As if their effects on your waistline and health aren’t enough reason, there’s now data showing that sugary soft drinks increase the risk of gout in men.

First, a description of gout:

Gout is a joint disease which causes extreme pain and swelling. It is most common in men aged 40 and older. It is caused by excess uric acid in the blood (hyperuricaemia) which leads to uric acid crystals collecting around the joints.

And:

Gout is the most common inflammatory arthritis in men. … The doubling of the prevalence and incidence of gout over the past few decades in the United States coincided with a substantial increase in the consumption of soft drinks and fructose.

And the results of the study:

Men who had more than one fizzy drink a day increased their risk by 45%; two or more drinks a day increased the risk by 85%, compared with men who drank less than one fizzy drink a month. Diet fizzy drinks did not increase the risk of gout. People with the highest intake of fructose doubled their risk of gout compared with those with the lowest intake.

Fruit juice and high fructose fruits, like apples and oranges, were also associated with a higher risk of gout. It sounds like the huge influx of fructose into our food supply is doing way more harm than good, though I’m confident that there’s no reason to ditch fruit. Ditching the soft drinks and fruit juices and other sources of concentrated fructose (high fructose corn syrup, agave nectar, and sucrose) is a much more beneficial route.

Of course, the beverage association is calling bullocks, but the NHS has determined that this was a well-run study.


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