The influence of habitual drinks on the risk of joint inflammation has been revealed

Drinking some popular drinks may influence your risk of developing gout, a disease associated with the buildup of uric acid and inflammation of the joints. At the same time, some drinks were associated with an increased risk of disease, while others were associated with a reduced risk. This conclusion was reached by Chinese scientists who presented their work in Frontiers in Nutrition.

Researchers conducted a meta-analysis of 52 scientific papers on the association of various drinks with the development of gout and increased levels of uric acid in the blood.

It found that drinking alcohol was associated with an 81 percent increased likelihood of gout and a 52 percent increased likelihood of elevated uric acid levels. For sweetened drinks with added sugar, the figures were 37 and 48 percent, respectively.

However, coffee showed the opposite relationship. Among its users, the likelihood of developing gout was about 46 percent lower. Additional analysis showed that as coffee consumption increased, the risk of disease tended to decrease.

Scientists also obtained unexpected results for tea. In women, its use was associated with an approximately 29 percent increased likelihood of excess uric acid levels. However, the authors emphasized that this pattern requires further confirmation.

Researchers believe that your choice of drinks may make a difference in preventing gout. However, the work revealed statistical relationships rather than proving a cause-and-effect relationship.