Drinking 4 cups of coffee a day can halve the risk of gout in women
POSTED September 11, 2010 - 11:25 | POSTED BY neha gupta
Last edited by Silky Chandvani on September 11, 2010 - 12:04
Drinking 2 to 4 cups of coffee every day declined the chances of suffering from gout by almost 22 percent, while 1 cup a day reduced it by only 3 percent.
"Long-term coffee consumption is associated with a lower risk of gout in women," the Daily Mail quoted the researchers as saying.
The study looked at 90,000 female nurses in the United States.
The health and dietary habits of the nurses were tracked over a 26 year period by the researchers.
Results of the study
By the end of the study period, almost 900 of the nurses had developed gout, the study claimed.
On analyzing their beverage intake the researchers found that the ones who consumed high amounts of coffee on a regular basis were least prone to develop gout.
Gout develops when uric acid, a natural byproduct, is not disposed of properly by the body.
Drinking coffee leads to decreased levels of insulin in the blood, eventually leading to decreased uric acid levels, the researchers revealed.
They neglected the possibility of caffeine having the positive effects as even decaffeinated brands of coffee produced the similar effects.
The findings support the results of similar research, published in 2007, which showed that coffee appeared to protect both men and women against gout.
The findings appear in the 'American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.'
Gout an indicator of heart diseases
Past studies have pointed gout as an early indicator of various heart ailments, raised cholesterol, and diabetes.
Earlier known as 'the disease of kings’, gout affects men more than women and has traditionally been associated with over-indulgence in certain foods and drink.
Though some people have a genetic predisposition to it, diet and excess alcohol are main factors leading to the condition.
The joint of the big toe swells and becomes so sore during an attack that even a sheet resting on it can produce unbearable pain.
Gout has seen a resurgence in the UK in recent years, and now around 250,000 people suffer the painful condition.
It is estimated that drugs used to treat the condition cost the NHS more than £6 million a year, the researchers concluded.
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