4 Beverages to avoid a bout with gout

Gout is considered one of the most painful forms of arthritis causing inflammation of joints and tendons and which primarily affects men.  This condition has been around since ancient times and it has long been suspected to be a link between gout and certain beverages. Anyone who has had a bout with gout knows how uncomfortable this condition can be. 

Causes of gout

The cause of gout is considered to be due to a buildup of too much uric acid in the body.  Most uric acid is naturally produced by the body while the rest comes from our diet.  About 10% of people have uric acid that builds up in the blood because their body produces too much of it.  The other 90% of people with gout have kidneys which have trouble removing excess uric acid from the body also causing it to build up. 

Uric acid is made up of sharp crystal deposits that form in joints like the big toe causing it to become very sore, red, warm, and swollen.  Stressful events, illness, or drugs can trigger a gout attack.   Most gout attacks will usually get better within 3 to 10 days without treatment with the next attack not occurring for months or even years.

The link between gout and certain beverages

Certain beverages can be known to precipitate a gout attack. The main offenders are drinks containing alcohol.  Beer and other beverages with alcohol contain a substance called purines.  Purines are a part of all human tissue and are found in many foods.  Eating a diet high in purines can raise uric acid levels in the blood precipitating gout attacks which includes beverages containing purines.  By avoiding beverages with a high purine content this may help lower the risk of having a gout attack to begin with.

Beverages containing high purine content

·      Beer – Beer has a strong association with gout as it contains a large amount of purines along with the high alcohol content in addition to brewer’s or nutritional yeast it contains. Nutritional yeast is high in purines and it has been found in studies that people who consume a 12-ounce serving of beer daily were 1.5 times more likely to have gout compared to those without alcohol consumption. 

·      Other alcoholic beverages – Beer is not the only beverage containing alcohol that may increase a gout attack.  Any drink containing alcohol causes the kidneys to excrete alcohol instead of excreting uric acid.  This increases the amount of uric acid in the blood which could provoke a gout attack.

·      Sugar-sweetened beverages – Several studies have found an increased risk of gout from consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages for both men and women.  Sugar-sweetened beverages include soft drinks, lemonade, sweet tea, sport drinks with sugar added, and energy drinks. A woman who drinks just one sugar-sweetened beverage a day doubles her risk of developing gout compared to women who have less than one sugar-sweetened drink each month. 

Why are sugary beverages a potential trigger of gout? The reason is due to a common sweetener added to these drinks – high fructose corn syrup.  Fructose is a natural sugar found in fruit and honey.  It’s composed of 55 percent fructose and 45 percent glucose.  Fructose is metabolized differently than glucose – as the body breaks down fructose, purines are released, the substances that form painful crystals in the joints causing gout. Sugary beverages also contribute to weight gain and obesity, which is itself a risk for gout.  People who are overweight to obese produce more uric acid which the kidneys do not remove quickly.   

·      Caffeine – There are mixed reviews on whether caffeine in coffee or energy drinks either precipitate or protect against gout.  Some research has shown increasing caffeine intake can actually trigger a gout attack with one study finding doubling your caffeine intake suddenly could increase the risk of gout symptoms by up to 80 percent.  It is best for individuals prone to gout attacks to keep consumption of any beverage containing caffeine in moderation.