Can gout attacks be managed through diet?

We often associate gout with gluttony and enjoying too much alcohol. Historical images of gout include overweight, ruddy faced, aristocratic men or royalty such as Henry VIII.

But this isn’t the case and is too simplistic a view of a complex condition.

To find out more about gout, what causes it and how it’s treated, check out our gout info.

So what causes a gout attack?

If you have gout, you know that an attack happens suddenly, often overnight, and you’ll wake up in a lot of pain.

And it’s more likely to occur if you:

• are male
• have a family history of gout
• are overweight
• have high levels of uric acid in your blood
• drink too much alcohol (especially beer)
• eat a purine-rich diet (including foods such as red meat, offal, shellfish, fructose, beer)
• use diuretics
• become dehydrated
• crash diet or fast.

Managing your weight

While you can’t control some of the risk factors to prevent a gout attack, you can control your weight. If you’re overweight, losing weight gradually and carefully can reduce your risk. However don’t go on a crash diet, skip meals or fast as this can also increase your risk of an attack.

If you need to lose weight, talking with your doctor and/or a dietitian is a really good idea to get the information and support you need to lose weight in a healthy way.

Other dietary changes

It’s believed that lowering uric acid levels through small changes in your diet may help reduce the chance of future gout attacks. These changes include:

• restricting or avoiding alcohol
• avoiding binge drinking
• eating a healthy, well balanced, colourful diet. Research suggests that the DASH diet or Mediterranean diet may be helpful. Read our blog on anti-inflammatory diets for more info.
• drinking plenty of water
• avoiding fasting or crash dieting
• making sure you don’t overeat on a regular basis.

Your doctor or dietitian can help guide you in making healthy changes to your diet.

Keep taking your medication

It’s important to note that dietary changes alone aren’t enough to address the underlying cause of gout – too much uric acid in your blood. For many years there’s been a misconception that simply changing your diet will help keep your gout under control.

However the research clearly shows that medication is needed for most people with gout to manage it effectively. So if you decide to make some dietary changes, discuss this with your doctor and continue to take any medication you’ve been prescribed to manage your gout.

Final word

Gout is a painful, complex condition that affects many Australians. But there are things you can do to take control, including managing your weight, making changes to the things you eat and drink and taking your medication.

Contact our Help Line

If you have questions about things like managing your pain, your musculoskeletal condition, treatment options, COVID-19, telehealth, or accessing services be sure to call our nurses. They’re available weekdays between 9am-5pm on 1800 263 265; email (helpline@msk.org.au) or via Messenger.

More to explore

• Gout
  Musculoskeletal Australia
• Diagnosing and managing gout – video
  Musculoskeletal Australia
• Gout diet sheet
  Patient.info
• Gout low purine diet
  Cleveland Clinic
• Helping to ease the pain of gout through diet
  Dietitians Australia
• How fat affects gout
  Arthritis Foundation (USA)
• Lifestyle changes to reduce the risk of gout attacks
  Harvard Health
• What role does diet play in gout management?
  Arthritis Foundation (USA)