Nearly two-thirds of Americans start their day with a cup or more of coffee. Besides its wake-up java jolt effect, coffee could be good for your health. Studies have linked regular coffee consumption with a lower risk for heart disease, some types of cancer, and type 2 diabetes, among other conditions.
你早上喝的咖啡也能帮助预防痛风发作吗?虽然一些证据表明，这种流行的饮料可能有助于避免关节疼痛，但如果你已经有痛风，它所含的咖啡因实际上可能会导致更多的疼痛。
Coffee and Gout Prevention
A 2007 study investigated the potential link between coffee intake and gout risk among nearly 46,000 men. The authors found that men who drank four to five cups of coffee a day had a 40 percent lower relative risk of gout compared to men who weren’t coffee drinkers. Decaf coffee also modestly lowered gout risk, but tea didn’t have any effect, suggesting that something other than caffeine is responsible for the effect on gout.
“有一种理论认为，咖啡中的一种抗氧化剂绿原酸实际上可能是咖啡能降低痛风发病率的原因，”波士顿布莱根妇女医院女性骨科和关节疾病项目主任、医学博士埃莉诺·莫迪解释说。
Chlorogenic acid and other antioxidants help reduce blood levels of the hormone, insulin. Levels of insulin and uric acid (the chemical that triggers gout) are closely related. When insulin levels are low, uric acid tends to be lower, too. To illustrate the connection, another 2007 study by the same authors found that people who drank several cups of coffee a day had lower uric acid levels.
Caffeine and Gout Risk
While coffee might be helpful for preventing gout in people who don’t already have the disease, the caffeine it contains could spell trouble for people who already live with gout—particularly if they’re not consistent coffee drinkers. In a 2010 study, people who suddenly increased their intake of caffeinated beverages like tea and coffee were more likely to have gout attacks.
The reason? Caffeine is similar in structure to allopurinol, a drug used to treat gout, explains Tuhina Neogi, MD, associate professor of medicine and epidemiology at the Boston University School of Medicine and lead author of the study. “When people first start taking allopurinol, they have an increased risk of gout attacks as the uric acid is mobilized from body tissues. Over time, taking allopurinol consistently decreases the uric acid sufficiently such that attacks no longer occur.” That’s why people in Neogi’s study who drank caffeinated beverages from time to time had an increased of gout attacks, while those who drank these beverages consistently did not.
然而，她说，因为她的研究没有区分含糖和不含糖的咖啡因饮料，所以还不清楚饮料中的糖或高果糖玉米糖浆(两者都能增加血尿酸水平)在痛风风险中占多大比例。
The Coffee/Caffeine Conundrum
Neogi doesn’t recommend changing your coffee habits solely to lower your odds of getting gout. Instead, use more reliable preventive methods like watching your weight and limiting or avoiding foods known to trigger the disease, including meat, shellfish, and beer.
If you do drink coffee, try not to add sugar and high-fat dairy creams. And avoid unhealthy sources of caffeine. “I strongly advise patients to avoid drinking sodas or other drinks with high-fructose corn syrup added, not only for gout, but for numerous health issues,” Neogi says.
For those who already live with gout, good treatments are available to relieve joint pain and prevent future attacks. “I recommend that anyone with gout talk to their rheumatologist,” Mody advises.
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I find that instant organic coffee works a lot better for me than drip. All your suggestions work as well, and I like to have coffee before I eat, to balance out the blood sugar spike.