Food

In the past, watching your diet was the main treatment for gout. Nowadays, because some medications lower the level of uric acid in the blood, doctors no longer necessarily restrict their patients to a strict diet.

However, foods rich in purines raise uric acid levels in the blood, and some should be avoided during a gout attack (see Medical treatments section).

Here is the advice offered by the Professional Order of Dietitians of Quebec in matters of nutrition.⁶, which it is good to follow between crises or in case of chronic gout.

• Adjust energy intake according to your needs. If weight loss is indicated, make it happen slowly and gradually. Rapid weight loss (or fasting) reduces the excretion of uric acid by the kidneys. You can use our test to calculate your body mass index (BMI) or find out your healthy weight.
• Distribute adequately your contribution in protein. At lipids and carbohydrates. Follow the recommendations of Canada’s Food Guide. (Recommendations may vary, for example with diabetes. Consult a nutritionist if necessary.)
• Have a adequate intake of fruits and vegetables, which have a protective effect against gout (8 to 10 servings per day for men, and 7 to 8 servings per day for women).
• Avoid or limit the ingestion of alcohol. Drink no more than 1 drink per day, and no more than 3 times per week.

  Notes. Recommendations vary from source to source. Some suggest reducing the consumption of beer and spirits (for example, gin and vodka)¹³. Drinking wine moderately (up to 1 or 2 5 oz or 150 ml glasses per day) would not increase your risk of gout¹³. The amount of alcohol well tolerated by people with gout can vary.

• Drink at least 2 liters of water or drinks (soups, juice, tea, etc.) per day. Water is to be preferred.

What about the coffee?

Coffee is not to be avoided in case of gout, because it contains negligible amounts of purines. According to epidemiological studies^3,7, it seems that the regular consumption of coffee would exert even a slight protective effect against this disease. However, this should not be seen as an incentive to drink more. To find out more, see our Coffee fact sheet.

A diet rich in vitamin C: beneficial?

The link between dietary vitamin C intake and blood uric acid levels was investigated in a group of 1 men in the Health Professional Follow-up Study⁸. The higher the vitamin C intake, the lower the uric acid level. However, this finding will need to be verified by other studies.

Warning. The ketogenic diets are not recommended for people with gout. This type of diet is particularly low in carbohydrates and high in fat. Ketogenic diets reduce the excretion of uric acid by the kidneys. This is the case with the Atkins diet, for example.

pharmaceuticals

Respect the dosage prescribed by the doctor. Some medicines make it less likely that other seizures will occur (see Medical treatments section). See your doctor as needed in the event of undesirable effects or treatment ineffectiveness.