Sweet drinks and gout
Sugary drinks have been blamed for a surge in cases of the painful joint disease gout. Men who consume two or more sugary soft drinks a day have an 85 per cent higher risk of gout compared with those who drink less than one a month, a study suggests. Cases in the U.S. have doubled in recent decades and it seems fructose, a type of sugar, is to blame, the British Medical Journal study reports. UK experts said those with gout would be advised to cut out sugary drinks. The symptoms of painful, swollen joints, mainly in the lower limbs, are caused when uric acid crystallises out of the blood into the joints.
US and Canadian researchers said the increase in cases had coincided with a substantial rise in the consumption of soft drinks. Previous research had also shown that fructose increases levels of uric acid in the bloodstream. To look in more detail, the team carried out a 12-year study of 46,000 men aged 40 years and over with no history of gout, asking them regular questionnaires about their diet. Over the period, 755 newly diagnosed cases of gout were reported.
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 for gout 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) were associated with a higher risk, the researchers said.
But 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 said dietary advice for gout had focused on restricting purine-rich foods, such as red meat and beer. He said practitioners should advise patients with gout to reduce their fructose intake. "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 added.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel.
Comments