Are dietary overindulgences and increased alcohol consumption the main causes of gout?
A. For most people, dietary indulgence is not the main cause of gout. As with many diseases, the problem is the underlying genetic condition that predisposes certain people to experience the accumulation of too much uric acid (a condition known as hyperuricemia). Diet, however, does exert an influence for those predisposed to the disease. If you have a genetic predisposition for gout and have higher than normal levels of uric acid to begin with, a poorly-balanced diet (low consumption of fruits, vegetables, and dairy products, and high consumption of fatty meats) will add to the problem, increasing your risk for a gout attack by about three percent. Q. Which foods most likely contribute to gout attacks? A. Historically, gout patients have been advised to avoid all foods that are rich in purines because they are more likely to cause or aggravate gout. These include organ meats, such as liver, kidneys, brains, and sweetbreads, as well as sardines, anchovies, clams, and purine-rich vegeta
