Could Skim Milk Prevent Gout? Or Lots of Water?

There have been isolated reports that patients with gout fare better if they drink skim milk (instead of whole milk).  New Zealand researchers have looked into this, and reported their findings at the recent American College of Rheumatology meeting.

Sixteen health male volunteers drank soy milk and three forms of fat-free milk in rotation, a week apart.  The fat-free milk forms were early season skim milk, late season skim milk, and MPC skim milk (an ultra filtrated skim milk).  Serum and urine were collected immediately before, and then hourly after, each ingestion of test product.

The soy drink led to an increase in serum urate by about 10%.  All 3 skim milk drinks, on the other hand, produced a decrease in serum urate of approximately 10%.  There was no obvious difference between the effects of the 3 skim milks on urate levels. 

The next step is to perform this study (or a similar one) in people with gout.  Drinking fat-free milk is no great hardship, and would be a welcome way to avoid attacks of gout, if it works.  It might be more attractive than another method, also reported at the College of Rheumatology meeting.  Dehydration is thought to be a possible trigger for attacks of gout, so Boston researchers conducted an online survey on more than 500 participants; they reported their water intake in relation to acute attacks of gout.  Increased water intake was associated with a decreased risk for recurrent gout attacks.  Patients who drank more than 8 glasses of water in the prior 24 hours halved their likelihood of having an attack.

It’s encouraging that some fresh ideas are coming to try to deal with an old problem.  There are probably plenty of patients willing to volunteer for non-medication clinical studies to help limit painful attacks of this disease.