There Is No Way To Treat Gout Without Diet

Author: Victoria Aly Time for reading: ~6 minutes Last Updated: January 27, 2026

In this article, learn more about There Is No Way To Treat Gout Without Diet. The well-being of a gout patient depends on diet. Why?.

what is gout?

Gout is one of the most common metabolic diseases today. It is often found among Bulgarians, especially in people who are overweight and obese. There is a hereditary factor in gout, but this does not mean that if a person carries the gene, the disease will necessarily manifest itself.

Gout is a disorder of uric acid secretion. The symptoms can sometimes be very discreet and one does not know for a long time that one has this problem. Sometimes gout is found in prophylactic laboratory tests that show high levels of uric acid and urea in the blood. Often the first symptom of the disease is pain and swelling of one of the joints - the thumb, elbow and others. The joint is inflamed, hot, red, throbbing and requires immobilization. The first manifestation of gout may be a kidney crisis due to the presence of uric acid stones in the kidneys. They may also be an accidental ultrasound finding.

- Why is nutrition so important in the treatment and maintenance of gout patients?

There is no way to treat gout without a diet without a change in diet. Much of the uric acid, which is a waste product and is normally excreted in the urine, is produced by the breakdown of food ingredients. So about 2/3 of the uric acid in the body is a result of the food we eat. Only 1/3 is the result of the processes of regeneration of the body's own tissues. These 2/3 of uric acid, the source of which is food, are not small when we have a problem with the excretion of uric acid. Therefore, without a change in diet it is very difficult to control this disease.

- What is the diet?

One of the tips I give most often to patients is to normalize their weight. Then uric acid excretion improves and crises are less frequent. The emphasis in the menu should be increased imports of alkalizing foods. Uric acid is easily excreted and excreted in the urine when the body's internal environment is alkaline. Conversely, if the menu is rich in foods that acidify the body, uric acid becomes insoluble and begins to precipitate in the form of crystals in the joints or kidneys.

- What are alkalizing foods?

In the first place, these are fresh fruits and vegetables. They should be present daily in the menu of the gout patient. Other foods that alkalize the environment in the body are some cereals - millet, buckwheat and others. Yogurt has a neutral reaction, which makes it a suitable food for gout. There are also alkalizing waters. It is good for gout patients to choose alkaline mineral waters with a pH above 8.5. These are the mineral waters from Gorna Banya, Narechen, Hissar, Momin Prohod and others.

You can also use some herbal teas - linden, chamomile, rosehip and corn silk. With their mild diuretic effect, they support the excretion of uric acid.

Tap water with a little lemon or orange juice added to make it alkaline is also suitable for drinking. The most important thing is to drink enough fluids so that you have good diuresis. Patients with gout should monitor the color of their urine. When it is light, it means that water intake is sufficient. If the urine is dark, it means that it is very concentrated and the excretion of uric acid is difficult.

- What are the foods that should be avoided?

Meat, offal and fish products are severely restricted, as they lead to a very sharp rise in uric acid in the blood. Game meat should not be consumed because it is rich in purine bases and increases uric acid very much. Meat and fish can be consumed carefully, in small quantities, without eating the broth in which they are cooked (at least half of the purines pass into the broth, as they are water-soluble). This means that soups should not be prepared with the broth in which the meat is cooked.

Sausages, smoked, salted and marinated fish and meat delicacies are extremely unsuitable food for these patients not only because of the high content of waste products, but also because of the large amount of salt. Consumption of salty and very sweet foods adversely affects diuresis and the body's ability to excrete uric acid.

Pâtés are not recommended as they contain by-products and are even richer in purines and uric acid. Seafood and caviar should also be severely restricted. How often and in what quantity meat and fish will be included in the menu depends on the level of uric acid and what other foods the patient consumes. The amount of these products is dosed individually.

Mushrooms in any form should not be consumed - neither fresh nor canned, as well as eggplants and pickles prepared with vinegar. Vinegar is not the right spice for gout, because it further acidifies the internal environment of the body and interferes with the excretion of uric acid. Alcohol is also not suitable for these patients, although there are patients in whom a little wine or a little beer is not a problem. The reaction to different types of alcohol is very individual.

It is not advisable for patients to go on extreme, low-calorie diets, because sudden weight loss leads to a crisis of gout. Sudden weight loss causes the breakdown of one's own tissues and this increases the levels of endogenous uric acid. Weight loss will be followed by fatigue and constant tiredness.

- What should these patients eat in case of exacerbation of the disease and, accordingly, in case of non-exacerbated gout?

The menu of the gout patient should be mostly vegetarian, but with the inclusion of dairy products and eggs, because patients need enough protein. For acute gout, I recommend 2-3 unloading days only with alkalizing foods - raw fruits (especially spring cherries, cherries, apricots, which are rich in potassium), vegetables, a little yogurt and alkalizing mineral waters. The rest of the time, when the patient is not in crisis, he could start the day with 1-2 cups of tea or alkaline water. Breakfast should include a sandwich with cheese or cottage cheese, boiled egg and as a side dish fresh raw vegetables. As a snack, you can eat fresh seasonal fruit and some nuts - such as a handful of walnuts or almonds. For lunch, a vegetarian dish with rice, potatoes or corn is suitable. It can be accompanied by a salad and a dairy product - for example, a salad with cheese or cottage cheese. In the afternoon, take a portion of fruit again and possibly a glass of kefir. For dinner it can be a dish of legumes - beans, lentils, peas, or a dish with eggs - mish-mash, Panagyurishte eggs, casserole with potatoes, etc., with some bread and salad. If the uric acid level is not very high, a small portion of meat could be eaten for dinner - roasted or boiled (without broth) or fish garnished with potatoes (rice, buckwheat, millet, bulgur, bread) and some vegetables.

There Is No Way To Treat Gout Without Diet

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