Embracing the DASH diet may be the trick to avoiding the most common inflammatory arthritis condition – gout - affecting more than 8 million Americans.  Over 25 years of analysis and follow-up of data published in the BMJ, a recent study found a significantly lower incidence of gout in men who consumed a dietary pattern similar to the DASH diet.  The DASH diet stands for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension which emphasizes a higher consumption of fruits, vegetables, and low-fat dairy products while minimizing the typical Western diet high in salt, sugar, unhealthy fats and meat.