Fructose Sweetened Beverages & Gout

Did you have your daily soda today?  Or perhaps organic juice since it's natural and therefore must be better for you?  Well, it turns out that fructose sweetened beverages can increase a woman's risk for gout, that amazingly disabling arthritic attack.  In a study released online last week, the authors followed 78,906 initially gout-free female participants in the Nurses Health Study for 22 years.  Compared to those who consumed <1 soda per month, those who drank 1 serving per day had a 74% higher risk of developing gout.  Drinking more than 2 servings per day of soda more than doubled one's risk.  Surprisingly (at least to me), 2 servings a day of orange juice also doubled one's risk of developing gout.  Why you ask?  Even though sodas generally are low in purines, fructose can increase uric acid levels .  The silver lining?  Diet soda didn't increase risk (not that I'm recommending it).  One more bit of good news:  the overall risk of developing gout was relatively low, only 778 cases.  Still, why take the risk if you don't have to?  By the way, the men reading this post shouldn't smirk.  A study published 2 years ago demonstrated similar findings.  So what's good for the goose is also good for the gander. Drink water instead.