The Gout Expert

- Jennifer Davis

What you eat – or don’t eat – plays an important role in managing gout, the most common form of inflammatory arthritis in the United States.

Gout occurs when uric acid builds up in the blood (instead of being excreted) and gets deposited as crystals in one or more joints, triggering sudden swelling and pain. Uric acid is a by-product of the breakdown of purines, naturally occurring compounds in the body and in certain foods, which is why diet can be important for controlling gout attacks.

We asked Hyon K. Choi, MD, what people with gout should know about diet.

What foods can trigger a gout attack?

[Excess] alcohol and purinerich foods, particularly red meat and sea food.