For the lead image on my Home Remedies For Gout page, I couldn’t resist this photo from flickr.

Big time water drinker from Drew Stephens says it all – Drink Water – Big Time. OK, 5 gallons a time might be just a little too much, but if you are a goutie, you need to get the water habit.

Drew’s photograph is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license, as is my derived version.

Milk Good For Gout - Soy Bad

Milk- and soy-protein ingestion: acute effect on serum uric acid concentration. Mar 1991, Garrel DR et al. The uricosuric effect of milk proteins reduce blood uric acid concentration, but with soy protein this effect is offset by the high purine levels.

Morin: Uricosuric & Xanthine Oxidase Inhibitor

The Dual Actions of Morin (3,5,7,2′,4′-Pentahydroxyflavone) as a Hypouricemic Agent: Uricosuric Effect and Xanthine Oxidase Inhibitory Activity. Jan 2006, Zhifeng Yu et al. Morin, found in figs and other fruit, reduces uric acid in rats.

Vitamin C Reduces Uric Acid

The Effects of Vitamin C Supplementation on Serum Concentrations of Uric Acid. June 2005, Han-Yao Huang et al. Results of a Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT), showing that 500mg/day vitamin C for 2 months reduces blood uric acid, with better reductions for higher uric acid.

Anti-inflammatory Herbs

Reduction of urate crystal-induced inflammation by root extracts from traditional oriental medicinal plants: elevation of prostaglandin D2 levels. July 2007, Sung Mun Jung et al. Traditional Chinese herbal root extracts of Siberian Ginseng, Dong Quai (Chinese Angelica), and Baikal Skullcap, reduced the inflammatory immune response to urate crystals in mice.