Researchers, led by Dr. Hyon K. Choi of the University of British Columbia Department of Medicine, have looked into the link between sugar-sweetened soft drinks and the incidence of gout, a form of arthritis.
Most sugar-sweetened soft drinks contain large amounts of fructose, a naturally occurring simple sugar found in many foods, such as honey, tree fruits, berries, melons, and some root vegetables, such as beets, sweet potatoes, parsnips, and onions. It is believed that consuming large amounts of fructose may significantly increase serum uric acid levels which, in turn, increases the risk of gout.
Uric acid is a waste product normally present in the blood as a result of the breakdown of fructose and purines. Too much uric acid in the blood results in the formation of crystals in the joints and causes gout. This is a condition known as hyperuricemia.
The research team studied 14, 761 participants, age 20 and above, who had participated in the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey between 1988 and 1994. They reviewed the relationship between soft drink consumption and serum uric acid levels and the relationship between soft drink consumption and huperuricemia.
The researchers found that serum uric acid levels increased with the increase in consumption of sugar-sweetened drinks, as did the frequency of hyperuricemia. They also determined that the consumption of diet soft drinks did not increase serum uric acid levels.
The results of this study, which the team indicated are inclusive of a nationally representative sample of U.S. adults, were published in the January, 2008 issue of Arthritis Care & Research.
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