Hi Keith,    Here is a post from the past.

Harv

Here is the Arthritis Foundation's take on gout and diet:

From the Arthritis Foundation:

In gout, certain chemical processes in the body are out of control.
One of these affects uric acid, a normal waster product that comes
from the breakdown of substances called purines, which are found in
many foods as well as in all the cells of the body.

Uric acid usually circulates in the blood until it is passed into
urine through the kidneys. People with gout have too much uric acid
in their blood, a condition called hyperuricemia.  The uric acid
changes into crystals (urate crystals) that deposit in joints and
other tissues.

Some of these crystals may then then fall from the joint lining into
the fluid-filled space within the joint or else form in the joint
fluid itself.

These free urate crystams trigger a severe inflammatory reaction,
the accute attack of gout arthritis.  An attack can be triggered by
drinking or eating too much, by surgery, by "crash" diets, and
occasionally by trauma to a joint.

Uric acid crystals can collect in the urine, forming gravel or stones.
This development happens most often in people who pass too little
fluid from thier bodies.  People with gout may ahve high blood
pressure or kidney infections, both of which can cause kidney damage.
Thus, the physician must watch for the teltale signs of such damage
and begin proper treatment if necessary.

MEDICATION

Three kinds of medication are used in treating gout.  One  catagory
(Colchicine, and certain NAISDs) controls the inflammation,  A second
catagory, uricosuric agents, increased the body's ability to eliminate
uric acid by way of the urine, thus lowering the amount of uric acid
in the blood.  The third kind of medication (allopurinol) decreases
uric acid levels in the blood by reducing the rate at which the body
produces it.

DIET

Myths abound concering the relationship between diet and gout.
HERE ARE THE FACTS:

1.  A person who is overweight should develop a weight-loss
    program under a doctor's supervision.  The person should not
    fast or try to diet too severily.
2.  Because a few foods tend to raise the uric acid level in the
    blood, a doctor may caution a person with gout to avoid
    eating them.  These foods include organ meats such as kidneys,
    liver, and sweetbreads, as well as sardines, anchovies and meat
    extracts.
3.  A person with gout does NOT need to avoid coffee and tea.
    Alcohol consumed in moderation (i.e., about two ounces of hard
    liquor, a can of beer, or a glass of wine per day) is permitted.
4.  A high daily intake of non-alcoholic fluids is recommended (a
    minimum of two quarts).

RELATIVE PURINE CONTENT OF COMMON FOODS

GROUP A:  (Foods with a high purine concentration)
     Liver             Gravies        Sweetbreads      Broths
     Mussels        Fish roe       Anchovies         Kidney
     Sardines       Brains          Herring             Heart

GROUP B:  (Foods with a moderate purine concentration)
    Meats          Peas           Lentils         Mushrooms
     Yeast          Beans        Spinish         Cauliflower
     Fowl           Fish            Asperagus    Whole grain cereals

GROUP C:  (Foods with negligible amounts of purine)
   Fruits           Milk            Cheese           Eggs
   Spices and condiments (including salt and vinegar)
   Refined cereals and cereal products
   Butter and fats (in moderation)              Nuts
   Sugar and sweets         Clear vegetable soups
   Vegetables (except as noted above)

Hi Keith,     Here is the site of an RD in South Africa.    Use the search
engine on the site and all you want to know about gout is there.
http://www.arthritis.co.za/

Harv