Gout is an inflammatory form of arthritis that usually affects your joints, especially the feet and toes. Hyperuricemia is the condition that causes gout. This happens when the body produces too much uric acid. When chemical components called purines are broken down, uric acid is produced. Uric acid crystals can form in the joints as a result of hyperuricemia, causing severe swelling and inflammation.
In the United States, gout affects approximately 4% of adults. Gout is caused by a number of reasons. Overproduction of uric acid can be caused by a variety of illnesses, including blood and metabolism issues. Other disorders that affect your body’s capacity to remove uric acid include kidney and thyroid issues. High uric acid blood levels can also be caused by dietary behaviors including excessive alcohol drinking and consuming meals high in purines or fructose. When it comes to coffee, though, there is a lot of conflicting information.
Let’s take a look at the connection between gout and coffee, and whether including coffee in your gout diet is beneficial.
What Do The Studies Say?
Coffee appears to play a role in reducing your risk of developing gout in the majority of scientific investigations. Minerals, flavonoids, and caffeine are just a few of the health-promoting chemicals found in coffee. It is believed that coffer reduces uric acid levels, which reduces the risk of gout. Coffee can help reduce uric acid levels by boosting the rate at which uric acid is excreted by the body. Coffee may also conflict with an enzyme in the body that breaks down purines. Uric acid production may be slowed as a result of this.
Drinking coffee was linked to reduced uric acid levels and fewer instances of hyperuricemia in many cases, according to a recent review of the findings. Coffee drinking was found to be inversely related to uric acid levels in one Japanese investigation. Among the research participants, those who consumed the most coffee seemed to have the least uric acid levels. Despite the fact that both tea and coffee were examined, the findings appeared to be specific to coffee.
Studies Against Coffee
There isn’t enough evidence to imply that coffee causes your gout symptoms to worsen. However, some experts claim there is inadequate evidence to support the claim that drinking coffee reduces the incidence of gout. In one comprehensive review, the results of 11 studies on coffee consumption and blood uric acid levels were examined. The researchers discovered that while there was evidence that coffee consumption reduced the incidence of gout, the findings were not statistically meaningful enough to be considered significant.
