Gout is caused due to accumulation of uric acid. This is the reason diets with low amounts of uric acid are recommended. Continue reading to learn further about the gout diet and how it helps reduce uric acid. We also discuss what foods you need to include and what to avoid, and how you must follow the diet.

What Is Gout?

Gout is a painful inflammatory disorder of the joints triggered due to a metabolic disorder. It is caused due to overaccumulation of uric acid or uric acid monosodium urate (MSU) crystals in the synovial fluid (1). The synovial fluid is a fluid found in between all the joints that acts as a lubricant. Uric acid is the waste product of chemicals called purines. Overaccumulation of uric acid takes place when the kidneys fail to excrete this waste effectively. Increased uric acid levels does not mean that you have developed gout. When serum uric acid reaches its threshold (above 9 ml/dL), MSU crystals are deposited in the joints (2). In some cases, it also occurs when the body is unable to produce the enzymes involved in the metabolism of uric acid. Due to an increase in the levels of uric acid, the synovial fluid becomes less effective in lubricating the joints. This causes friction and leads to inflammation, swelling, and unbearable pain. The joints become sensitive, red, and overheated (3) (4).

How Does Low Uric Acid Diet Help Gout?

Uric acid is the waste product of purines that are found in many foods, such as seafood, poultry, meat, beer, etc. If your body is unable to process or eliminate uric acid, and that is causing painful inflammation in the joints, it is best to consume foods that are low in purines or limit the consumption of foods rich in purines. This will give your body enough time to eliminate uric acid from the system and lower the uric acid levels in the blood and synovial fluid. This, in turn, will cause less friction between the bones and alleviate the inflammation and swelling. Let’s find out what foods you should consume more, foods you should completely avoid, and foods you can have in limited quantities.

List Of Foods For Gout

Food To Eat More

Vegetables – Spinach, asparagus, cauliflower, broccoli, carrot, beetroot, green peas, potato, and collard greens Fruits – Cherry, strawberry, blueberry, lemon, lime, grapefruit, oranges, pineapple, pear, and clementine Proteins – Proteins from all kind of vegetables like pinto beans and other legumes Carbs – Pasta, white flour, and bread Grains – Rice, couscous, and quinoa Beverages – Water, fresh lemon juice, fresh cherry juice, buttermilk, tea, and coffee Others – Nuts, parsley, flax seeds, and apple cider vinegar

Foods To Eat In Moderation

Vegetables & Fruits – Tomato Animal Protein- Chicken and salmon Plant Protein – Legumes, beans, and pulses Grains – Oats Dairy – Low-fat milk, low-fat yogurt, and eggs Fats & Oils – Peanut butter and olive oil

Foods To Avoid

Animal Proteins – Sardine, mackerel, anchovies, tuna, trout, herring, codfish, haddock, beef, bacon, pork, ham, veal, liver, scallops, duck, turkey, tofu, lobster, crab, squid, shellfish, oyster, and shrimps Carbs – Sweetbread, natural and artificial sugar Beverages – Alcohol and packaged fruit juices Fats & Oils – Animal fat, mayonnaise, and butter Others – High fructose corn syrup and chicken/fish/meat broth

Now that you have got an idea about the foods, it will be easier to follow a proper diet plan. The next section has a sample diet plan and you can use it as a template to design your own diet plan. Take a look.

Low Uric Acid Diet Plan

Apple cider vinegar, though not directly related to lowering symptoms of gout, can aid weight loss and increase metabolic rate, which is essential if you have gout (5). Always be careful to take enough water along with it to maintain pH balance. Always have a healthy well balanced breakfast before heading out. In this diet plan, low-uric acid breakfast options are listed. They are filling, nutritious, and keep your energy levels up. Since cherries are the go-to fruit for treating gout , have half a cup of cherries as a mid-morning snack. Keep your lunch light. Green tea is great for an evening snack as it helps to scavenge the harmful oxygen radicals and reduces inflammation (6). If not green tea, a cup of fresh cherry juice or pineapple juice is great for reducing the inflammation. You may have chicken in moderate amounts for dinner. Potatoes are good for you, but make sure not to use full-fat cream to prepare the mashed potatoes. Both spinach and pasta are allowed foods, and the combo is a great option for dinner. If you are a picky eater or allergic to any of the foods listed in the diet plan, here are the foods you can substitute them with.

Substitutes

Apple cider vinegar – Lemon or lime juice Quinoa – 3 tablespoons of oats Coffee – Green tea White bread – Brown bread Peanut butter – Flax seed butter Blueberries – Strawberries Grapefruit juice – Orange juice Egg – 3 medium-sized button mushrooms, sliced and sauteed Orange juice – Pineapple juice or lemon juice Cherries – Blueberries or strawberries Salmon – 2 oz chicken Broccoli – Spinach Green leafy veggie salad – Vegetable clear soup Chickpea – 3 tablespoons yellow lentil soup Green tea – Coffee Cherry juice – Strawberry juice Pineapple juice – Orange juice Chicken – 2 oz duck or 3 oz salmon (without skin) Asparagus – Spinach Mashed potato – Mashed green peas and broccoli Pasta – Rice

So, you have a lot of options to choose from, which makes this diet plan is super easy to follow. However, there is one more factor that affects the severity of gout. And it is getting enough exercise or movement. Explained more in the next section.

Exercises To Treat Gout

Lack of exercise can worsen your gout. Hence, you should include gout-friendly exercises in your workout regimen. Make sure you consult your doctor before you start working out. Here is what you can do.

Cycling Walking Swimming Stair climbing Dancing Stretching Strength training Yoga

Some people need an extra boost of nutrition apart from eating low-uric acid foods. For this reason, we recommend you take the support of supplements and other remedies to reduce the inflammation. Here is what you should do.

Supplement & Other Remedies To Treat Gout

You may take the following supplements or try other remedies.

Vitamin C supplements (7) Quercetin and Folic acid supplements (8), (9) Ashwagandha (10) Castor oil (11) Pine bark extract (12) Grape seed extract (13) Celery seed extract (14)

Consult your doctor before taking or using any of the above-mentioned supplements and remedies. Is banana good for uric acid? High in vitamin C and low in purines, bananas make for a health fruit for gout. Is honey good for gout? Honey is a natural sweetener rich in fructose that can increase purine metabolism. It should therefore be avoided in a gout diet. Does salt affect gout? Yes, high intake of salt may help reduce uric acid levels (15).