Does cherry juice help gout?

Both fresh cherries and cherry extract were linked to fewer recurrent flares in the main observational study, so extract isn’t clearly weaker than the fruit. But a later randomized trial of cherry concentrate found no effect on uric acid, and many juices add sugar that works against you.

Does apple cider vinegar lower uric acid?

No reliable human study shows apple cider vinegar lowers uric acid or prevents gout attacks, and no major gout guideline mentions it.

Guide

What actually helps

The internet is full of gout cures. Most have no evidence behind them. Here's the short list research actually supports, and a straight read on the remedies people ask about most.

By Oliver Silen, founder of GoutSafe Sources checked October 5, 2026

Food is one lever, not a cure. In 626 people with gout, two weeks of a low-purine diet lowered uric acid by about 1 mg/dL on average, and most people need to reach roughly 6 mg/dL to stop flares. Weight and, for many people, urate-lowering medication close the rest. See how the gout diet fits the whole plan.

Backed by evidence

These habits have real research behind them. Beyond food, the biggest levers are staying hydrated, reaching a healthy weight, and taking any uric-acid medication your doctor prescribes.

Reach a healthy weight Guideline-backed

In a review of 10 studies, losing 3 to 34 kg moved uric acid by -2.8 to +0.5 mg/dL, and 6 of the 8 studies that counted attacks saw fewer. The 2020 ACR guideline conditionally recommends a weight-loss program for anyone with gout who is overweight. Very fast loss can bring flares at first, which the gout diet page covers.

Evidence: Nielsen et al. 2017, Ann Rheum Dis 2020 ACR Gout Guideline (conditional recommendation for weight loss)

Coffee and low-fat dairy Large studies

In 45,869 men followed 12 years, 4 to 5 cups of coffee a day carried 0.60 times the risk of gout and 6 or more carried 0.41, against none. Decaf at 1 to 3 cups was 0.67. In 47,150 men, the highest dairy intake carried 0.56 times the risk of the lowest.

Evidence: Choi et al. 2007, Arthritis Rheum Choi & Curhan 2007, Arthritis Rheum (coffee and uric acid)Choi et al. 2004, NEJM (low-fat dairy, lower gout risk)

Cherries Best food evidence

In 633 people with gout, eating cherries over two days was linked to 35% lower flare odds. One serving was half a cup, about 10 to 12 cherries, and the benefit peaked around 3 servings in 2 days. It’s observational, and a 2020 trial of tart cherry concentrate in 50 people found no change in uric acid or flares. Treat the fruit as a bonus, not a cure.

Evidence: Zhang et al. 2012, Arthritis Rheum (recurrent flares)Stamp et al. 2020, Rheumatology

Stay hydrated Observational

Higher water intake is linked to fewer recurrent flares and lower uric acid, likely by helping your kidneys clear it. No randomized trial yet, but it’s free and low-risk, so drink up.

Evidence: Am J Lifestyle Med 2015 review (~46% fewer recurrent flares with higher water intake)

Vitamin C Modest, not for flares

A 500 mg daily supplement lowered uric acid 0.5 mg/dL over 2 months in 184 people without gout. In 40 people with gout, the same dose moved it 0.23 mg/dL against 1.9 for allopurinol, which the authors called clinically insignificant. The 2020 ACR guideline conditionally recommends against vitamin C supplements for gout.

Evidence: Huang et al. 2005, Arthritis Rheum Stamp et al. 2013, Arthritis Rheum Juraschek et al. 2011, Arthritis Care Res (vitamin C meta-analysis)2020 ACR Gout Guideline (conditionally recommends against supplements)

Linked to lower uric acid

Cited evidence of lower serum uric acid. Each links to its supporting study on the food's page.

2% Milk

Milk, 2% fat

Purine 0.6 mg Fructose 0 g per 100 g

Enjoy Dairy & Eggs

Coffee

Purine 0 mg Fructose 0 g per 100 g

Enjoy Beverages - Non-Alcoholic

Nonfat Plain Yogurt

Yogurt, regular, nonfat, plain

Purine 8.3 mg Fructose 0 g per 100 g

Enjoy Dairy & Eggs

Linked to fewer flares

A different benefit from lowering uric acid, so it doesn’t change the grade. Cherries are low-purine. The leaner omega-3 fish (under 150 mg of purine per 100 g) deliver the same omega-3s without the heavy purine load, though the flare study measured mostly the oily, higher-purine fish. Keep the portion normal and let the grade on each card guide you.

Sweet Cherries

Cherries, sweet, raw

Purine 17 mg Fructose 5.51 g per 100 g

Safe Fruit

Herring

Herring, raw

Purine 139.2 mg Fructose 0 g per 100 g

Moderate Fish

Salmon

Salmon, mixed species, raw

Purine 119.4 mg Fructose 0 g per 100 g

Moderate Fish

What about the higher-purine fish, like sardines, mackerel, and anchovies?

Honest trade-off. One study of 724 gout patients (Zhang 2019) linked omega-3-rich fish to roughly a quarter fewer recurrent flares, even after accounting for purines. But the higher-purine fish, from sardines and mackerel up to anchovies, carry 150 mg of purine per 100 g or more, some far more, enough to raise uric acid. So the leaner options above are the sensible bet, and a normal portion matters more than the type. Notably, fish-oil supplements didn’t show the same benefit. See where the heavier fish land on the foods to avoid list.

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Popular remedies, honestly rated

These come up constantly in gout forums. We rate them on the evidence, not the hype.

Tart cherry juice and cherry extract Weak evidence

The claim: Concentrated cherry juice or pills stop flares.

The main study linked both fresh cherries and cherry extract to fewer recurrent flares, so extract isn’t clearly weaker than the fruit. But that study was observational, a later randomized trial of cherry concentrate found no effect on uric acid, and many juices add a lot of sugar, which works against you. Eat the fruit before reaching for a supplement.

Evidence: Zhang et al. 2012, Arthritis & Rheumatism (cherry intake and recurrent flares)Stamp et al. 2020, Rheumatology (randomized trial: cherry concentrate, no urate effect)

Turmeric and curcumin No good evidence

The claim: Turmeric or curcumin pills lower uric acid and calm gout.

Curcumin is anti-inflammatory in the lab, but the one randomized trial in people with high uric acid found no benefit over placebo. There is no good gout-specific trial showing it lowers uric acid or prevents flares. Fine as a spice, not as a treatment.

Evidence: Bupparenoo et al. 2021, J Diet Suppl (randomized trial: curcumin, no urate effect in hyperuricemia)

Fish oil and omega-3 supplements Weak evidence

The claim: Fish oil capsules prevent gout attacks.

Eating omega-3-rich fish is linked to fewer recurrent flares, but the studied benefit came from food, not capsules, and trials of fish-oil supplements for gout are thin. The catch with food is that many omega-3 fish (sardines, anchovies, mackerel) are also high in purines, so the trade-off is real. Capsules sidestep the purines but aren’t proven for gout.

Evidence: Zhang et al. 2019, Arthritis & Rheumatology (omega-3 fish intake and recurrent flares)

Apple cider vinegar No good evidence

The claim: A daily shot lowers uric acid and dissolves crystals.

No PubMed-indexed clinical trial shows apple cider vinegar lowers uric acid, dissolves crystals, or prevents gout attacks, and no major gout guideline mentions it. A 2025 systematic review of 27 gout trials found no vinegar study among them. The idea spread online, not from research.

Evidence: Pardali et al. 2025, Mediterr J Rheumatol (systematic review of 27 gout RCTs; no vinegar trial among them)

Baking soda No good evidence

The claim: Dissolved in water, it alkalizes the body and clears uric acid.

There is real science behind alkalinizing urine: it makes uric acid more soluble, which is why doctors use prescription potassium citrate, with pH monitoring, for uric acid kidney stones. But baking soda is the wrong tool. It’s very high in sodium and can be dangerous for people with high blood pressure or kidney problems, and self-dosing has caused serious harm. It isn’t a substitute for treatment.

Evidence: Xue et al. 2021, Rheumatology (citrate vs sodium bicarbonate in gout patients)Diaconu et al. 2022, Exp Ther Med (metabolic alkalosis from baking-soda misuse in a gout patient)

Lemon water Weak evidence

The claim: Lemon juice neutralizes uric acid.

A few small, low-quality studies suggest lemon or citric acid may nudge uric acid down slightly, likely by alkalinizing urine rather than "neutralizing" anything. There is no randomized trial of lemon itself, the effect is minor, and it’s far weaker than medication. It’s harmless and hydrating, so enjoy it, but don’t rely on it.

Evidence: Biernat-Kaluza et al. 2025, Int J Rheumatic Diseases (lemon water pilot study)Juraschek et al. 2011, Arthritis Care & Research (vitamin C meta-analysis: small ~0.35 mg/dL effect)

Celery seed extract No good evidence

The claim: Celery seed lowers uric acid.

No peer-reviewed trial in gout patients exists today, and no major guideline or review includes it. Lab and animal work hints at a mechanism, and one small trial in people with metabolic syndrome saw a modest dip in uric acid, but that’s a long way from evidence it helps gout. Not enough to recommend it.

Evidence: Pardali et al. 2025, Mediterr J Rheumatol (systematic review of RCTs; celery seed not among them)Escobedo-Gutiérrez et al. 2026, Pharmaceuticals (small metabolic-syndrome trial, not gout)

Alkaline or ionized water No good evidence

The claim: Special high-pH water flushes out uric acid.

No peer-reviewed study shows alkaline, ionized, or hydrogen-rich water prevents gout flares. The few small trials on these waters and uric acid are too unreliable to trust: tiny samples, and the one reporting a benefit was funded by the water company. What helps is the water itself, not its pH. Plain water hydrates you just as well, which genuinely helps.

Evidence: Wu et al. 2024, Heliyon (hydrogen-rich water RCT: no significant between-group effect)Liu et al. 2025, Nutrients (electrolyzed alkaline water pilot: 40 enrolled, seller-funded)

Diet is part of the picture, not all of it

For most people the body makes the majority of its own uric acid. Food contributes the smaller share. Eating well lowers your risk and helps you feel in control, but for many people diet alone does not bring uric acid down enough to stop flares. Medication often does the heavy lifting. Use these grades to make easier daily choices, and work with your doctor on the full plan.

To put a number on it: in 626 people with gout, two weeks of a low-purine diet lowered uric acid by about 1 mg/dL on average, while most people need to get below 6 mg/dL to stop flares. That gap is usually closed by weight loss and urate-lowering medication, not food alone. Saying this plainly is the point. We would rather you trust us than oversell what food can do. Sources: ACR 2020 guideline (the under-6 target) · Chen 2024 (the diet figure) · Juraschek 2016 and Major 2018 (what diet moves)

Sources

Values are per 100g unless a note says otherwise, rounded to three significant figures. Per-serving figures are calculated from the unrounded measurement, so recomputing from the rounded number can differ by a milligram or so. A single determination is normal in food composition tables, not a defect. The fructose figure is derived, not a label value: it counts free fructose plus half of sucrose, because sucrose is half fructose and the body treats both the same way. A sucrose-sweetened food therefore carries roughly twice this much total sugar.

Last reviewed August 11, 2026.

Not medical advice. This is general information, not a substitute for care from your doctor or dietitian. Do not start, stop, or change any medication based on this page.

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