Which supplements and foods help with gout and which may worsen it?

Written by Meredith Worthington, Ph.D. — Medically reviewed and edited by Tod Cooperman, M.D.

Updated January 09, 2023 ⓘ

Woman with gout pain rubbing her foot near the big toe

Answer:

Gout is a type of painful joint inflammation that can be caused by elevated blood levels of uric acid, which can result in the formation of needle-shaped crystals around joints, especially in the feet.

There is no cure for gout, but a combination of medications and lifestyle changes (diet and exercise) are typically used to help manage the condition (NIAMS, Gout Overview).

Certain supplements and foods may reduce uric acid levels but may or may not reduce gout flare-ups, and some may potentially worsen the condition by increasing levels of uric acid.

In this article we discuss the effects on uric acid levels and gout of fish and fish oil, coffee, beer, animal meat, milk proteins (including whey protein), vegetable proteins, fructose, lemon juice, tart cherry juice, vitamin A, vitamin C, magnesium, and niacin.

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