe
Drinks You Should Avoid On Gout
Its so easy to forget that what we drink is an important part of our diet. Drinks can contribute important hydration and nutrients. However, its easy for calories and additional additives like fructose to slip by and all too quickly add up.
Alcohol
Excessive alcohol use should be avoided, well in everyone. However, people with gout should be even more careful with how much they alcohol they consume.
The American College of Rheumatology recommends no more than 2 drinks daily for men and no more than 1 drink daily for women with the disease. Its also recommended to completely eliminate alcohol during active flares .
Beer and hard alcohol seem to much bigger culprits than wine at aggravating the disease .
Diet Tip: If you are affected by gout and still want to enjoy an adult beverage, a controlled amount of wine is the best choice for minimizing negative health effects.
Sugary Drinks
Almost any non-diet drink contains a significant amount of added sugar, often in the form of fructose. Not only does added fructose contribute to uric acid build up, it also contributes negatively to making the other chronic diseases worse. Added sugar is one of the biggest enemies of the obesity epidemic, and comorbid conditions that go along with it.
This includes any soda thats not diet along with most fruit juices and energy drinks.
Food To Get Rid Of Gout
So, what is a good diet for gout? Here we will discuss on Food to Get Rid of Gout.
a healthy weight and good eating habits are the main principal to fit your body. At first limit your consumption of organ meats. Instead, include all fruits and vegetables, whole grains, low-fat dairy products. Low-fat dairy products: Low-fat and fat-free options are best for foods such as milk, cheese, yogurt, and frozen yogurt.
Gout affects an estimated 8.3 million people in the US alone. The prevalence among men was 5.9% , and the prevalence among women was 2.0% . Source
Gout attacks typically occur at night and last 310 days .
You May Like: What Foods Should You Avoid If You Have Gout
Which Other Lifestyle Factors Can Affect Gout
While there are no controlled studies or evidence on the effect of lifestyle changes on the incidence of gout, expert opinion is that positive changes in lifestyle can be beneficial to the management of gout. Being overweight is not recommended for gout suffers and the available evidence indicates that losing weight may helpful. Dietary modifications to achieve a healthy body weight are recommended, however the use of crash, high-protein and low-carbohydrate diets should be avoided. Slow and steady weight loss is ideal and support from a dietitian should be sought to help develop a sustainable and balanced weight loss plan. Rapid weight loss is not recommended as it can increase the amount of uric acid in the body leading to an increased chance of a gout attack.
Regular exercise such as swimming or walking is also recommended as it may help reduce the frequency of gout attacks. In addition, it may have a beneficial effect on associated co-morbidities such as type 2 diabetes, hypertension and insulin resistance.
Can Losing Weight Help Gout
If you are overweight, gradual weight loss can help lower uric acid levels and reduce the risk of gout attacks. However, it is important to avoid fasting or crash dieting, where you go without adequate food for long periods and lose weight rapidly. This type of dieting can actually increase uric acid levels and trigger a gout attack. A combination of balanced healthy eating and regular physical activity is the best way to lose weight safely. Talk to your doctor or see a dietitian for advice.
Read Also: What Is A Home Remedy For Gout
What Food To Eat
Now that you know what foods to avoid, how do you know what foods are safe to eat? Your gout diet should include plenty of the foods on this list as they produce no or very little uric acid when digested.
- Fruits and vegetables: all fruits and vegetables are fine and cherries could even help prevent attacks of gout as it lowers uric acid levels
- Whole grains: oats, barley, brown rice, others
- Dairy: low-fat dairy products provide many benefits as part of a gout diet
- Legumes: beans and lentils are great proteins as are soybeans and tofu
- Nuts: nuts and seeds like almonds and sunflower seeds
- Drinks: coffee and tea
- Oils: when cooking, stick to plant-based oils like olive oil or canola oil
Shopping List For Gout
What to put in your cart and what to pass up when planning your gout diet.
A diet to lower uric acid levels, along with medications prescribed by your doctor, makes gout one of the most controllable forms of arthritis. While you should always discuss the merits and drawbacks of specific foods with your doctor, use this shopping checklist as a general guide to food choices to improve your overall health, lower uric acid levels and reduce your risk of painful gout attacks. Put in Your Cart
- Skim milk.
- Low-fat dairy products .
- Whole-grain products .
- Plant oils .
- Vegetables.
- Cherries.
- Vitamin C supplements .
- Coffee .
- Water bottles .
Pass Up
- Red meat and organ meats .
- Shellfish such as shrimp and lobster.
- Refined carbohydrates .
- Processed foods .
- Sugary beverages.
- Alcohol .
Quick Links
Gout
Shopping for Arthritis-Friendly Foods
New Guidelines for Treating Gout
Which Foods are Safe for Gout?
Connect with Others
Diagnosed With Gout?
Get the latest news and tips about living with Gout in the Live Yes! Arthritis Network newsletter.
- 1355 Peachtree St NE Suite 600
- Atlanta, GA 30309
Arthritis Foundation is a qualified 501 EIN 58-1341679
Read Also: Can Eating Too Many Tomatoes Cause Gout
Simple Tips To Relieve From Gout And Reduce Uric Acid:
-
Lose weight:
As mentioned earlier, obesity can increase the risk of contracting gout. Obesity leads to various other health problems. If you are overweight, it is advisable to reduce your calorie intake and get back in shape. Not only will it help to decrease the risk of gout but also reduce the stress on your joints and make you feel healthy.
Some Interesting reads
-
Drink plenty of water:
Keep your body hydrated so that all the toxins along with uric acid get eliminated from the body. Lack of water makes you feel dehydrated and also accumulates toxins and wastes in the body which affect all parts of the body. Drink at least 8 to 10 glasses of water every day. Research has shown that keeping your body hydrated helps to decrease the frequency of gout attacks. So make water an important part of your Indian diet plan for Gout.
-
Keep a check on poultry, seafood, and meats:
Avoid eating red meats and other organ and glandular meats such as kidney and liver since these contain high quantities of purines. Avoid eating sea foods such as sardines, mackerel, scallops, tuna fish, herring and anchovies. These can contribute to high uric acid levels in your blood. Decrease your intake of fatty poultry as well as any other high-fat dairy products.
-
Eat more of complex carbohydrates:
-
Eat proteins from selected sources:
-
Eat plenty of vegetables:
-
Keep alcohol intake under check:
-
Take Vitamin C supplements:
-
Drink coffee
-
Add cherries to your diet