Foods to Avoid With Gout

Understanding Gout

What Is Gout and How Does It Affect the Body?

Gout is a type of arthritis caused by elevated blood uric acid levels, which leads to sudden, severe joint pain, redness, and persistent discomfort in specific joints. 

The big toe is a common area affected by gout. However, any joint can experience redness, sensitivity, pain, and swelling caused by gout.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), “Certain things can increase the body’s levels of uric acid, which may lead to gout. These include:

• Obesity.
• Certain medicines, such as water pills (or diuretics).
• Foods and drinks that are high in purines (a chemical compound that the body turns into uric acid)”

Some common foods and drinks high in purines include alcohol, sugary drinks and foods, red meat, and shellfish.

How Do Uric Acid Levels Contribute to Gout Attacks?

Higher uric acid levels cause a buildup of crystals in some joints, leading to inflammation, pain, and loss of movement. 

Usually, uric acid gets filtered from your blood and excreted as waste. However, certain foods, beverages, and prescription medications may increase uric acid levels. Uric acid crystals can also form painful crystals and lumps beneath the skin. Medical professionals monitor blood uric acid levels using a urate test.

You can significantly lower the amount of uric acid in your blood by choosing healthier food options that will help you manage your condition and meet your health goals. LifeSpring Home Nutrition has a dietitian available to provide information about foods to avoid with gout and dietary changes that can improve your well-being.

What Are Common Gout Symptoms?

Some of the most common symptoms of gout include: 

• Hyperuricemia
• Sudden and intense joint pain 
• Swelling around the affected joint
• Redness and warm to the touch
• Fever, chills, and other cold-like symptoms

Gout symptom severity and side effects may vary depending on the underlying cause of the flare-up and the treatment used.

Symptoms typically start at night and may even wake people up with the sudden, extreme pain or a feeling of burning in the joint. An acute flare-up may impair a person’s range of motion and cause persistent discomfort that lasts for days or weeks.

High-Purine Foods to Avoid With Gout

Which Meats Should Be Avoided for Gout Management?

Some of the meat products with the highest levels of purine include: 

• Organ meats, such as liver or kidney
• Anchovies, scallops, sardines, mussels, and other seafoods
• Red meats like venison, beef, lamb, and pork

You should avoid purine-rich foods to reduce your risk of gout or other health issues caused by excess uric acid.

Healthcare professionals, including doctors and dietitians, can provide dietary guidelines for minimizing the risk of gout flare-ups. LifeSpring Home Nutrition offers medically tailored meals (MTMs) to support specialized diets.

Are Seafood and Shellfish Risky for Gout Flare-Ups?

Yes. Seafood high in purine may precipitate or exacerbate gout flares. 

You can consume seafood in moderation with the approval of your primary care doctor. If consumed infrequently and in small quantities, you may avoid triggering a seafood-related flare-up. Avoid mixing even small amounts of seafood with other foods or beverages that are high in purine.

According to Rheumatic Disease Clinics of North America, “Like different meats, not all fish and seafoods have equal purine content.” In addition, “[P]rocessed, dried, and canned fish have a higher purine content than fresh fish.”

LifeSpring Home Nutrition offers meals that use low-purine meats, allowing you to obtain adequate protein without triggering a gout flare-up.

How Do Organ Meats and Sweetbreads Impact Purine Levels?

Organ meats and sweetbreads have very high amounts of purine that far exceed the recommended daily limit, increasing uric acid levels and contributing to gout flare-ups. 

You should avoid organ meats and sweetbreads whenever possible. One 3.5-ounce serving of organ meat may contain up to several hundred milligrams (mg) of purine. The recommended daily amount of purine for people with active flares should be 150 mg or lower.

Sweetbread is glandular meat, such as the pancreas, and has the highest purine levels of any food. You should avoid these types of meat even during periods between gout flare-ups. High-purine foods quickly overwhelm the body’s ability to keep up with filtering out uric acid.

Sugary and Processed Foods

How Do Sugary Drinks and High-Fructose Foods Affect Uric Acid?

High fructose corn syrup and other added sugars increase uric acid levels and may promote joint crystallization, leading to gout pain and discomfort. 

Soda, fruit juice with added sugars, alcohol, sugary smoothies, milkshakes, and other drinks put a strain on your digestive system and increase uric acid levels, causing a buildup in the blood.

Gout often comes on suddenly; the pain may start hours after ingesting foods and drinks with high sugar levels. Often, symptoms start during the night and may cause sleep disturbances.

Should Fruit Juices Be Limited During a Gout Flare?

You should avoid or limit fruit juice during a gout flare to reduce the risk of additional uric acid accumulation in the blood, which may cause prolonged pain or discomfort.

Fresh fruits have a high level of fructose, which can increase uric acid. Unfortunately, even freshly made fruit juice or 100% fruit juice should be limited or avoided during a gout flare. However, fresh tart cherry juice is one exception. The juice has anti-inflammatory properties that can reduce some of the symptoms of gout and help lower uric acid.

What Role Do Processed Foods Play in Gout Risk?

Fast food and other processed foods significantly impact gout management by negatively affecting overall health and increasing uric acid levels. 

Many people choose processed foods when shopping because they have a longer shelf life and often cost less compared to fresh foods. However, highly processed foods cause a whole host of health issues.

According to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), “It is estimated that approximately 70% of packaged products in the U.S. food supply are foods often considered ultra-processed.”

In addition, “Dozens of scientific studies have found links between the consumption of foods often considered ultra-processed with numerous adverse health outcomes, including cardiovascular disease, Type 2 diabetes, cancer, obesity and neurological disorders.”

LifeSpring Home Nutrition reduces the amount of ultra-processed foods in your diet by providing flash-frozen meals that trap in all the nutrients.

Dairy, Legumes, and Other Considerations

Are Low-Fat Dairy Products Safe for People With Gout?

Yes, low-fat dairy options decrease uric acid levels and make you less likely to experience a gout flare. 

You can incorporate low-fat dairy into your meals and snacks to improve your diet and digestion.

Low-fat milk, yogurt, and other dairy products are a good source of protein, probiotics, and other essential nutrients. The probiotics in yogurt and other dairy products support a healthy gut microbiome, increasing the effectiveness of body systems that filter out uric acid and other substances from the blood.

LifeSpring Home Nutrition offers various meals with low-fat dairy options to improve your heart health, immune system, and overall wellness. You can also take advantage of our medically tailored meals to create a more specialized diet.

Can Lentils, Whole Grains, and Plant-Based Proteins Be Included?

Yes, people with a history or high risk for gout benefit from eating plant-based proteins, whole grains, and legumes. 

Most people can fully replace meat with plant-based alternatives to improve their health, manage arthritis, and lower their risk of a gout flare-up. Plant-based substitutes can take the place of foods with high levels of uric acid.

LifeSpring Home Nutrition offers multiple vegetarian dishes with plant-based proteins and whole grains to increase fiber and support a nutritious diet.

How Does Maintaining a Healthy Weight Influence Gout Management?

Maintaining a healthy weight reduces pressure on joints and uric acid levels in the blood. 

People experience many positive health changes by maintaining a healthy weight. According to the CDC, “For adults who have overweight or obesity, even a small amount of weight loss can help lower arthritis-related pain and disability.”

Weight loss helps balance blood sugar, reduce uric acid buildup, decrease the risk of kidney disease or other preventable conditions, and lower blood pressure.

Lifestyle and Nutritional Strategies

How Can Dietary Changes Reduce Gout Flare Frequency?

A low-purine diet and other lifestyle changes can reduce the frequency of gout flare-ups and make it easier to manage discomfort caused by gout. 

Most gout flares start due to foods or drinks that increase uric acid levels. To avoid these flare-ups, you can replace any foods or drinks high in purine with low-purine alternatives. Improving your overall health through regular physical activity, quality sleep, and self-care also reduces your risk of experiencing gout.

What Supplements and Vitamins Support Lowering Uric Acid?

You can use dietary changes to lower uric acid levels and improve your overall wellness. 

Vitamin C lowers uric acid levels, and many people choose to use supplements in addition to dietary changes. According to the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS), “Always talk with your doctor before making any changes to your diet or medications.”

How Does LifeSpring Home Nutrition Help Provide Gout-Friendly Meals?

LifeSpring Home Nutrition offers low-sodium, low-fat, vegetarian meal options that help people maintain a healthy weight and avoid high-purine foods. 

Home-delivered meals facilitate the adoption of positive dietary changes that help you better manage gout and other chronic health conditions. You can replace highly processed foods with nutrient-dense meal alternatives that align with your taste preferences.

FAQs

Which foods trigger the biggest risk of gout attacks?

Organ meats, some seafoods, processed snacks, and drinks high in added sugars may trigger a gout flare-up. 

Foods with extremely high purine content have the biggest risk of triggering gout. For example, even a few servings of organ meat or sweetbread can cause crystallization of uric acid in some joints. Avoiding those foods entirely can significantly reduce your risk and give your body a chance to heal from past gout flares.

According to Arthritis and Rheumatology, “Since high-protein foods tend to contain large quantities of purines, patients with gout or hyperuricemia are generally advised to avoid food sources of protein, including meat, seafood, soy, and nonsoy legumes.”

In addition, “,[T]wo large prospective studies in Caucasian men showed a positive association between gout and intake of meat and seafood and an inverse association with low-fat dairy products.”

Can I eat chicken or fish occasionally on a gout diet?

Yes, you can eat chicken or fish in moderation on a gout diet. 

However, you should be careful to avoid fish and meats high in purine, such as sardines or organ meats.

Always consult with a medical professional before adding foods to your diet that may exacerbate your condition. For most people, occasional consumption of fish, chicken, and other meats does not cause an extreme increase in uric acid that persists long enough to trigger a gout flare.

Be mindful of portion sizes and try not to eat more than 2 or 3 ounces of any meats that may contain elevated levels of purine.

How quickly can dietary changes affect uric acid levels?

Gout treatment frequently involves switching to a low-purine diet, and changing your diet impacts your uric acid levels very quickly, often within 12 to 24 hours. 

Most people notice changes in their uric acid levels within a few hours of eating or drinking.

For example, if you eat organ meat for lunch, you may experience a sudden onset of gout pain and discomfort during the night while you sleep. Generally, any increase in uric acid filters out of the body within a 24-hour period unless you continue to consume foods and drinks high in uric acid or added sugars.

Changing your diet to manage gout also shows quick results. You may notice less discomfort, pain, or swelling within 24 hours of switching to a low-purine diet. Always consult with your doctor before making significant changes to your diet.

Do I have a risk of developing gout?

Multiple factors contribute to the development of gout, including diet, genetics, and environmental exposures. 

For most people, there are no signs of gout before it flares up, given the condition’s sudden onset.

However, you may have a higher risk of gout if you do the following: 

• Consume foods or drinks high in purine or added sugars
• Eat an excessive amount of processed foods
• Take prescribed medications that impact uric acid levels
• Do not manage your weight
• Have a family history of gout
• Experience chronic stress
• Have certain medical conditions, including diabetes or kidney disease

You can ask your primary care physician about any risk factors you are concerned about and develop a plan for managing or minimizing them in a safe and healthy way. Being aware of the factors that may contribute to gout will help you make healthier choices.

If you have already been diagnosed with gout, understanding the potential underlying causes can help you effectively manage your condition.

Does a healthy diet help in gout treatment?

Yes! The foods you eat directly affect how prescription medications and other treatments work to manage your symptoms. 

A diet high in antioxidants, vitamin C, and anti-inflammatory foods improves the effectiveness of gout treatment. LifeSpring Home Nutrition has meals high in essential nutrients and anti-inflammatory properties to boost the immune system and help you manage the effects of arthritis.

Everyone has different dietary needs, and you should consult with your primary care doctor or a dietitian to create a detailed meal plan.

How does maintaining overall health reduce the risk of gout and kidney stones?

Your overall health impacts how your body filters the blood, digests food, and responds to inflammation. 

Improve your overall health by doing the following:

• Maintaining a healthy weight
• Staying hydrated
• Participating in low-stress physical activities 
• Eating a balanced diet
• Getting quality sleep each night
• Engaging in social activities 

Gout and kidney stones develop when you have health issues or a diet that increases your uric acid levels. Improving your general wellness will give you the motivation and energy to monitor your diet and eat healthier foods.

LifeSpring Home Nutrition believes everyone deserves to eat meals that support their health and wellness. Our home-delivery service reduces the risk of preventable health issues such as uric acid buildup.

Diet often contributes to the development of gout and other forms of arthritis. LifeSpring Home Nutrition offers anti-inflammatory meals to help you manage gout, inflammation, and other health issues. To learn more about our meals and how to sign up for home delivery, call us today at (800) 798-5767.