Drink plenty of fluids if you have gout, around 8-16 glasses a day, at least half water. Drinking orange juice in moderation can also help to lower your uric acid levels without too much high-fructose intake, as can caffeinated coffee.
Many sugar-sweetened juices can increase your risk for gout, but naturally-sweetened juices like orange juice may also be a gout risk trigger. "In the last 10 years, there has been some evidence from some studies that high fructose in fruit juices may be associated with a higher risk of gout," says Dr. Freeman.
Cherries have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, so many people with gout may try drinking cherry juice to help treat their symptoms and prevent flare-ups.
Grapefruit, oranges, pineapples, and strawberries are all great sources of vitamin C, which lowers your uric acid levels and helps prevent gout attacks.
What is the best thing to drink if you have gout? Water. Drinking plenty of water is best if you have gout. Other beverages recommended for gout patients include milk, tart cherry juice, and coffee—all in moderation.
Drink at least 8 glasses of nonalcoholic beverages a day – plain water is best. And if you're having a flare, increase your intake to 16 glasses a day. The water helps flush uric acid from your system.
Start treatment immediately with over-the-counter ibuprofen (Motrin, Advil) or naproxen (Aleve), but never take aspirin, which can worsen a flare.
Consume high amounts of fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, low-dairy products and whole grains, such as cherries. Cherries are proven to lower uric acid for people with gout. Make sure any health conditions, diabetes, high cholesterol or high blood pressure, are under control.
Apples too are a storehouse of natural fructose. Too much consumption of apples can worsen the gout condition even more. Dates are low-purine fruits however it contains a high amount of fructose. It can be risky to consume dates as they can alter the amount of uric acid in your blood.
Drinking plenty of water will help the body flush out the buildup of urate, which creates uric acid crystals that build up in your joint and causes inflammation and pain. Recent studies have shown that drinking adequate water during the 24 hours before a gout flare can decrease the intensity and recurrent gout attacks.
Drink at least 10-12 eight-ounce glasses of non-alcoholic fluids daily, especially if you have had kidney stones. This will help flush the uric acid crystals out of your body.
Avoid alcohol during gout attacks, and limit alcohol, especially beer, between attacks. Sugary foods and beverages. Limit or avoid sugar-sweetened foods such as sweetened cereals, bakery goods and candies. Limit consumption of naturally sweet fruit juices.
Dairy. Dairy products, such as milk, cheese, and yogurt, are low in purines, and they are a good fit for a diet to manage or prevent gout. They are good protein alternatives to meat, and reduced-fat dairy products are lower in saturated fat than full-fat ones.
Is it OK to walk with gout? It is safe for people to walk with gout. In fact, doing joint friendly activities such as walking can help improve gout-related pain. Gout is a form of arthritis that usually affects the big toe joint, but it can also affect the lesser toes, ankles, and knees.
An acute gout attack will generally reach its peak 12-24 hours after onset, and then will slowly begin to resolve even without treatment. Full recovery from a gout attack (without treatment) takes approximately 7-14 days.
Two of the most common treatments for attacks are non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and colchicine. Steroids (tablets or injections) can also be prescribed. Some people chose to take other painkillers, such as paracetamol or co-codamol (paracetamol and codeine), but others found these were ineffective.
A Caution About Vegetables
As good for you as vegetables are in general, some have been found to be high in purines, including asparagus, spinach, cauliflower, and certain mushrooms.
Yes. At some point, the misconception spread that people with gout should avoid dairy. But in fact, certain dairy products — especially milk — can help you remove uric acid from your body. In other words, dairy tends to help rather than hurt people with gout.
Chocolate is not a high purine food. However, some of the ingredients in chocolate, particularly white and milk chocolate, may increase uric acid and a person's risk of developing gout.
Avoid foods that may trigger a gout flare, including foods high in purines (like a diet rich in red meat, organ meat, and seafood), and limit alcohol intake (particularly beer and hard liquor).