What causes gout? The underlying cause of gout is uric build-up in the blood-stream that may cause crystals to form around joints.

The joints then become inflamed and pain is experienced. So, it’s not necessary uric acid that causes gout, but the formulation of crystals around bodily joints like wrists, knees, toes, fingers, etc that causes gout.

Comment:

I came across your site in the gout forum. I think I realised something was wrong when I had continual wrist aches. What works for one sufferer won’t necessarily work another, I’ve tried most things. My knee pain can be quite bad, but I don’t get any toe pain. It amazes me the thought of tiny deposits of uric acid crystals causing gout and so much pain. There’s a health forum that lead me here and contains some really useful info. So again, a big thankyou! M Gomez

This is a common question from gout sufferers, and indeed, I asked this same question many times: What are the foods that cause gout and why?

Well, after researching the concept of gout and food, I realised there’s no direct evidence that gout is initially caused by food or drink consumption – yes, eating certain food can increase uric acid levels in the bloodstream, but, the underlying cause of gout is reason why uric acid levels become so high. So factors that are implicated include:

1. Kidney disease.
2. Certain defective enzyme metabolism.
3. Genetics – family history is a common theme in gout development.
4. Use and overuse of certain medications have been linked to gout development.

From certain studies it’s easy to get the impression that foods cause gout! Such as alcohol and meat, but there is no direct evidence of this. It’s much more likely to be multifactorial.

Interestingly, this is another study that confirms the link between seafood and meat consumption and high uric acid levels. And, more interestingly, dairy intake may, somehow, reduce uric acid levels. A strong link between gout and foods?

Intake of purine-rich foods, protein, and dairy products and relationship to serum levels of uric acid: the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.

Authors: Choi HK, Liu S, Curhan G.

Institution: Rheumatology Unit, Bulfinch 165, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 55 Fruit Street, Boston, MA 02114, USA. hchoi@partners.org

OBJECTIVE: Various commonly consumed foods have long been suspected of affecting the serum uric acid level, but few data are available to support or refute this impression. Our objective was to evaluate the relationship between dietary factors and serum uric acid levels in a nationally representative sample of men and women in the US.

RESULTS: The serum uric acid level increased with increasing total meat or seafood intake and decreased with increasing dairy intake. After adjusting for age, the differences in uric acid levels between the extreme quintiles of intake were 0.48 mg/dl for total meat (95% confidence interval [95% CI] 0.34, 0.61; P < 0.001 for trend), 0.16 mg/dl for seafood (95% CI 0.06, 0.27; P = 0.005 for trend), and -0.21 mg/dl for total dairy intake (95% CI -0.37, -0.04; P = 0.02 for trend). After adjusting for other covariates, the differences between the extreme quintiles were attenuated but remained significant (P < 0.05 for all comparisons). The total protein intake was not associated with the serum uric acid level in multivariate analyses (P = 0.74 for trend). Those who consumed milk 1 or more times per day had a lower serum uric acid level than did those who did not drink milk (multivariate difference -0.25 [95% CI -0.40, -0.09]; P < 0.001 for trend). Similarly, those who consumed yogurt at least once every other day had a lower serum uric acid level than did those who did not consume yogurt (multivariate difference -0.26 [95% CI -0.41, -0.12]; P < 0.001 for trend).

CONCLUSION: These findings from a nationally representative sample of adults in the US suggest that higher levels of meat and seafood consumption are associated with higher serum levels of uric acid but that total protein intake is not. Dairy consumption was inversely associated with the serum uric acid level.

Study link: food and gout study.

Although there’s no direct proof excessive ‘rich’ food and alcohol consumption causes gout, this comment from a site visitor is still interesting.

I’ve enjoyed reading your website about Gout. It’s run in family for generation. I’ve got it, my brother has got it, my grandfather and his father had it. I suppose this means there may be a common gene. But our family and previous generations were all heavy drinkers, smokers and eaters. We loved big meat dinners and wash it down a beer or two.

I’ve read about the link to beer, it doesn’t surprise me! Most of us have found our gout is much worse after drinking and eating a lot!

Great website about Gout.

J. H. Dune.