Gout explained: why it is no longer a disease of the decadent West, its symptoms, and foods and drinks to avoid
- Rising consumption around the world of alcohol, sugary drinks and energy-dense food, and lower physical activity, has led to gout’s spread to places like China
- Eating foods high in purines such as anchovies, trout, turkey, veal and liver can trigger gout, which mostly affects toes and causes intense pain and swelling
Gout is often deemed a disease of the rich, the indulgent, the overweight. Historically, it was referred to as “the disease of kings” because it affected those who consumed rich food and alcohol.
Today, however, gout affects individuals from all socioeconomic backgrounds (my husband is a sufferer and last time I checked, he wasn’t a king – or, for that matter, rich). It is also a growing problem globally. So what are the true causes of gout and how is it best prevented and treated?
Gout was first recorded in ancient Egypt in 2640BC. In 2017, the ailment was estimated to affect 41.2 million people worldwide by that year’s Global Burden of Disease Study, with the number of cases growing every year.
Sufferers are no longer mainly in Western countries. China, for example, is one of many countries to have seen a rise in cases of gout. In 2016, 2.9 per cent of Hong Kong’s population were recorded as having it – a rate similar to that in Western countries.
A spokesman for Hong Kong’s Department of Health explains that globalisation has triggered worldwide dietary changes, including an increase in consumption of alcohol, energy-dense foods and sugary drinks, combined with a decrease in physical activity. All these factors play a part in general health, and can affect the onset of gout.
As Sophia Kamveris, author of The 28-Day Gout Diet Plan, explains, “gout is characterised by elevated levels of uric acid (UA) in the blood, also known as hyperuricemia”. When someone has too much UA, “needle-like crystals” form that are deposited in joints or soft tissue.