This diet has been linked to gout (Picture: fStop/Getty)

People are more likely to develop gout if they eat a ‘western diet’, researchers have claimed.

A diet high in red and processed meat, soft drinks, chips, sugar and sweets is associated with the condition, the 26-year study found.

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Alternatively, the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet was associated with a lower risk of gout, according to the study published in the UK.

Designed to reduce blood pressure, the diet includes a high intake of fruit, vegetables, nuts, low-fat dairy products and whole grains.


The painful condition, a type of arthritis where small crystals form around the joints, affects one to two of every 100 people in the UK.

The condition affects one to two per cent of Brits (Picture: Visuals Unlimited/Getty)

Over 26 years, experts from the US and Canada monitored more than 44,000 men aged 40 to 75.



They had no previous history of gout, and were asked to complete detailed food questionnaires every four years.

In total, 1,731 of the men developed gout.

The authors concluded: ‘The DASH diet may provide an attractive preventive dietary approach for men at risk of gout.’