Foods That Increase Uric Acid: High-Purine Foods and What to Eat Instead

Diet is one of several factors that influence uric acid levels, and it typically works alongside genetics, kidney function, body weight, and certain medications rather than being the sole cause of high uric acid or gout. This guide explains which foods and drinks are most linked to raising uric acid, which ones are often unfairly grouped in with them, and a realistic approach to changing your diet.

Quick Answer

Organ meats, certain seafood, large amounts of red meat, beer and other alcohol, and sugary drinks high in fructose are the foods and drinks most consistently linked to higher uric acid and gout flares. Purine-rich vegetables, dairy, and eggs are not treated the same way in current guidance — plant purines do not appear to raise gout risk the way animal purines do, and low-fat dairy is actually linked to a lower risk. No single food causes gout in everyone, and diet is only one part of managing uric acid.

Which Foods Can Increase Uric Acid?

Uric acid comes from the breakdown of purines, compounds found naturally in many foods and also made by the body itself. Eating purine-rich foods adds to the body's own purine production, and some foods and drinks — independent of their purine content — can also push the body toward making more uric acid or clearing it less efficiently. The American College of Rheumatology's 2020 gout guideline conditionally recommends that people with gout limit alcohol, purine intake, and high-fructose corn syrup, regardless of how active their gout currently is.

High-Purine Foods

The foods most consistently flagged as high in purines, by the NIH's National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS) and the NHS, include organ meats, certain seafood, and red meat in large amounts. These are the foods most often linked to a short-term rise in uric acid and to triggering a gout flare.

Organ Meats

Liver, kidney, and similar organ meats (offal) are among the highest-purine foods commonly eaten, and NIAMS specifically advises avoiding them. If you have gout or a history of high uric acid, these are reasonable foods to limit or avoid rather than eat regularly.

Seafood and Fish

Some seafood is particularly high in purines, including anchovies, sardines, mussels, and shellfish such as shrimp and lobster; the NHS also lists game and certain oily fish like mackerel and herring in this group. Fish and seafood are also a source of beneficial nutrients, so for many people the goal is limiting the specific high-purine types rather than avoiding fish altogether — this is a decision to make with a doctor based on how active your gout is.

Red Meat

Red meat contributes purines, and NIAMS advises limiting red meat as part of its dietary guidance for gout. Portion size matters here: an occasional modest serving is different from large or frequent portions, and the concern is mainly with eating red meat often or in large amounts rather than any amount being harmful.

Chicken and Other Poultry

Poultry contains purines, but generally at lower levels than organ meats or the seafood listed above. NIAMS's dietary guidance for gout, based on the DASH eating pattern, includes poultry as part of a reasonable overall diet rather than a food to avoid. As with any protein source, large portions add more purines than small ones.

Legumes and Plant Foods

Some vegetables — including asparagus, mushrooms, spinach, cauliflower, beans, and peas — contain meaningful amounts of purines. However, research reviewed in the 2020 American College of Rheumatology guideline found that purines from plant sources do not raise gout risk the way purines from organ meats, certain seafood, and red meat do. Because of this, current guidance does not recommend limiting purine-rich vegetables or legumes the way animal sources are limited, and the NHS specifically notes that fruits and vegetables can be eaten freely.

Dairy and Eggs

Dairy and eggs are not high-purine foods, and they should not be grouped in with organ meats or seafood. The NHS states that dairy products such as milk, yogurt, and cheese can be eaten freely, with a preference for lower-fat versions, and NIAMS's DASH-based guidance for gout specifically recommends low-fat or fat-free dairy. Research has found that higher dairy intake, particularly low-fat dairy, is associated with a lower risk of gout rather than a higher one — the opposite pattern from purine-rich animal foods. Eggs are also low in purines and are not typically restricted for gout.

Fruits and Fructose

Whole fruit is generally fine and is included in the foods the NHS says can be eaten freely. The concern is specifically with fructose consumed in large amounts from added sugar and sweetened drinks, which is discussed separately below — this is a different issue from eating whole fruit.

Sugary Drinks and Added Sugar

Sugar-sweetened drinks — sodas, sweetened juices, and similar drinks high in fructose — are consistently linked to higher uric acid, and both NIAMS and the NHS advise limiting them. The 2020 ACR guideline specifically names high-fructose corn syrup as a dietary factor to limit. The NHS also advises reducing foods high in refined sugar, such as biscuits and cakes, for the same reason.

Beer and Alcohol

Alcohol in general can raise uric acid, but beer has been linked to a higher gout risk than other alcoholic drinks — NIAMS specifically advises drinking less alcohol, including nonalcoholic beer, and the NHS singles out beer, ale, fortified wine, and port as worth limiting in particular. This appears to be partly due to beer's own purine content on top of alcohol's general effect. If you are prone to gout attacks, cutting back on alcohol — and beer especially — is one of the more consistently recommended dietary changes.

High-Purine vs Moderate-Purine Foods

Putting the above together, foods and drinks generally fall into three groups:

This is a general guide, not a strict rulebook — individual triggers can vary, and any significant diet change is worth discussing with a doctor, especially if gout is frequent or severe.

Foods That Are Better Choices

Based on the sources above, foods that are generally reasonable choices include low-fat or fat-free dairy, eggs, poultry in sensible portions, whole fruits and vegetables (including the moderate-purine ones), whole grains, and water as the main drink. None of these are "cures," but they fit the DASH-style eating pattern that NIAMS recommends alongside limiting the foods and drinks above.

What to Eat If You Have High Uric Acid or Gout

There is no single prescribed meal plan, but the overall pattern recommended by NIAMS and the NHS is a balanced diet built around vegetables, fruits, whole grains, low-fat dairy, and lean protein, with organ meats, certain seafood, large amounts of red meat, beer, and sugary drinks limited rather than eliminated outright. Complete avoidance of every purine-containing food is neither realistic nor necessary for most people — moderation, especially around your own known triggers, tends to be more sustainable than strict elimination.

Hydration and Uric Acid

Staying well hydrated supports the kidneys' ability to clear uric acid, and it's a reasonable general habit. It is not, however, a treatment for gout or a substitute for the dietary and medical measures above, and restrictive practices like intentional dehydration or extreme fasting are not supported by this guidance and can be harmful.

Diet vs Other Causes of High Uric Acid

Diet is only one factor affecting uric acid levels. Genetics, how efficiently the kidneys clear uric acid, body weight and other metabolic factors, and certain medications can all play a role, sometimes a larger one than diet. This is why two people with similar diets can have very different uric acid levels, and why diet changes alone do not fully control uric acid for everyone.

Does Everyone With High Uric Acid Need a Low-Purine Diet?

Not necessarily. Many people with mildly high uric acid and no gout symptoms do not need a strict low-purine diet, and the specific foods worth limiting depend on individual triggers, how active any gout is, and what a doctor recommends based on the full picture — not a one-size-fits-all list. Plant-based purine sources in particular are not treated the same as animal sources in current guidance, so a blanket "avoid all purines" approach is not what the evidence supports.

Diet and Gout Attacks

Some people notice that a specific meal, a drinking session, or a stretch of poor sleep or dehydration comes before a gout flare, but it is not accurate to say that any single food directly causes a gout attack in everyone. Triggers are individual, and tracking your own pattern over time — rather than assuming a generic list applies to you exactly — is the most useful approach alongside your doctor's advice.

When Diet Is Not Enough

When gout involves frequent flares or tophi (lumps of urate crystals under the skin), NIAMS is explicit that lifestyle changes alone are not sufficient, and urate-lowering medication becomes the mainstay of management. Diet supports management of uric acid and gout; it does not replace prescribed treatment when a doctor has recommended it, and stopping or avoiding medication in favor of diet alone is not supported by this guidance.

When to See a Doctor

See a doctor if you have joint pain, swelling, or redness that could be gout, especially if it is severe, affects more than one joint, or comes with fever; if gout attacks are becoming more frequent despite dietary changes; or if you notice firm lumps near a joint, which can be tophi. Our guides to gout, gout symptoms, gout treatment, and high uric acid cover diagnosis and treatment in more depth.

Sources

• Gout: Diagnosis, Treatment, and Steps to Take — NIH/NIAMS
• 2020 American College of Rheumatology Guideline for the Management of Gout — PubMed
• 5 Best and Worst Foods for Gout — National Kidney Foundation
• Gout Diet Dos and Don'ts — Arthritis Foundation