Study Links Tomatoes with Gout

Autumn is in the air with shorter days, cooler evenings and even a few leaves beginning to change but in most gardens, tomatoes are the pop of red catching the eye.

It has long been claimed that tomatoes can cause an episode of gout.  Now research from New Zealand has found that gout, a painful form of arthritis, may indeed be triggered by the consumption of tomatoes which could contribute to elevated levels of uric acid in the blood.  Higher production of uric acid can result in the formation of insoluble crystals in the joint which cause inflammation and pain.

Other foods that were observed to be triggers for gout included fish or seafood, alcohol, red meat and sugar-sweentened drinks.   Gout, once known as a “rich man’s disease” is seeing a rise in numbers as diets have changed, people are less active and the older population has grown.  According to the Arthritis Society of Canada, reported cases of gout have doubled in the past 20 years.

For more information about the symptoms, causes and treatment of gout visit: http://www.arthritis.ca/document.doc?id=326 .  To read the full study in BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders Journal, follow the link: http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2474/16/196 .