Foods to Avoid with Gout

Why Avoid These Foods?

High-purine foods can significantly increase uric acid levels in your blood, increasing the risk of painful gout attacks. While individual tolerance varies, limiting or avoiding these foods is generally recommended for people with gout or high uric acid levels.

🔴 High Purine Foods (Avoid)

• ✗ Organ meats — liver, kidney, brain, sweetbreads (100-400mg purine per 100g)
• ✗ Certain seafood — anchovies, sardines, mackerel, scallops, mussels
• ✗ Red meat extracts, gravies, and meat-based broths
• ✗ Some fish — herring, trout, haddock, cod, tuna (in large amounts)
• ✗ Game meats — venison, rabbit, pheasant

🟡 Foods to Limit (Moderate Purine)

• ◐ Red meat — beef, pork, lamb (limit to 4-6 oz per day)
• ◐ Poultry — chicken, turkey (choose white meat, remove skin)
• ◐ Some fish — salmon, tuna, shrimp, lobster (small portions occasionally)
• ◐ Legumes — beans, lentils, peas (plant purines are less risky)
• ◐ Certain vegetables — spinach, asparagus, cauliflower, mushrooms

🚫 Other Triggers to Avoid

• 🍺 Alcohol — especially beer, also spirits and wine in excess
• 🥤 Sugary drinks — soda, sweetened juices, sports drinks with high fructose
• 🍬 High-fructose corn syrup and foods with added sugars
• ⚡ Crash diets and fasting — rapid weight loss can increase uric acid

💚 How to Reduce Risk

• ✓ Stay hydrated — drink 8-10 glasses of water daily
• ✓ Eat cherries regularly — shown to reduce gout attacks by 35%
• ✓ Choose low-fat dairy — it helps lower uric acid
• ✓ Get vitamin C — 500mg daily may help reduce uric acid
• ✓ Limit fructose — avoid sugary drinks and processed foods
• ✓ Maintain healthy weight — lose weight gradually, not abruptly