Diet May Lower Your Odds for Painful Gout
By Robert Preidt
WEDNESDAY, May 10, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- Warding off the joint pain of gout may be as easy as eating right, a new study suggests.
Gout, a joint disease that causes extreme pain and swelling, is caused by excess uric acid in the blood. It's the most common form of inflammatory arthritis, and its incidence has risen among Americans over recent decades, Harvard researchers noted.
But the DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet -- which is high in fruits and vegetables, and low in salt, sugar and red meat -- can lower levels of uric acid in the blood.
The American Heart Association has long supported the DASH regimen as a way to help avoid heart disease.