1. "Definition By Mayo Clinic staff  Gout is a complex form of arthritis characterized by sudden, severe attacks of pain, redness and tenderness in joints, often the joint at the base of the big toe. Gout can affect anyone. Men are more likely to get gout, but women become increasingly susceptible to gout after menopause. An acute attack of gout can wake you up in the middle of the night feeling like your big toe is on fire. The affected joint is hot, swollen and so tender that even the weight of the sheet on it seems intolerable. Fortunately, gout is treatable, and there are ways to reduce the risk that gout will recur." http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/gout/DS00090

2. "Tests and diagnosis By Mayo Clinic staff Tests to help diagnose gout may include:* Joint fluid test. Your doctor may use a needle to draw fluid from your affected joint. When examined under the microscope, your joint fluid may reveal urate crystals.
* Blood test. Your doctor may recommend a blood test to measure the uric acid level in your blood. Blood test results can be misleading, though. Some people have high uric acid levels, but never experience gout. And some people have signs and symptoms of gout, but don't have unusual levels of uric acid in their blood." http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/gout/DS00090/DSECTION=tests-and-diagnosis

3. "The American Dietetic Association recommends following these guidelines during a gout attack:
* Drink 8 to 16 cups (about 2 to 4 liters) of fluid each day, including at least half water.
* Avoid alcohol.
* Eat a moderate amount of protein, preferably from healthy sources, such as low-fat or fat-free dairy, tofu, eggs, and nut butters * Limit your daily intake of meat, fish and poultry to 4 to 6 ounces (114 to 170 grams)." http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/gout/DS00090/DSECTION=lifestyle-and-home-remedies

4. From Mayo Clinic "Different medications are prescribed to:
* Treat acute gout attacks and prevent future attacks
* Reduce the risk of gout complications, such as the deposits of urate crystals that cause nodules to form under the skin (tophi)

Drugs used to treat acute attacks and prevent future attacks include:
*Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). NSAIDs may control inflammation and pain in people with gout. Your doctor may prescribe a higher dose to stop an acute attack, followed by a lower daily dose to prevent future attacks. NSAIDs include over-the-counter options such as ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin, others) and naproxen (Aleve, others), as well as more powerful prescription NSAIDs such as indomethacin (Indocin). NSAIDs carry risks of stomach pain, bleeding and ulcers.
*Colchicine. If you're unable to take NSAIDs, your doctor may recommend colchicine, a type of pain reliever that effectively reduces gout pain — especially when started soon after symptoms appear. The drug's effectiveness is offset in most cases, however, by intolerable side effects, such as nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. After an acute gout attack resolves, your doctor may prescribe a low daily dose of colchicine to prevent future attacks.
*Corticosteroids. Corticosteroid medications, such as the drug prednisone, may control gout inflammation and pain. Corticosteroids may be administered in pill form, or they can be injected into your joint. Corticosteroids are generally reserved for people who can't take either NSAIDs or colchicine. Side effects of corticosteroids may include thinning bones, poor wound healing and a decreased ability to fight infection. To reduce the risk of these serious side effects, your doctor will try to find the lowest dose that controls your symptoms and prescribe steroids for the shortest possible time. Drugs used to prevent the complications associated with frequent gout attacks include:
*Medication that blocks uric acid production. Drugs called xanthine oxidase inhibitors, including allopurinol (Zyloprim, Aloprim) and febuxostat (Uloric), limit the amount of uric acid your body makes. This may lower your blood's uric acid level and reduce your risk of gout. Side effects of allopurinol include a rash and low blood counts. Febuxostat side effects include rash, nausea and reduced liver function. Xanthine oxidase inhibitors may trigger a new, acute attack if taken before a recent attack has totally resolved. Taking a short course of low-dose colchicine before starting a xanthine oxidase inhibitor has been found to significantly reduce this risk.
* Medication that improves uric acid removal. Probenecid (Probalan) improves your kidneys' ability to remove uric acid from your body. This may lower your uric acid levels and reduce your risk of gout, but the level of uric acid in your urine is increased. Side effects include a rash, stomach pain and kidney" http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/gout/DS00090/DSECTION=treatments-and-drugs

4. "...The vitamin C content of the cherries was solely as dehydroascorbic acid, but postdose increases in plasma ascorbic acid indicated that dehydroascorbic acid in fruits is bioavailable as vitamin C. The decrease in plasma urate after cherry consumption supports the reputed anti-gout efficacy of cherries. The trend toward decreased inflammatory indices (CRP and NO) adds to the in vitro evidence that compounds in cherries may inhibit inflammatory pathways." PMID: 12771324

5. "Dietary factors and hyperuricaemia. Schlesinger N.Department of Medicine, UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, New Brunswick, NJ 08903-0019, USA. schlesna@umdnj.edu
Abstract

The connection of gout and hyperuricaemia with gluttony, overindulgence in food and alcohol and obesity dates from ancient times. Studies from different parts of the world suggest that the incidence and severity of hyperuricaemia and gout may be increasing. Uric acid (urate) is the end product of purine degradation. Although most uric acid is derived from the metabolism of endogenous purine, eating foods rich in purines contributes to the total pool of uric acid. Sustained hyperuricaemia is a risk factor for acute gouty arthritis, chronic tophaceous gout, renal stones and possibly cardiovascular events and mortality. Before starting lifelong urate-lowering drug therapy, it is important to identify and treat underlying disorders that may be contributing to hyperuricaemia. It is relevant to recognize the strong association of the insulin resistance syndrome (IRS) (abdominal obesity, dyslipidaemia, hypertension, raised serum insulin levels and glucose intolerance) with hyperuricaemia. Consumption of meat, seafood and alcoholic beverages in moderation and attention to food portion size is important. Moderation in the consumption of not only beer but also other forms of alcohol is essential. In the obese, controlled weight management has the potential to lower serum urate in a quantitatively similar way to relatively unpalatable "low purine" diets. Non-fat milk and low-fat yogurt have a variety of health benefits and dairy products may have clinically meaningful antihyperuricaemic effects. In addition, fruits, such as cherries and high intakes of vegetable protein diet may reduce serum urate levels." PMID: 16375734

6.Biological activity tests of chemical constituents from two Brazilian Labiatae plants [Article in Japanese] Isobe T, Doe M, Morimoto Y, Nagata K, Masuoka N, Ohsaki A. Department of Chemistry, Hyogo College of Medicine, Nishinomiya City, Japan. isobetkh@hyo-med.ac.jp

"...It was clarified that herbs Cunila spicata and Hyptis fasciculata are effective against bronchitis and gout." PMID: 1726816

7."...Drugs can cause gout. Diuretics such as thiazides are common causes, so are high dose aspirin, L Dopa, and cyclosporine. You may be surprised to learn that perhaps excess ingestion of a certain vitamin, nicotinic acid, has been associated with a higher incidence of gout..." http://www.raysahelian.com/gout.html

8."...* Folic acid - A few studies indicate that large amounts of supplemental folic acid may reduce uric acid levels; the research is mixed. * Vitamin C According to one small study, supplemental vitamin C could, in theory, reduce the risk of gout attacks. However, the authors of this study warned that taking large amounts of vitamin C could also trigger an acute attack of gout by abruptly changing uric acid levels in the body. * Quercetin(150-250 mg three times per day [taken between meals]): This flavonoid inhibits an enzyme which controls the rate of uric acid synthesis. Quercetin also has shown anti-inflammatory effects in test tube studies but this may not be effective in oral quercetin..." http://www.naturaleyecare.com/diseases.asp?d_num=53

9."...CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that DNA hypomethylation can be reversed by physiological intakes of folic acid." PMID: 15831910

10."Immune hemolytic anemia due to diclofenac. Laidlaw ST, Stamps R, Booker DJ, Brown MJ, Sokol RJ.Northern General Hospital, Sheffield S5 7AU, UK.
Diclofenac was stopped and treatment with prednisoloneand folic acid instituted; this resulted in complete recovery.
PMID: 15387791

10."Our results corroborate the antiinflammatory and analgesic effects of Proustia pyrifolia, and could justify its use in folk medicine for the treatment of rheumatic and gout illnesses. From bio-active extracts beta-sitosterol, quercetin and dihydroquercetin were obtained, and these compounds could explain in part the antiinflammatory, analgesic and antioxidant activities of this species. The crude methanol extract did not present acute toxicity or cytotoxic activity, however only this extract exhibited antioxidant activity.PMID: 15848030