Soft drinks up risk of gout: Study

Soft drinks up risk of gout: Study
PTI

LONDON: It has long been considered as a disease of the rich. But, no more. Gout can affect all those who have a sweet tooth, according to a new study.

A team of international researchers has carried out the study and found that high consumption of sugar-loaded soft drinks and fruit juices substantially ups the risk of gout which is a painful joint disease.

According to the team, the risks associated with these fizzy drinks are worse than hard liquor.

"This is the first study and a very large one, linking the commonly consumed products to this common disorder. We've found that if you have high consumption of fructose, your gout risk is doubled. And that's due to easily available sugary beverages," lead researcher Hyon K Choi of the British Columbia University was quoted by the British media as saying.

The researchers came to the conclusion after following more than 46,000 men aged above 40 with no previous history of gout over a period of 12 years - the participants' intake of soft drinks, fruits and fruit juices was monitored.

The team found that the risk of developing gout was 85 per cent higher among men who drank two or more cans of soft drinks daily than those who consumed less than one a month - this is greater than the risk linked to drinking spirits.

Men who consumed large amounts of fruit juice or fructose-rich fruits, such as apples and oranges, also had a higher risk of the condition. However, those who drank diet soft drinks showed no extra risk.

"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," according to co-researcher Gary Curhan of the Harvard Medical School.

The results of the study have been published in the British Medical Journal .