In general, excessive consumption of alcoholic beverages can easily lead to gout. However, research has found that the risk of developing gout from drinking too many soft drinks is higher than from alcohol.
Researchers from Harvard Medical School in the United States and the University of British Columbia in Canada conducted a 12-year follow-up study on 46,000 men over the age of 40 with no history of gout, continuously recording and analyzing their soft drink consumption.
The study found that compared to men who consumed less than one can of soft drinks per month on average, men who consumed an average of 2 to 3 cans of soft drinks per day had an 85% higher chance of developing gout. Consuming large amounts of fruit juice or large quantities of fruits rich in fructose, such as apples and citrus, can also easily trigger gout.
The researchers pointed out that moderate consumption of soft drinks does not pose this risk.
The symptoms of gout are joint pain and inflammation, caused by an increase in uric acid in the blood and the deposition of urate crystals around the joints. Many soft drinks are rich in fructose, which increases the level of uric acid in the human body.
The report also noted that eating more fruits and vegetables is beneficial for preventing high blood pressure, coronary heart disease, and certain cancers.