Technically, I don't think it's correct to say that purines cause gout; but that the inability to break down purines causes gout. What's the root cause of that?

Technically, I don't think it's correct to say that purines cause gout; but that the inability to break down purines causes gout. What's the root cause of that? Kidney dysfunction, and a history of bad diet, bad exercise habits. It could very well be that switching to a better diet that includes foods like sardines is beneficial and even a net positive to someone who is susceptible to gout even though sardines have higher levels of purines than other foods. I never knew I'd like - or even crave canned herring but I have to say: it's absolutely delicious. Because of the essentially destruction and collapse of the ocean's fisheries, the majority of fish I eat these days is just canned sardines. Compared to say wild caught tuna, they're pretty sustainable (although again: the details are complicated).