The study led by Hyon K. Choi, M.D., Dr.P.H., of the Boston University School of Medicine, and colleagues found an association between fructose consumption and increased risk of gout in women.
The findings were also presented at the American College of Rheumatology annual scientific meeting.
Gout, which has something to do with uric acid, is a common and very painful inflammatory arthritis and fructose-rich beverages like sugar-sweetened sodas and orange juice are known to increase uric acid levels in the blood, which suggests that using fructose beverages may increase gout risk, according to the background information in the study report.
For the study, the researchers analysed data from 78,906 women without gout at baseline, who participated in the Nurses' Health Study and provided information on intake of beverages and fructose via validated food frequency questionnaires.
During a 22-year follow-up, 778 cases of gout were identified.
Women who used one serving of a fructose-rich beverage per day were 41 percent more likely to develop gout and those who had 2 or more servings a day were 2.4 times more likely to have the disease, compared with those who used less than one serving per day.
Diet soft drinks were not correlated with the risk of gout.
Orange juice was also linked with risk of gout.
Specifically, compared to drinking one glass or 6 oz. of O.J. per month, women who had one serving per day were 41 percent more likely to develop gout and those who used two or more servings per day were 2.4 times more likely to develop gout.
Those in the highest quintile of fructose intake were 62 percent more likely to develop gout compared to those who were in the quintile of lowest intake.
This is not the first study to suggest that drinking fructose-laced sodas may boost risk of gout.
Gao X. and colleagues from Harvard University School of Public Health in Boston published a report in 2007 in Hypertension saying drinking sugar-sweetened beverages increased serum uric acid in men, but not in women.
Fructose can be found in cane sugar and high fructose corn syrup, both are commonly used in soft drinks, and the sugar has bee associated with elevated levels of serum uric acid.
For the study, the researchers analysed data from 1988 men and 2085 women aged 18 or older who participated in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2001-2002. Dietary intake of fructose was assessed by a single 24-hour recall.
They found high uric acid in men but not women who had high intake of fructose.
Another study led by Choi J.W. and colleagues from Arthritis Research Centre of Canada and published in 2008 in Arthritis and Rheumatism showed drinking sugar-sweetened beverages increased serum uric acid levels.
The study involved 14,761 participants aged 20 or older who participated in the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey between 1988 and 1994.
The researchers found high serum uric acid was linked with high sugar-sweetened soft drink intake.
High levels of serum uric acid are linked to high risk of gout.
do they pay these people for faked reports ? So diet soft drinks
full of man made dangerous toxins are healthy (!!!) but fruits and fructose (fruit "sugar") are dangerous (!!!). I think SOTT editors and some clever readers are right. The end of the world is near...