Most of us know how sugar affects our waistline. Too much of the sweet stuff contributes to obesity, and with it, diseases like diabetes and heart disease. Overdoing it on one type of sugar in particular—the high fructose corn syrup found in sodas and processed foods—can also set off painfulgout. Considering that the average American eats 22 to 30 teaspoons of sugar daily, gout is yet another health risk worth noting.
Fructose is a natural sugar found in fruit and honey. High fructose corn syrup is a man-made sweetener produced from corn. It’s composed of 55 percent fructose and 45 percent glucose. Why is this type of sugar harder on your joints than other forms, like glucose? “Fructose is metabolized differently from glucose,” explains Peter Simkin, MD, emeritus professor of medicine in the University of Washington School of Medicine division of Rheumatology.
As the body breaks down fructose, chemical compounds called purines are released. The breakdown of purines produces uric acid—the substance that forms painful crystals in the joints and causes gout. Within minutes after you drink high fructose corn syrup-sweetened soda, your uric acid levels rise.
Soft Drinks and the Rise of Gout
痛风曾经被称为“富人病”，因为在一段时间内，只有富人才能负担得起引起痛风的丰富食物——小牛肉、扇贝、红肉和酒精。如今，痛风是任何男性的疾病，也包括许多女性。
The number of people living with this painful form of arthritis has doubled in the past few decades, an increase experts link to rising soda consumption in the U.S. A 2008 study found that men who drink two or more sugary sodas daily have an 85 percent higher risk for gout than men who drink less than one soda a month.
The Obesity Connection
含糖软饮料和加工食品也会导致肥胖，而肥胖本身就有患痛风的风险。超重的人会产生更多的尿酸，而且他们的肾脏不能很快地清除尿酸。
One study found that the relative risk for gout is nearly double in people who are obese compared to those who aren’t obese. And, very overweight people get gout an average of three years sooner than those of normal weight.
Does Fruit Cause Gout Too?
Researchers have also linked fruit juice and certain types of fruit, such as apples and oranges, with gout risk. In one study, men who drank two glasses or more of fruit juice a day were nearly twice as likely to get gout as those who drank less than a glass daily.
但这并不意味着你应该在饮食中放弃水果。“我认为这可能是数量的问题，”西姆金说。水果营养丰富;你只是不想做得太过火。尤其重要的是，当你喝果汁时，要注意你的份量，因为果汁含有更多的果糖，尤其是如果你已经因为体重或其他因素而有痛风的风险。
Controlling Gout Risk
Limiting or avoiding sugary sodas and processed foods is one way to lower your odds of getting gout. Once you have the disease, diet should be just one part of your strategy. Medicine should be another.
“If you can control hyperuricemia [high uric acid levels] you can control gout. But it’s a lifelong problem. It doesn’t go away,” Simkin says.
Drugs called xanthine oxidase inhibitors—allopurinol (Aloprim, Lopurin, Zyloprim) and febuxostat (Uloric)—reduce the amount of uric acid your body makes. Probenecid (Probalan) helps your kidneys remove more uric acid.
Simkin recommends taking your medicine continuously, even if you start to feel better. And watch out for all foods that increase uric acid in your body—including meat, seafood, and alcohol. “With adherence to medication and diet, we can help most gout patients very much,” he says.
Related Resources:
- Learn more about Gout
- Does Coffee Help or Hurt Gout?
- Wine Implicated in Gout Flares
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