Eating fruit and vegetables can help reduce the risk of gout, a new study has found.
Research from the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, in the US, examined 103 adults with high blood pressure, who either received a diet high in fruit and vegetables, whole grains and lean meats, known as the Dietary Approaches To Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet, or a control diet. High blood pressure is linked to a high level of uric acid in the blood, which in turn can trigger gout.
Those on the DASH diet had lower levels of uric acid in their blood, meaning they had a lower risk of gout issues, the study found.
Researchers said the findings suggest that a diet that is high in fresh produce may represent an effective way of preventing flares in patients with gout. Diet has been linked to uric acid levels but until now there has been virtually no clinical trial evidence.
“Physicians may now confidently recommend the DASH diet to patients with gout in order to lower uric acid levels,” said study author Dr Stephen Juraschek. “Our findings also show how sodium, or salt, can alter uric acid levels, which provides important insights in further understanding dietary triggers of gout flares.”
The study was published in Arthritis & Rheumatology.
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