Gout is a form of rheumatoidarthritis that causes joint swelling, pain and inflammation. Gout affects more than 3.5million Americans. Most of these people develop the disease after age 50. Gout can affect both men and women. Gout sufferers have been advised for many years to reduce their intake of purines, proteins, and avoid fatty meats, seafood, and purine-rich veggies. Although there is no clinical evidence, dairy products have been suggested to be a factor in the development of gout.
Recommendations
These recommendations were based on the theory that gout can be caused by high blood levels of uric acids and purine-rich foods. Medical scientists have conducted a variety of experiments over the past decade to establish the role of a protein-rich diet and purine in the development of gout. A recently concluded experiment has clarified the role of diets in the occurrence and progression of gout.
The study was initiated in 1986 by more than 50.000 medical professionals, who participated in active research on the subject. The participants were divided into five distinct groups. Each group was required to follow a specific diet for a prolonged period of time. The experiment was monitored using questionnaires that checked whether participants followed the prescribed diet and whether they had any signs of gout.
Let’s see…
Regular medical examinations were performed on the testing group and weight monitoring was done regularly. Each group of volunteers was required to follow a specific diet for 12 years. The diets required varied amounts of meat, seafood, purine rich vegetables, high-fat dairy product and low-fat milk products. Researchers were able to confirm that high-protein diets and those rich in purines facilitate the development of gout.
The results were not dramatic, however. The data accumulated during the research showed that gout can be caused by other factors than poor diet. Only 730 people were diagnosed with gout at the end of the study. The volunteers between the ages of 55 and 65 had the highest rates of the disease.
Conclusion
Gout was most common in those who ate a lot of seafood. Participants who ate meat were more likely to develop gout, while those who ate high-fat and low fat dairy products had a lower incidence of gout. Participants who drank two glasses of skim milk per day had a significantly lower risk of developing gout. Gout risk was lowest among volunteers who ate high-protein, purine-rich vegetable meals.