Discover how to manage gout through dietary changes. Learn which foods to avoid, including high-fructose corn syrup, to reduce uric acid levels and prevent flare-ups.

Published: November 6, 2024

While there isn’t a cure for gout, you can reduce your chances of triggering a gout attack by avoiding certain foods — especially those containing high-fructose corn syrup, such as sugary drinks — and getting exercise.

Gout, an especially painful type of inflammatory arthritis, is caused by a buildup of uric acid that forms sharp crystals in your joints. Diet changes can reduce the amount of uric acid in your body and make it easier for your kidneys to flush it away.

Your body makes uric acid naturally when breaking down purines that are abundant in certain foods. Alcohol slows your kidneys’ ability to process uric acid and pass it into your urine, contributing to excess uric acid in your body.

Avoiding high-purine food and drink can reduce your chances of a gout flare-up or lessen its severity.

High-purine foods that trigger gout

• Beer. Even nonalcoholic beer can be high in purines and increase the levels of uric acid by as much as 6.5%, according to the Arthritis Foundation. Some beers are lower in purines than others, and some brewers say their beer is purine-free.
• Sugary foods, drinks and sweets. Table sugar is half fructose, which elevates your uric acid level.
• Processed foods. Snacks and other packaged foods tend to have high levels of high-fructose corn syrup, a concentrated form of fructose.
• Organ meats like liver, kidney, sweetbreads and tripe are high in purine.
• Some meat. Red meat is generally higher in purines and should be eaten only occasionally. Turkey has high purine levels.
• Certain seafood, like mussels, scallops, squid, shrimp, oysters, crab and lobster. Tuna, salmon and trout have high purine levels, but when eaten in moderation their heart benefits may outweigh the risks of a gout flare.
• Game meats like venison and duck should be eaten sparingly or avoided altogether.

In addition to avoiding high-purine foods, effectively managing gout symptoms includes maintaining a healthy weight through proper diet and exercise. Drinking plenty of water can help flush out excess uric acid. Coffee can reduce the risk of developing gout, but its effect on preventing recurrent gout attacks isn’t as clear.

“I highly recommend getting daily exercise, such as a 30-minute walk, to reduce flare-ups. Being overweight increases the risk of gout, so maintaining a healthy weight can help lower the risk,” said Amanda R. Dewees, APRN, nurse practitioner and family medicine provider with Norton Prevention & Wellness Mobile Primary Care.

Gout symptoms often are described as starting in the big toe, typically while sleeping, and affecting primarily those assigned male at birth.

Gout symptoms in women can be different. For those assigned female at birth, gout can strike differently and affect several joints over time. It can show up in joints already damaged by osteoarthritis, such as the hands, according to the Arthritis Foundation.

In addition, the role estrogen plays in gout can complicate the condition for women. Natural estrogen can help flush uric acid out of the body, and after menopause, uric acid levels tend to increase. It’s rare for premenopausal women to get gout.

Foods that help with managing gout symptoms

• Citrus and other fruits high in vitamin C can lower uric acid levels. But fruit also includes fructose, so look at options like grapefruit, oranges, pineapple and strawberries that are high in vitamin C, but have less fructose. Be cautious about fruit juice that may be naturally high in fructose or have added sugar.
• Plant foods and other nonmeat proteins don’t raise uric acid levels. Think peas, beans, lentils, tofu and greens.
• Proteins in dairy products can help promote passing uric acid in urine. Low-fat milk and other low-fat dairy products are recommended as part of a healthy gout diet.
• Cherries may lower your risk or the severity of a gout attack. There are some indications that the antioxidants in tart cherries can help those who experience gout.