Tomatoes can be a trigger for Gout

Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) systems like Ayurveda have always advocated avoiding tomatoes, if one suffers from Gout. Many people who suffer from Gout state that Tomato can trigger attacks, but to date this has not been clinically proven.

A 2015 complementary medicine research study from the University of Otago in Dunedin surveyed 2051 New Zealanders with clinically diagnosed gout. Of these people 71% reported having one or more food triggers. The study reported that the triggers of gout were:

• Seafood (62%)
• Alcohol (47%)
• Red meat (35%)
• Tomatoes (20%)

As tomatoes are high in glutamate this can amplify urate synthesis in the purine synthesis pathway.

New Zealand has one of the highest rates of gout in the world, with Maori and Pacific Islander people being particularly susceptible.