Sodas, Juice May Increase Gout Risk

Women who drink sugary soda and juices are more likely to develop gout, new research finds. Gout is a type of arthritis. It is caused by a buildup of uric acid in the body. Sweetened sodas and juices contain fructose, which can cause uric acid buildup. The study focused on 78,906 women who took part in the long-term Nurses’ Health Study. They had no history of gout at the start of the study. In the next 22 years, 778 women were diagnosed with gout. Women who had 2 or more sugary sodas or glasses of orange juice a day were 2.4 times as likely to develop gout as women who drank them less than once a month. Gout risk also was higher, but less so, for women who had 1 soda or glass of juice daily. The Journal of the American Medical Association published the study online. HealthDay News wrote about it November 10.