Health is really all a question of balance. Not too much of this, not too little of that. Gout is no exception. Throughout history, this particular form of arthrosis has been associated with the exaggerated consumption of rich foods and excessive alcohol, and consequently described as 'arthritis of the rich' since, in the early days, only the higher classes of society seemed to suffer from it. However, as the excessive indulgence in over-rich foods has spread across a great part of the world, gout too has spread - and not only on a geographical scale but also throughout the various strata of human society. Gout is an inflammation caused by the accumulation of needle-like crystals of uric acid deposited in joints, tendons or their surrounding tissues.