Gout surge blamed on sweet drinks (BBC)

[eppur_se_muova]

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% higher risk of gout compared with those who drink less than one a month, a study suggests.

Cases in the US have doubled in recent decades and it seems fructose, a type of sugar, may be to blame, the British Medical Journal study reports.

UK experts said those with gout would be advised to cut out sugary drinks.

About 1.5% of the UK population currently suffers from gout and there has been an increase in numbers over the last 30 years - although the condition is more associated with Victorian times.
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more: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/7219473.stm

[ursi]

1. that stuff is bad for the heart too ...

[Adsos Letter]

2. I suspect it isn't much good for any of the organs...

water and fruit juice...as long as the water is clean.

Well,....and beer...

[GoneOffShore]

4. Beer is REALLY bad for gout

As I've found out.

[Bongo Prophet]

3. Good find. And not just "drinks" but balancing fruit intake, not to mention HFCS.

Yes, the ubiquitous high fructose corn syrup.

My diabetic mom has gout, and it is something to avoid.

Check the article for better details.

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.

I also caught the sidebar linked story on coffee's benefits, and it isn't the caffeine, so decaf (ewww) is fine.
Ahh, but it is diuretic, so watch out for dehydration.
Getting old is hell.

;)