A new study shows Beer and liquor significantly increase the risk of gout. Wine connoisseurs fear not. However the consumption of wine did not appear to be a factor.Overall, the risk for gout was 2.5-times higher in men who drank more than 50 grams of alcohol daily, the equivalent of four or five drinks. Even those who consumed 10 to 15 grams a day, about one drink, had a 30-percent increase in risk.
When investigators analyzed the type of beverages, the intake of two or more 12-ounce beers daily increased the risk 2.5-fold, while two drinks that each contained a shot of liquor increased the risk 1.6 times. No increase was observed with the consumption of two 4-ounce glasses of wine.Gout is caused by deposits of uric acid often in joints of the feet or ankles that lead to inflammatory arthritis. Symptoms include swelling, redness, stiffness and severe pain.Gout affects more than 5 million adults in the United States. For hundreds of years, the painful joint malady has been linked to overindulgence in rich food and drink. Researchers say that the consumption of certain meats and seafood, but not vegetables and overall protein, increase the risk of gout. They also found dairy foods may reduce the risk.
