A type of arthritis, gout afflicts more men than women and the most common symptom is pain in the big toe.
Though the big toe is the most common location for gout-related pain, the unbearable throbbing may spread to the ankles, wrists and elbows, and other joints. The pain can be so intense and severe that it may cripple the sufferer; even the slightest touch on the tender spot may propel him or her to scream in anguish.
The painful inflammatory condition, caused by elevated levels of uric acid in the blood, may seem to be a thing of the past, but thanks to fructose-sweetened soft drinks, purine-rich foods, and general obesity, it has doubled in frequency over the past few decades in the US, the report said.
Regular diet of purine-rich food particularly organ meats like livers and kidneys, some vegetables and, sadly, even beer, appear to be chiefly to blame for the gout flare-up.
It has been said that if you are afflicted with gout, that you are in the company of admirable men. Benjamin Franklin, Alexander the Great, and Charlemagne, as well as Charles Darwin and Isaac Newton all suffered from gout.
Perhaps the most famous sufferer of all was Henry VIII of England, who in addition to having a voracious desire for wives was also quite the glutton. Every evening, he'd indulge in a side of venison accompanied by multiple glasses of wine.
It is for this reason that gout has long been regarded as "the disease of kings," because historically, it was kings who could pay for the expense of such a self-indulgent diet.
Pharmaceutical companies have new drugs coming to fight gout, but in the meantime, drink plenty of water (and coffee, at least for men over 40) and avoid those risky foods.
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