Gout
Gout is an acute or chronic arthropathy resulting from deposition of monosodium urate monohydrate crystals in joint tissues. It is strongly associated with hyperuricaemia, which may be secondary to certain drugs, poisons or lymphoproliferative disorders. Gout is definitively diagnosed by demonstration of urate crystals in aspirated synovial fluid in the absence of an alternative aetiology for arthritis. It may be associated with focal urate deposition in skin and subcutaneous tissue (tophaceous gout) and with urate nephropathy
48 recommendations
Last updated: February 22, 2026
Diet
Purine-rich foods
Avoid purine-rich foods to prevent gout attacks and reduce uric acid crystallization
Alcohol
Alcohol significantly increases gout risk and should be avoided to prevent flares
Dairy products
Low-fat dairy products lower uric acid levels and protect against gout development
Soft drinks
Avoid sugar-sweetened soft drinks to reduce uric acid levels and prevent gout flares
Fructose
Reduce fructose intake to lower gout risk
Fruits
Cherries and cherry-rich fruits may help reduce gout flares and uric acid levels
Organ meats
Avoid organ meats to significantly reduce risk of recurrent gout attacks
Plant protein
Soy protein increases uric acid levels due to purine content
Seafood
Seafood consumption may elevate uric acid and gout risk, especially in women
Tea
Tea consumption may reduce gout risk related to kidney function impairment
Supplements
Vitamin C
Vitamin C supplementation provides modest uric acid-lowering support as adjunctive gout therapy
Cinnamon
Cinnamon decoction with honey may lower uric acid levels in gout patients
Bay leaf extract
Bay leaf decoction may reduce uric acid levels and gout-related pain
Probiotics (Bifidobacterium)
Bifidobacterium probiotics may help lower uric acid levels through gut-mediated pathways
Actions
Weight loss
Gradual weight loss reduces uric acid levels and gout flare frequency in overweight patients
Warm compress
Warm compresses reduce gout pain by 40-55% within 15-20 minute applications
Physical activity
Regular physical activity significantly reduces gout risk and alleviates joint pain symptoms
Red ginger compress
Warm red ginger compresses reduce gout pain by 45-57% within days
Ergonomic exercise
Ergonomic exercise reduces uric acid levels and pain in gout patients
Home urate monitoring
Regular home urate self-testing improves target achievement and treatment adherence in gout management
Hypnotherapy
Hypnotherapy significantly reduces pain and anxiety in elderly gout arthritis patients
Warm moringa leaf and cinnamon compress
Warm moringa leaf and cinnamon compresses may reduce gout joint pain by 1.75-2.0 points
Smoking cessation
Quit smoking to reduce gout risk and improve urate treatment outcomes
Warm foot soak
Warm foot soaks at 40°C reduce gout pain and may lower uric acid levels
Weight management to BMI 22-24
Maintaining healthy BMI reduces gout risk by lowering uric acid levels
Abdominal relaxation breathing
Abdominal relaxation breathing may help reduce joint pain during gout flares
Red onion compress
Red onion compresses reduce joint pain intensity in elderly gout patients
Rest and joint immobilization
Resting and elevating affected joints reduces pain during acute gout attacks
Red Flags
Frequent gout flares
Two or more gout flares yearly signals need for medical evaluation and urate-lowering therapy
Joint swelling in multiple joints
Multiple joint swelling in gout signals elevated complication risk requiring prompt medical evaluation
Subcutaneous tophi
Subcutaneous tophi signal advanced gout requiring prompt urate-lowering therapy and metabolic evaluation
Visible joint lumps
Visible joint lumps signal severe gout requiring prompt specialist evaluation and stricter treatment
Family history of gout
Family history of gout increases your risk 3 to 11 times higher
Signs of kidney disease
Gout patients face over double the risk of developing chronic kidney disease