DASH Diet Might Help Protect Against Gout

By Amy Orciari Herman

Edited by David G. Fairchild, MD, MPH, and Lorenzo Di Francesco, MD, FACP, FHM

Men who follow a DASH dietary pattern have a reduced risk for gout, while those who consume a Western diet have increased risk, according to an observational study in The BMJ. The DASH diet emphasizes fruits, vegetables, nuts, whole grains, and low-fat dairy and minimizes sodium, saturated fat, and sweetened beverages. A Western diet, meanwhile, is high in red and processed meats, French fries, refined grains, and sweets.

Nearly 45,000 male healthcare professionals without histories of gout completed food-frequency questionnaires every 4 years from 1986 through 2012. During that time, roughly 4% were diagnosed with gout. The risk for gout decreased as scores for the DASH diet increased. In particular, after multivariable adjustment, men with the highest DASH scores had a 32% reduced gout risk relative to those with lowest scores.

At the same time, men with the highest Western diet scores had a 42% higher risk than those with the lowest scores.