Gout is a type of rheumatoid arthritis that causes pain, swelling and inflammation of the joints. Statistics indicate that there are more than 3.5 million people in the United States confronted with gout, most of them developing the disease after the age of 50. Although gout can be developed by both men and women, it predominantly affects the male gender. For many years, gout sufferers have been advised to limit the intake of purines and proteins in their diet, by avoiding fatty meats, seafood and even some purine-rich vegetables. Dairy products have also been considered to influence the development of gout, but in the absence of any clinical evidence.

Until recently, these recommendations were based solely upon the theory that purine-rich foods and a high protein intake are directly related with the occurrence of gout, by increasing the blood levels of uric acid. In order to reveal conclusive evidence regarding the contribution of a purine and protein-rich diet to the development of gout, medical scientists have conducted various experiments in the last decade. However, a recently ended experiment has finally clarified the way diets influence the occurrence and the progression of gout. The experiment was initiated in 1986 and involved the participation of more than 50.000 medical professionals who volunteered to perform an active research upon the matter. The participants were divided into five distinctive groups, each of them respecting a certain type of diet for a long period of time.

The experiment was monitored with the means of questionnaires that had the role of verifying whether the imposed diet was respected accordingly and whether there were any clinical signs of gout among the participants. The testing group benefited from regular medical examinations and frequent body weight monitoring. Each group of volunteers followed a particular type of diet in the course of 12 years. The imposed diets included distinctive quantities of meats, seafood, purine-rich vegetables, high-fat dairy products and low-fat dairy products.

After finalizing the 12- year experiment, researchers were able to confirm the fact that purine-rich and high protein diets facilitate the occurrence and the progression of gout. However, the results weren