Soft Drinks Increase Risk of Gout
A British study showed men who consume two or more sugary soft drinks per day increase their risk of gout by 85% compared with those who consume less than one drink per month. The researchers advise those with gout to eliminate sugary drinks from their diets.
Gout is a painful joint disease caused when uric acid crystallizes out of the blood into the joints. Symptoms can include painful and swollen joints, mainly in the lower limbs.
About 1.5% of the British population suffers from gout, and numbers have increased over the last 30 years. Cases in the U.S. have doubled in recent decades, and U.S. and Canadian researchers said the increase had coincided with a substantial rise in the consumption of soft drinks. They believe fructose, a type of sugar, may be to blame.
The British research team carried out a 12-year study of 46,000 men over 40 with no history of gout, having them answer regular and periodic questionnaires about their diet. Over the course of the study, 755 newly diagnosed cases of gout were reported.
The results of the study showed the risk of developing the condition was significantly increased with an intake level of five to six servings of sugary soft drink per week. This link was independent of other risk factors such as body mass index, age, high blood pressure and alcohol intake.
Diet soft drinks did not increase the risk of gout but fruit juice and fructose rich fruits (apples and oranges) did, the researchers said.
However, this finding needs to be balanced against the benefit of fruit and vegetables in preventing other chronic disorders like heart disease and stroke.
Dr Hyon Choi, from the University of British Columbia, in Vancouver told BBC dietary advice for gout had focused on restricting purine-rich foods, such as red meat and beer. Doctors should also advise some patients with gout to reduce their fructose intake, he added
"I can think of some situations, for example in severe treatment failure gout, where reducing sweet fruits, such as oranges and apples could help," he said.
Dr Andrew Bamji, president of the British Society for Rheumatology, told BBC that, anecdotally, cases of gout appeared to be rising.
"When you think about it, it makes a lot of sense in that fructose inhibits the excretion of uric acid. I will certainly change my advice to patients and I suspect the number drinking fructose is quite large," he said.
Previous research had also shown that fructose increases levels of uric acid in the bloodstream.
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The study was published this week in the British Medical Journal. The full report can be viewed at http://www.bmj.com/cgi/reprint/bmj.39449.819271.BEv1