Gout: Daily Care and Dietary Guidelines
Gout: Daily Care and Dietary Guidelines
Gout is related to how the body produces, metabolizes, and eliminates uric acid. Diet is only one part of the picture. Healthy eating habits, adequate hydration, and maintaining a healthy body weight are all important for preventing and managing gout.
Having Gout Does Not Mean You Must Avoid All Beans and Soy Products
People with gout do not need to completely eliminate beans and soy products from their diet.
• During periods without an acute gout attack, tofu, dried tofu, and soy milk may be consumed in moderation.
• Vegetables such as green beans and other edible-pod legumes generally do not need to be completely avoided.
• Natto is relatively high in purines and should be consumed with caution.
• During an acute gout attack, avoid drinking large amounts of soy milk as a substitute for water. Also avoid consuming large quantities of concentrated soy milk or using soy milk as a hot pot soup base.
The key is moderation and a balanced diet rather than completely eliminating all beans and soy products.
Which Foods and Drinks Require More Attention?
Try to reduce or avoid:
• Alcohol, especially beer
• Sugar-sweetened beverages and large amounts of fruit juice
• Organ meats
• Meat broths and concentrated soups
• Certain high-purine seafood
• Excessive amounts of meat
• Fried and high-fat foods
• Overeating and binge eating
Alcohol is especially important because it can interfere with the body's ability to eliminate uric acid.
Remember: “Three Lows and One High”
Low fat • Low salt • Low sugar • High fiber
Maintaining an overall balanced diet is more important than simply eliminating one particular type of food. Avoid excessive amounts of meat, fried foods, sweets, and highly processed foods whenever possible.
Drink Enough Fluids Every Day
Adequate hydration helps the body eliminate uric acid.
As a general reference, approximately 2,000–3,000 mL (about 68–101 fl oz) or more of fluids per day may be appropriate, depending on body size, activity level, sweating, and individual health conditions.
Remember to replace fluids after exercise, heavy sweating, or during hot weather.
If you have heart disease, kidney disease, or have been instructed by your physician to restrict fluids, follow your physician's recommendations instead.
Maintain a Healthy Body Weight
Being overweight is associated with an increased risk of gout. Maintaining a healthy body weight is therefore an important part of gout management.
If weight loss is needed, it should be gradual. Avoid extreme dieting or rapid weight loss. Intentional rapid weight loss is also not recommended during an acute gout attack.
During an Acute Gout Attack
An acute gout attack commonly causes:
Redness • Swelling • Heat • Pain
Avoid excessive massage, stimulation, or self-treatment of the painful joint during an acute attack.
For acupuncture treatment, needles should not be inserted directly into an acutely red, swollen, hot, and painful area. Other treatment approaches may be used depending on the individual situation.
If this is your first episode, the pain is extremely severe, you have fever or chills, or you are unsure whether the condition is actually gout, seek medical evaluation promptly.
Simple Reminders for Gout Management
Drink enough water | Limit alcohol | Reduce sugar | Reduce fatty foods
Avoid overeating | Maintain a healthy body weight
You do not need to completely avoid soy products. They may be consumed in moderation when you are not experiencing an acute gout attack.
During an acute attack with redness, swelling, heat, and pain, avoid excessive stimulation of the affected area.
Sources
Gout course materials and clinical instruction.
China Medical University Hospital, Division of Allergy, Immunology and Rheumatology, Gout and Hyperuricemia, June 18, 2026.
China Medical University Hospital, Department of Clinical Nutrition, Low-Purine Diet Guidelines, March 26, 2026.
China Medical University Hospital, Department of Clinical Nutrition, Low-Purine Food Selection Guide, March 26, 2026.
China Medical University Hospital, Department of Chinese Medicine, Traditional Chinese Medicine Preventive Care for Gout, January 13, 2026.
Disclaimer: This information is provided for general health education only and is not a substitute for individualized medical diagnosis or treatment.