Soda And Fruit Drinks With High Sugar Content Linked To Gout
June 29th, 2010 -- Posted in Gout Relief | No Comments »
There have been many articles written on the connection between gout and sugary drinks and I thought it was worth revisiting this topic again as the search for gout has been at a consistent level indicated by the search volume on the Google Trends graph. Excessively consuming sweetened soft drinks and fruit juices has been linked to an increase in the risk of gout, scientists published in a report in 2008. Researchers found that the risks associated with these high sugar content drinks were higher than with certain types of alcohol, excessive consumption of food and alcohol was considered the traditional cause of gout the painful joint disease, which primarily affected the big toe.
One of the largest studies of its kind at the time, scientists in Canada and United States kept a watch over more than 46,000 men aged over forty with no prior accounts of gout over a 12 year period and recorded their consumption of soft drinks, sugary fruit and fruit juices. The results published in the British Medical Journal, revealed that the chances of developing gout was 85 per cent higher among males who consumed two or more cans of soft drinks a day than those who consumed less than one a month. This is greater than the risk associated with drinking alcohol. Males who consumed substantial amounts of fruit juice or fructose-rich fruits, such as apples, pears and oranges, also had a greater risk of developing gout. On the other hand, those who drank diet soft drinks showed no additional risk. Scientists believe the findings could possibly explain why cases of gout have doubled in America in recent decades.
Gout flare up, which is caused by too much uric acid in the blood, usually begins in the big toe but is not limited to just the toes. Other joints as the ankle, knee, hip, elbow, fingers are affected as well. Uric Acid builds up and crystallizes in the surrounding soft tissues of the joints. Nutrition specialists usually advise gout sufferers, of whom there are approximately 600,000 in Britain, to restrict their intake of purines – chemicals found in meat and alcohol that turn into uric acid as food is broken down. Nevertheless many soft drinks and fruit juices contain large amounts of fructose, a naturally occurring sugar that can increase uric acid levels. In the United States alone it is estimated that Americans drink 13.15 billion gallons of carbonated drinks every year. However, the benefits of fruit and vegetables to prevent other chronic disorders such as high blood pressure, coronary heart disease and certain cancers should be taken into consideration. The authors, Hyon K Choi, from British Columbia University in Vancouver, and Gary Curhan, from Harvard Medical School, said: “These findings support the importance of recommending a reduction in fructose intake in patients with hyperuricaemia and gout in order to reduce the risk of gout”.
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