Sugary Drinks Raise Gout Risk

Before you have a Coke and a smile, consider this. That sugary-sweet beverage may increase your risk of a painful inflammatory condition called gout.

If you're a Howard Stern fan, you'll remember show hillbilly and drunk, Richard "Its My Favorite" Christy, got gout and he could barely put weight on his smelly foot.

And a new study has found drinking too many sugary drinks, like orange juice and soda, may raise your risk of gout.

Writing in the Journal of the American Medical Association, experts found women who drank two or more cans of non-diet soda per day were more than twice as likely to develop gout, compared to women who rarely drank soda.

Causes of gout vary; medical conditions like high uric acid, metabolic syndrome, and high blood pressure may lead to gout, so can lifestyle factors, such as poor diet and lack of exercise. Genetics are also a factor.

In the study, women drinking orange juice each day also faced an increased risk of gout, similar to soda. Drinking one soda per day increased gout risk by 74%, and drinking 6 ounces of orange juice raised gout risk by 41%.

However, the researchers insist the overall risk of developing gout is very low. Over a 22 year period, only 1% of the 79,000 study participants got gout.

Symptoms of gout may include redness and swollen joints, usually in the feet and big toes, resulting in pain, fatigue, and high fever. An acute outbreak of gout will usually resolve within 5 to 7 days, but medications, like steroids, are often used to relieve symptoms.

Go ahead, read about gout. You'll find out developing gout has a lot to do with your diet, i.e. a bad diet. And since so many Americans eat horribly these days, it's no surprise gout is the latest of our diet-related woes.

Recently a commercial for Uloric, a new gout medication, started airing on television. Initially, I was shocked to see it, but then again, if you look at how people eat and today's obesity epidemic, it's not surprising.

At first, I thought the Uloric ad, with its giant green potion, was an advertisement for World of Warcraft. Plus five to true shot aura!

Image credit: Comedy Central

Health advertising exercise gout Juice Drinks soda 2 Comments Spectra on 21 Nov 2010

It's interesting that gout is making a comeback. It used to be considered a disease that royalty got, probably because back in the day it was the kings and lords and dukes that never had to labor in the fields and couldn't afford rich food. I'm not terribly worried about gout--I eat very little sugar in general and I eat a lot of veggies and fruits. You know, peasant food.

Reply ArrowSmith on 22 Nov 2010

Funny whenever you watch some Hollywood movie that shows a glamorous babe, she's always munching on grapes.

Reply Add Your Comment Name Required
Email Required (never displayed)
URL Remember personal info?
--

View the Original article

Alcohol and High-Energy Drinks Don't Mix

After a college freshman ended up in hospital, Washington has become the fourth state in America to restrict the sale of Four Loko - a canned drink with high levels of alcohol and caffeine.

Experts say that the combination can be deadly. The high caffeine levels can make drinkers feel less intoxicated than they really are, often leading to excessive drinking.

Some students mix high-energy drinks with hard liquor, creating their own concoctions; others buy pre-packaged products.The Independent reported on the contents of one of these, Four Loko:
One can has about the same caffeine as a six-pack of Diet Coke. Four Loko's drinks contain 12% alcohol and are packaged in 23.5-ounce cans - that is reportedly equivalent to drinking almost an entire bottle of wine.

Sure, alcohol and caffeine isn't a brand new combination, rum and coke has always been popular. But excessive levels of caffeine and alcohol can lead to tragedy. New York are considering banning these drinks after a girl died.

If you enjoy drinks with mixers:

Avoid high-caffeine mixers, like Jolt and MonsterIf you're dieting, remember that liquids contain calories too. Alcohol contains seven calories per gram, and energy drinks tend to be packed with sugar (around four calories per gram).Keep an eye on your alcohol intake. Some mixed drinks taste deceptively un-alcoholic.

Image Credit: jameskm03

Health Alcohol Caffeine 9 Comments Ann on 17 Nov 2010

This is kind of ridiculous. One of these drinks alone won't hurt you, the problem is binge drinking kids. Are they planning to ban red bull and vodka? How about Irish coffee?

Reply

View the Original article