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Reducing Your Risk of Gout

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Main Page Risk Factors Symptoms Diagnosis Treatment Screening Reducing Your Risk Talking to Your Doctor Living With Gout Resource Guide

There are a number of measures that will help prevent gout from developing or prevent recurrence of gout attacks.

  • Change your diet.
  • Drink plenty of fluids.
  • Lose weight (if necessary) and maintain an appropriate weight.

Change Your Diet

Gout pain is caused by glass-like crystals of uric acid that build-up in your joints. Uric acid is a by-product of the breakdown of waste products called purines. Therefore, one of the main treatments for gout is to avoid foods and beverages that are high in purines. These include:

  • Organ meats (eg, liver, kidney, brain, sweetbread, heart)
  • Fish roe
  • Mussels
  • Anchovies
  • Herring
  • Sardines
  • Legumes (eg, dried beans, peas, soybeans)
  • Meat extracts
  • Consommé
  • Gravies
  • Mushrooms
  • Spinach
  • Asparagus
  • Cauliflower
  • Poultry
  • Alcoholic beverages, especially beer and wine—Be sure to avoid binge drinking of any type of alcohol.

In addition to avoiding foods high in purines, you should reduce your intake of high-fructose drinks. Examples include sugar-sweetened sodas and orange juice.

The severity of gout varies from person to person. Talk with your doctor about how strict your diet should be.

Drink Plenty of Fluids

Fluids help flush uric acid from the body, so drinking lots of fluids can help control and prevent recurrence of gout attacks.

Lose Weight and Maintain an Appropriate Weight

Losing weight can help lower uric acid levels. If you are overweight, losing weight should help reduce your symptoms and prevent future gout attacks. However, do not go on a crash diet because this can make your gout worse. Consult your doctor for help designing a safe and effective weight loss program that includes:

  • Setting a proper weight loss goal
  • An appropriate diet to both lose weight and maintain a proper weight. For more information on achieving and maintaining a healthful weight, click here .
  • A regular exercise program. For more information on starting a regular exercise program, click here .

Revision Information

This content is reviewed regularly and is updated when new and relevant evidence is made available. This information is neither intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider prior to starting any new treatment or with questions regarding a medical condition.

Copyright © EBSCO Publishing
All rights reserved.

References

  • American Academy of Family Physicians website. Available at: http://www.aafp.org/online/en/home.html .

  • American College of Rheumatology website. Available at: http://www.rheumatology.org/ .

  • National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases website. Available at: http://www.niams.nih.gov/ .

  • The Merck Manual of Medical Information. 17th ed. Simon and Schuster, Inc; 2000.

  • 12/3/2010 DynaMed's Systematic Literature Surveillance DynaMed's Systematic Literature Surveillance : Choi HK, Willett W, Curhan G. Fructose-rich beverages and risk of gout in women. JAMA. 2010;304(20):2270-2278.