Mediterranean, DASH, or Alkaline Diet for Gout?

Mediterranean, DASH, or Alkaline Diet for Gout? explains how Mediterranean, Alkaline, and DASH diets help gout sufferers. In particular, gout sufferers need easy ways to measure progress towards their goals. Also, I ask which of these diets will help you most.

Mediterranean, DASH, or Alkaline Diet for Gout Audience

I wrote Mediterranean, DASH, or Alkaline Diet for Gout for GoutPal Foodies. Gout Foodies are gout sufferers who believe food changes can help their gout. But, unlike GoutPal Dieters, they have no healthy eating plan on which to build an effective gout diet. So, this article helps Gout Foodies from step 4 of their GoutPal management plan. Where they test the healthiness of their existing diet. Then, measure progress towards diet targets.

Therefore, GoutPal Foodies should continue to read below. But, if you are not sure which type of gout sufferer you are, please read Questions for Gout Sufferers.

Mediterranean, DASH, or Alkaline Diet for Gout?

I have always believed that Mediterranean eating styles are better than DASH diet for gout sufferers. However, we know from recent research that typical gout sufferers are a long way from a healthy DASH diet^[1]. Also, DASH diet experts recommend gradual introduction of the DASH diet^[2]:

Don’t change too much at once.

When starting a new lifestyle, try to avoid changing too much at once. Slow changes lead to success.

Break down the process.

Break goals into smaller, simpler steps, each of which is attainable.

So, I believe GoutPal Foodies should consider a gradual introduction of the DASH Diet. Then, they can improve further by introducing Mediterranean eating styles. Or, focus on alkaline diet for gout. But, I think it will be best if Gout Foodies have an easy way to measure progress through their gout management plan.

Now, before I ask you which is best for you, I will summarize recent research.

DASH Diet for Gout

In 2016, Juraschek SP and colleagues found^[3]:

The DASH diet lowered SUA, and this effect was greater among participants with hyperuricemia.

SUA = Serum Uric Acid, i.e. the uric acid level in your blood.

Before that, Hyon Choi and colleagues reported their DASH diet gout conference paper^[4]:

[a DASH diet] offers an additional nutritional approach to preventing (and potentially treating) hyperuricemia and gout

More recent research has developed a simple food scoring method that measures how you are progressing with DASH diet. So, I believe it is possible to tweak this for gout sufferers. Then you will be able to measure the progress of your DASH diet for gout.

DASH Diet for Gout 2020 Update

An interesting DASH study in China has looked at the link between high DASH diet scores and low uric acid^[7]. Because the researchers noted the lack of evidence linking uric acid with total diet quality. So they studied almost 72,000 adults who did not have gout. Then they compared their diet quality, measured by DASH scores, against uric acid levels.

The researchers concluded that the DASH diet was associated with a low likelihood of excess uric acid. So this reinforces the idea that a DASH diet is a good choice for gout sufferers. And a great choice for people with both gout and high blood pressure. Having said that, Mediterranean eating styles are associated with lower blood pressure. But as we look at different choices. Always remember that these are foundation diets to establish healthy eating patterns. Then you have a base on which to change individual foods for even better uric acid control.

Mediterranean Diet for Gout

While reviewing the latest DASH diet information, I checked my earlier advice about Mediterranean eating styles. Then, I found a small study showed that Mediterranean diet could achieve a 20% reduction in uric acid^[5]. The average reduction was from just over 9mg/dL to just under 6.5mg/dL.

Similarly, recent research has refined a scoring method for Mediterranean diets. So, I believe MedDietScore can be tweaked to give GoutPal Foodies a second way to measure progress towards their goals.

Alkaline Diet for Gout

Kanbara has published research into Alkaline Gout Diets. Also, other studies have reinforced the view that:

urine alkalization achieved through consumption of vegetable-fruit food […] might be responsible for lowering of Serum Uric Acid through its augmented excretion.^[6]

So, evidence to support alkaline diet for gout grows. But, we still have the problem that calculating PRAL for every food item is very tedious. However, I am confident that new research supports the view that PRAL can be simplified. In particular, since protein is valuable to gout sufferers, I believe a Pro/PRAL scoring system will benefit Gout Foodies. Then, they can balance helpful protein with acceptable PRAL scores.

Mediterranean, DASH, or Alkaline Diet for Gout Summary

Now, we have scoring systems for each of these diets. But, each of them needs tweaking for gout sufferers. So, I intend to publish diet scoring calculators that can compare how close you are to healthy eating for gout. However, I’m leaving the decision up to you, about where I start.

Mediterranean DASH Alkaline Diet for Gout media — Which healthy eating plan is best for your gout?

Your Choice Diet for Gout?

You’ve learned there are three choices of foundation diet for GoutPal Foodies. Earlier, I asked readers of this page to vote on their preference. So the results of that survey are:

Gout Foundation Diet Votes — GoutPal Foodies Prefer Mediterranean Diet

As you see, most gout sufferers prefer to start with a Mediterranean Diet as their foundation for a healthy eating pattern. So I will look at how Mediterranean Diets can be adapted by GoutPal Dieters for even better uric acid control.

As a GoutPal Foodie, you can start a Mediterranean Diet any time you like. But you should always consult your doctor before making dietary changes. So discuss wether to introduce Mediterranean eating patterns on an increasing number of days. Or start full Mediterranean style dieting from day one. Then when you are established on that diet, you might switch from Foodies to Dieters recovery plan. As long as you have routines in place for professional uric acid monitoring.

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Common Terms: alkaline, menu, Most Helpful Gout Pages, uric diet