Gout Diet and Eating to Help Prevent Gout

Certain foods may trigger gout attacks, and some people claim cherry juice might help.

Vitamin C, broccoli, and cherry juice are touted — but not proven — to help gout.

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Gout causes swelling and inflammation in the joints. It’s a painful form of arthritis caused by too much uric acid in the body.

A Look at How You Get Gout

Uric acid is a normal waste product in the blood that comes from the breakdown of certain foods. It’s processed in the kidneys before being eliminated from the body in urine.

Excess Body Weight and Gout

Being overweight is associated with higher-than-normal uric acid levels. Since this is a major risk factor for gout, losing weight is often the goal of a gout diet.

Dieting and Weight Loss to Prevent Gout

Losing weight may help lower your uric acid levels and reduce your risk of future gout attacks. A 2017 review of studies in the Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases (1) suggested that a weight loss of about eight pounds or more led to long-term reductions in uric acid levels and gout attacks in overweight or obese people.

An Overview of Dietary Approaches to Manage and Prevent Gout

The main principles of a gout diet are usually the same as those of any healthy, balanced diet.

They include:

• If you’re overweight, reduce the number of calories you consume.
• Choose unrefined carbohydrates like fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.
• Limit your intake of sugar-sweetened beverages and foods.
• Limit your intake of organ meats (such as kidney, liver, or sweetbreads).
• Cut back on saturated fats.

Dietary Causes of Gout and Gouty Arthritis

Some people with gout find it helpful to eliminate specific high-purine foods from their diet. (2) Certain high-purine foods may trigger gout attacks in some people.

Most people with gout will still need medication even if they follow a diet for gout.

Dietary changes alone can lower your uric acid levels by up to 15 percent, according to the Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (2), an independent scientific institute that evaluates the benefits and harms of medical interventions.

It’s not necessary to avoid all high-purine foods if you have gout. Studies have shown that purine-rich vegetables don’t trigger gout. (3) And certain high-purine foods can be a good source of lean protein to incorporate into your diet.

Purine-rich vegetarian foods to include in your diet are:

• Peas
• Beans
• Lentils
• Spinach
• Mushrooms
• Oats
• Cauliflower
• Broccoli

Foods to Avoid to Control or Prevent Gout

The following foods may trigger gout attacks in some people:

• Red meat
• Organ meats
• Certain types of seafood (anchovies, sardines, herring, mackerel, scallops)
• Products containing high-fructose corn syrup

Drinks that can trigger gout include:

• Alcoholic beverages, especially beer, whiskey, gin, vodka, or rum
• Sugary drinks, including sodas, juices, energy drinks
• Coffee and other caffeinated beverages. While some studies show that caffeine can actually protect against gout pain, others find that sudden spikes in caffeine intake can trigger a gout attack.

Dietary Supplements for Gout Management and Prevention

Talk to your doctor about any supplements or vitamins you take or may want to take. Supplements and other remedies may interfere with medication.

Vitamin C supplements (up to 500 mg daily) are sometimes recommended for people with gout. (4)

One study (5) found that taking 500 mg of vitamin C per day had a mild uric-acid–lowering effect. Yet it’s not clear whether vitamin C helps relieve gout symptoms.

A 2013 study in the journal Arthritis and Rheumatism (6) showed that supplementing with 500 mg of vitamin C for eight weeks did not significantly lower uric acid levels in patients with gout.

Cherry Juice for Gout Management?

Cherries and cherry juice are a popular folk remedy for gout, but the scientific evidence to support their supposed benefits is still coming in.

In 2005, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration sent warning letters to several cherry product manufacturers for overselling the health benefits of their products in advertisements. (7)

Nonetheless, there’s reason to believe that cherries may help fight gout. They contain chemical compounds called anthocyanins, which have been shown to help reduce inflammation. (8)

Cherries may also have a beneficial effect on uric acid levels.

One large study of people with recurrent gout found that eating cherries was associated with a lower risk of gout attacks, especially when cherry consumption was combined with taking a common uric acid–lowering drug. (9)

Despite these findings, experts say that more research is needed before any definitive recommendations can be made about cherries or cherry juice for gout