We know that regularly consuming drinks sweetened with a processed sugar called high-fructose corn syrup\u00a0can lead to gout. Now a study has linked gout with drinks containing another common sugar, called sucrose.<\/p>\n
INTRODUCTION<\/strong><\/p>\n \u2018Sugar\u2019 can be a fairly loose term, covering several distinct types of this common sweetener. For most people,\u00a0the differences don\u2019t matter too much. But for some people the type of sugar they consume is important \u2013 for\u00a0example, if they\u2019re lactose intolerant (lactose is the sugar that\u2019s found in milk).<\/p>\n WHAT DID THE RESEARCHERS HOPE TO FIND?<\/strong><\/p>\n This study looked specifically at sucrose \u2013 what most people would think of as table sugar. Before HFCS\u00a0became a cheaper (and arguably sweeter) alternative for food producers, sucrose was the most common type of\u00a0sugar used to sweeten foods and drinks. In this study the researchers wanted to find out whether gout was WHO WAS STUDIED?<\/strong><\/p>\n This study was done in New Zealand. It included white New Zealanders of European descent as well as Maori\u00a0people and Pacific Island people. This gave the researchers the chance to study whether sucrose-sweetened\u00a0drinks had different effects in people of different ethnic backgrounds.<\/p>\n HOW WAS THE STUDY CONDUCTED?<\/strong><\/p>\n The researchers recruited some people with gout from rheumatology clinics and community centres in\u00a0New Zealand. They also recruited people who didn\u2019t have gout, as a comparison group. The people in both parts of the study answered questions about their lifestyle, including how many\u00a0sucrose-sweetened drinks they generally consumed. In total the researchers looked at about 8,700 people.<\/p>\n WHAT DOES THE NEW STUDY SAY?<\/strong><\/p>\n People who consumed a lot of sucrose-sweetened drinks were more likely to have gout than those who consumed\u00a0none.\u00a0People of white European origin who consumed four of these drinks a day were more than six times more\u00a0likely to have gout than those who drank none of them.\u00a0Interestingly, the link between sucrose-sweetened drinks and gout wasn\u2019t as strong in the other ethnic\u00a0groups. Maori people who consumed four sucrose-sweetened drinks a day were about five times more likely to\u00a0have gout than those who drank none. And Pacific Island people who consumed four of these drinks daily\u00a0were two to three times more likely to have the condition.<\/p>\n HOW RELIABLE ARE THE FINDINGS?<\/strong><\/p>\n The researchers did their best to adjust their figures for other factors that can be linked to gout, including\u00a0people\u2019s age, weight, and sex, whether they had kidney disease or high blood pressure, and how much alcohol\u00a0they drank.\u00a0But they didn\u2019t have all the information on people\u2019s diets that they needed to rule out other links. For\u00a0example, the researchers think it\u2019s possible that people who consume a lot of sugary drinks may be more likely\u00a0to have a comparatively poor general diet. So it\u2019s possible that the higher chance of having gout was down to\u00a0more than just what they drank.<\/p>\n WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR ME?<\/strong><\/p>\n At this stage this research doesn\u2019t prove that drinks sweetened with sucrose cause gout \u2013 just that people who\u00a0drink them seem more likely to have the condition. It\u2019s a subtle distinction, but researchers have to be cautious\u00a0when interpreting their results.\u00a0The link does appear to be strong, though. And, whether avoiding these drinks can help prevent gout or\u00a0perhaps reduce the severity of the symptoms, it\u2019s one of many good reasons to stick to water when you\u2019re\u00a0thirsty.<\/p>\n Disclaimer<\/strong>: This is a summary of a scientific article written by a medical professional (\u201cthe Original Article\u201d). The Summary is written to assist non medically trained readers to understand general points of the Original Article. \u00a0It should not be relied on in any way whatsoever<\/span>, (which also means the Summary is not medical advice), and is simply supplied to aid a lay understanding of general points of the Original Article. It is supplied \u201cas is\u201d without any warranty. You should note that the Original Article (and Summary) may not be accurate as errors can occur and also may be out of date as medical science is constantly changing. \u00a0It is very important that readers not rely on the content in the Summary and consult their medical professionals for all aspects of their health care. Do not use this Summary as medical advice even if the Summary is supplied to the reader by a medical professional.<\/strong> Date summary prepared:\u00a0December 2014<\/p>\n Summary based on research article published on:\u00a011 September 2013<\/p>\n From:\u00a0Batt, C. et al<\/em>.\u00a0Sugar-sweetened beverage consumption: a risk factor for prevalent gout with SLC2A9 genotype-specific effects on serum urate and risk of gout.\u00a0Ann Rheum Dis<\/em> 2014;73:2101-2106 doi:10.1136\/annrheumdis-2013-203600<\/a><\/p>\n Copyright \u00a9 2015 BMJ Publishing Group Ltd & European League Against Rheumatism. Medical professionals may print copies for their and their patients and students non commercial use. Other individuals may print a single copy for their personal, non commercial use. For other uses please contact our Rights and Licensing<\/a> Team.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" We know that regularly consuming drinks sweetened with a processed sugar called high-fructose corn syrup\u00a0can lead to gout. Now a study has linked gout with drinks containing another common sugar, called sucrose. INTRODUCTION \u2018Sugar\u2019 can be a fairly loose term, covering several distinct types of this common sweetener. For most people,\u00a0the differences don\u2019t matter too […]<\/p>\n
\nIt might also be an important distinction for people with gout. Several studies have found that regularly consuming\u00a0drinks sweetened with a sugar called high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) can lead to gout.\u00a0But when research gets reported and re-reported in the media, important details can get lost, and HFCS can
\njust become \u2018sugar\u2019. With a complex condition such as gout it\u2019s important to be clear about what might cause\u00a0problems.<\/p>\n
\nmore common in people who regularly consumed drinks sweetened with sucrose.<\/p>\n
\nTo give the study more weight the researchers also looked at information on people who had taken part in\u00a0another study on the risk of cardiovascular disease. (Enlarging studies in this way is quite a common research\u00a0method.)<\/p>\n
\nPlease view our full Website Terms and Conditions<\/a>.<\/p>\n