Diet and Gout

Abstract

Gout, a disease of the wealthy, disappears in times of need. Although a few gouty patients had to be cared for during the last war, the disease had become exceedingly rare in Germany by 1948. At the end of that year food supply began to become normal again; by 1950 there was a noticeable incidence of new cases of gout. This was not a particular observation in Munich but was general in all Germany. Later we found out that other European Countries who had shared the low supply of food with the Germans had made the same experience.