Surge In Gout Blamed On Sweet Drinks

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Surge In Gout Blamed On Sweet Drinks

Posted by: Dr. Mercola
February 19 2008 | 55,404 views

Men who drink two or more sugary soft drinks a day have an 85 percent higher risk of gout than those who drink less than one a month, according to U.S. and Canadian researchers.

Gout has been increasing steadily in the UK in recent years, and the researchers believe it is linked to a rise in soft drink consumption over the same period.

During the 12-year study, 46,000 men aged 40 and over were asked questions about their diet.

The risk of developing gout significantly increased among men who drank five to six servings of sugary soft drinks a week. Fruit juice and fructose-rich fruits such as oranges and apples also increased the risk.

Gout causes painful, swollen joints, usually in your lower limbs, caused when uric acid crystallizes out of your blood into your joints.

Fructose is known to inhibit the excretion of uric acid, which may help to explain the study’s findings.

Sources:

British Medical Journal February 9 2008;336:285-286

BBC News February 1, 2008

Dr. Mercola's Comments:

An estimated 2 million to 5 million Americans have gout, a type of arthritis that causes stiff, swollen and painful joints. It occurs when your uric acid levels build up in your blood, and although gout is commonly blamed on eating too many high-purine foods, such as organ meats and some seafood, there is clearly another dietary culprit: high fructose corn syrup (HFCS).

It never ceases to amaze me that the number one source of calories for Americans is HFCS in the form of sodas. This is so tragic because soda can be one of the easiest items to change in your diet. If you can’t do it by simple will power you can easily use Turbo Tapping.

I had a guest stay with me for a week in Maui and his wife would drink six Dr. Pepper’s a day -- and had done so for many years. A quick treatment of EFT rapidly and easily resolved the problem and she hasn’t even had the desire for the Dr. Pepper since.

Fruit juices are also often loaded with fructose, and if you still believe that this is an acceptable form of sugar, think again.

Fructose contains no beneficial enzymes, vitamins, minerals or accessory micronutrients for you, and actually leeches them from your body. Unbound fructose, found in large quantities in HFCS, can interfere with your heart's use of vital minerals such as magnesium, copper and chromium.

Fructose also reduces the affinity of insulin for its receptor, which is the principle characteristic of type 2 diabetes. Further, HFCS has been implicated in elevated blood cholesterol levels, and it has been found to inhibit the action of white blood cells in your immune system.

Meanwhile, fructose is not metabolized the same as other sugars. Instead of being converted to glucose, which your body uses, it is removed by your liver. But, because it is metabolized by your liver, fructose does not cause your pancreas to release insulin the way it normally does. So fructose converts to fat more than any other sugar, which may be one of the reasons Americans continue to get fatter.

Natural Tips for Treating Gout

Gout can be extremely painful but there are some natural solutions that can help.

1. Find out your nutritional type. This will tell you what foods your body needs to thrive, including whether or not you should be eating high-purine foods or not.

2. Avoid drinking soda, fruit juice and other sweet beverages. Instead, drink plenty of pure water, as the fluids will help to remove uric acid from your body.

3. Limit the alcohol you drink (or eliminate it altogether). Alcohol may raise the levels of uric acid in your blood.

4. Exercise. Being overweight increases your risk of gout, and regular exercise will help you to maintain a healthy weight.

5. Try tart cherries, or concentrated tart cherry juice. Tart cherries contain two powerful compounds, anthocyanins and bioflavonoids. Both of these compounds slow down the enzymes Cyclo-oxyygenase-1 and -- 2, which helps to relieve and prevent arthritis and gout in your body.