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Does Drinking Tea Cause Gout

First Foods That Can Help

Drink Alcohol With Gout?
  • There are actually several types of foods that may help protect against gout attacks. These include low-fat dairy foods, complex carbohydrates, coffee, and fruits, especially citrus fruits. You should also be sure to get 12 to 16 cups of fluid daily.
  • You don’t necessarily have to drink only wateryou can choose non-sweetened juice, tea, and coffee too.
  • Any kind of fluid that keeps that blood flowing and urine flowing is a good choice, says Lona Sandon, PhD, RDN, an assistant professor of clinical nutrition at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas.

Next up: The foods to avoid. Read on for a list of potentially problematic eats.

Scallops are okay for an occasional indulgence, but you should cut back on themand all types of meat and seafoodduring a flare-up, says Sandon. These animal foods are rich in purines, which your body breaks down into uric acid.

You have a little more freedom in your food choices when your gout is at bay, but its still a good idea to keep meat and seafood intake to a minimum4 to 6 ounces daily at most.

All meat is not created equal when it comes to purine content: White meat is generally better than red.

But it is okay to eat some types of red meat once in a while. Youre a bit better off if your occasional indulgence is beef or pork rather than lamb, says Dr. Zashin.

And lamb chops are a better choice than leg meat.

Organ meats, such as liver, kidneys, and sweetbreads, are a major no-no.

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The pain aside, uncontrolled gout can cause joint deformity, cartilage damage, arthritis, chronic pain and stiffness, said Dr Seah.

And it’s not just the joints. The uric acid crystals may sometimes be deposited in the skin and soft tissues, Dr Seah pointed out. When this happens, the crystals can create painful lumps, ulcerations that can get infected, and even skin breakdown, he said.

“Uncontrolled gout can also cause kidney stones and in severe cases, cause kidney failure.”

THE BUBBLE MILK TEA CONNECTION

So whats the bubble tea connection? Isnt gout typically caused by consuming too much red meat, nuts, seafood and beer?

It is true that those foods and drinks can be triggers for gout as they contain an amino acid known as glutamate. When digested, glutamate leads to the formation of purines, which are further broken down to become uric acid, explained Jaclyn Reutens, a clinical and sports dietitian as well as the founder of Aptima Nutrition and Sports Consultants.

Beer Is Worse Than Other Types Of Alcohol In Causing Gout

While any alcohol can cause gout, beer is worse than other forms. This is because beer has more purines in it than other types of alcohol.

Other types of alcohol are not off the hook, though. Liquor has been shown to increase the risk of gout flares. The research on wine is more mixed: One study showed that wine didnt increase the risk of gout, while other studies showed that any type of alcohol, including wine, can cause gout flare-ups.

Keep in mind that purines are found in lots of different foods, and alcohol isnt the only cause of gout. You can still have a gout flare even if you dont drink alcohol.

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Is Drinking Tea A Good Cure For Gout

Looking back to the history of countries located on both east and west, the tea is considered and known to be a drink which gives wonders. Also, it is giving many overwhelming health benefits. However, a cup of tea is not meant to be drunk by the individuals who suffer from gout.

There are various claims about the tea being a good idea in order to treat gout. However, these are just firsthand evidence which corresponds to the fact that an individual is a tea-drinker.

The goal of this article is to explain for what reason that drinking tea can possibly cause gout attacks. It makes us think like is it really a good choice for gout? Is it a must avoid or a must drink?

What Is Gout And What Causes It

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Gout is just one type of arthritis, and it most often presents itself in a joint of one of your big toes. When it hits, it develops fast and usually comes back repeatedly. Every time you suffer a new attack, the tissues in your big toe, or wherever you experience the inflammation, deteriorates more and more. If you have cardiovascular issues, or high blood pressure, you are at an even higher risk of developing this condition obesity also increases this risk.

In chronic tophaceous gout, youll notice large lumps where a gout attack is occurring. These lumps are called tophi. These are clumps of urate crystals, which develop in areas where your body is cooler, such as your fingers and other extremities. If you havent received treatment for your symptoms , this is the type of gout you may experience.

Uric acid builds up in your body when purines are being broken down. Purines are chemical compounds commonly found in seafood, red meat, poultry, and alcohol . The levels of purines in these meats are high, making them more inflammatory than other foods. To prevent the development of gout or to control it post-diagnosis, you need to learn which foods are more inflammatory and which are less inflammatory.

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Gout And Caffeine Studies

Since gout is on the increase there have been many studies which seek to identify the cause for this dramatic increase.

Below are just a few of the studies that have looked at caffeine, coffee, tea and their influence on a person developing gout.

  • A study sponsored by the American College of Rheumatology found that men who are coffee drinkers actually decrease their risk of experiencing gout. src.
  • A study from the American Society for Nutrition showed that women who are coffee drinkers also had less risk of developing gout. src.
  • Another study showed that people who binge on caffeine are more likely to have a gout attack. This means that people who usually have little caffeine daily but occasionally have a lot of caffeine in one day are at risk.
  • A related study looked at the lifestyles of 79,000 women over a 25 year period and found that women who consumed at least one sugary beverage daily were twice as likely to suffer with gout than women who very rarely drank sugary beverages. This study didnt list caffeine as a factor, but just the sugar content of the beverage. src.

What Can Trigger A Gout Attack

Several things can cause the crystals to shake loose into your joint cavity, triggering an attack. These include:

  • a knock or injury to the joint
  • an illness that may make you feverish
  • having an operation
  • having an unusually large meal, especially a fatty meal
  • drinking too much alcohol
  • dehydration
  • starting urate lowering therapy, especially at a high dose, or not taking your treatment regularly each day.

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How To Take Care Of Gout

Does iced tea affect your uric acid. Treatments for an acute gout attack are anti-inflammatory drugs such as naproxen or ibuprofen, which could provide pain relief. Patients with chronic gout can reap the benefits of changes in diet, exercise, and decreased intake of alcohol to help stop future attacks. In addition, patients with chronic gout are often prescribed pharmaceutical gout treatment drugs such as probenecid, allopurinol, lesinurad, colchicine, or febuxostat.

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Orange Juice And Gout Risk

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Many sugar-sweetened juices can increase your risk for gout, but naturally-sweetened juices like orange juice may also be a gout risk trigger. âIn the last 10 years, there has been some evidence from some studies that high fructose in fruit juices may be associated with a higher risk of gout,â says Dr. Freeman. Fructose is a sugar that is added to soft drinks, but it occurs naturally in orange juice, so drinking too much OJ could be as risky as drinking a sugary soft drink.

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Drink A Tea A Day Will Keep The Gout

The tea is known and admired to be a miracle cure for gout. But is in fact not at all.

The tea is considered to be an alkaline for the reason that it has caffeine. Even though the caffeine alkaline, it does not really mean that the teas are entirely an alkaline. It is like pouring a glass of seawater to a pool of freshwater will not make the entire pool salty. It is just a matter of the ratio of the OH and H ions.

There are various claims that states that the caffeine is a big help in easing gout which is not true. What it does is triggering it. The caffeine is under the xanthine, a family of substance. Also, the caffeine has a structure which is closely same to the allopurinol and purine. Therefore, it can produce two possible results due to its attracting the enzyme xanthine oxidase attention: it can be shattered into uric acid or avoiding the uric acid production for a short period of time.

When To See A Doctor

If you develop symptoms that look like arthritis, a visit to the doctor is the best way to get a clear diagnosis. Your doctor will run several tests to either rule out or arrive at a diagnosis of gout. These include X-rays, which rule out other health issues an ultrasound can view areas where uric acid is building up, and/or a joint fluid test, conducted by removing fluid with a needle from an inflamed joint. The collected fluid is studied with a microscope to see if crystals are present/visible. A blood test allows the doctor to check your uric acid level. Remember, even if your uric acid level is high, that doesnt necessarily mean that you have gout.

See your doctor if you dont know what is causing your joint pain. They will be able to diagnose gout or any other illnesses, such as a joint infection, which may have symptoms common to gout. A gout flare may cause a mild fever. If you have a high fever with chills, you may not be experiencing a flare and you should go to the hospital right away. Infections are serious and should be treated immediately.

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Complex Carbohydrates Can Keep Gout Away

Complex carbohydrates can reduce gout flares, but it depends on what form they take. Fructose is a type of sugar in honey and fruits. Its breakdown almost immediately increases serum purine levels and the risk of a gout attack. Fruits, whole grains, and vegetables are complex carbohydrates that are great for managing gout because they are digested slowly. While fresh fruits are beneficial, people with gout need to limit or avoid naturally sweet fruit juices with their high concentrations of fructose.

Aspirin And Diuretics Significantly Increase Gout Risk

Can Coffee Cause Gout? Does Coffee make Gout Worse?

Not exactly foods to avoid with gout, but the ingestion of some common medications sharply raise the risk of a gout attack.

Specifically, low doses of aspirin, which one in three middle-aged Americans takes regularly to help prevent heart disease .

The emphasis is on low doses because aspirin has a dual effect on uric acid levels. Very high doses above 3,000 mg promotes excretion of uric acid , whereas low doses prevent excretion .

In a study of 49 elderly patients, just 75 mg of aspirin per day increased blood uric acid levels by 6% within one week. A daily dose of 150 mg kept levels high during the second week, before coming down with 300 mg doses in the third week .

Considering the typical dose for heart disease prevention is 81-325 mg per day, it is no real surprise this dosage is associated with a doubling in gout risk. In fact, even the use of a low-dose aspirin for two consecutive days increases risk of recurrent gout attacks .

Another type of medication known to trigger gout is diuretics. They are typically used to treat high blood pressure and oedema, and if feasible should be discontinued in gout sufferers.

Im by no means recommending you cease your medications if you have gout, but its important to understand the pharmaceutical triggers. First speak with your doctor and closely monitor uric acid levels before making any changes.

And if you need a temporary painkiller, choose paracetamol or ibuprofen. No aspirin.

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Does Caffeine Make Gout Worse

Well, there may be some good news for gout sufferers. Several studies suggest that caffeine, in and of itself, may not be linked to a higher risk of either incident gout or recurring gout.

In fact, at least one study, published in 2007, found quite the opposite: an inverse association between long-term coffee consumption and serum uric acid. In other words, the study found that blood uric acid levels decreased with increased coffee intake.

And remember, gout is caused by higher-than-normal uric acid levels in the bloodstream so this, and similar studies, suggest that coffee may actually reduce the risk of gout , not increase it.

However, the study couldnt find an association with tea or with total caffeine consumption . But it did find an association with coffee.

So it seems that other components in coffee may be responsible for lowering uric acid, not the caffeine. Exactly what or how this works is unknown, although there are some theories.

For example, coffee contains chlorogenic acid, a polyphenol that studies show may help improve insulin sensitivity and reduce glucose levels. This is interesting in our context because a study has linked improved insulin sensitivity to increased uric acid excretion which, of course, can then lead to a reduction in blood uric acid and a lower gout risk.

Also, other studies suggest that chlorogenic acid helps to inhibit iron absorption in the body which, since iron overload is a risk factor for gout, reduces the risk of gout.

Teas That Help Fight Gout

Some beneficial teas could potentially improve your symptoms. Decaffeinated green tea is recommended for its antioxidant content. Brew devil’s claw to help reduce inflammation and pain if you have gout. Simply place 1 teaspoon of the herb in a metal strainer, put the strainer in boiling hot water and steep for five to 10 minutes. Do not drink in conjunction with blood-thinning medications. Other herbal teas that may help gout include turmeric and bromelain.

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How Is Gout Treated

Treatment will depend on your symptoms, your age, and your general health. It will also depend on how severe the condition is. Treatment may include:

  • Avoiding alcoholic drinks

  • Medicine to block production of uric acid in the body

  • Medicine to lower the uric acid level in the blood

  • Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medicines to relieve pain and inflammation

  • Surgery to remove extremely large tophi

  • Weight loss, if obesity is an issue

Talk with your healthcare provider about the risks, benefits, and possible side effects of all medicines.

Can Vitamin B Cause Gout

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Vitamin B is a soluble substance that when introduced into bloodstream can actually help stave off a gout attack. Vitamin V, specifically Folic acid plays a helpful hand by combating xanthine oxidase, an enzyme thats essential in the creation of uric acid. Vitamin B can be consumed as a supplement or found in collard greens, broccoli, papayas and strawberries.

The latest study into the uric acid reducing capability of green tea concluded that:

Green tea extract may modestly lower SUA level and decreases uric acid clearance. Green tea extract also significantly elevated serum antioxidant capacity with a positive dosage effect. The effect of GTE on SUA in healthy individuals was short term. The effects of GTE on urate handling in patients with hyperuricemia or gout need to be determined.

We can see that there was a modest decrease in blood uric acid. However, the study only looked at healthy individuals without gout, so it doesnt give any data on the impact of green tea on actual gout patients.

So does taking green tea help gout? Well, the jurys still outBut, taking into account this and other studies, maybe what we can say is that drinking green tea on a daily basis may help to reduce the inflammation and swelling of a gout flare , and lower uric acid levels in the blood .

The good news is that green tea is very low in purines and a cup will only have 2 calories at most. So, its a healthy drink to take as part of a well-balanced diet whether you suffer from gout or not.

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How To Get Fast Relief From Gout Attacks

Gout pain can be debilitating, and can prevent you from performing routine activitieseven walking or standing can hurt.

Thats because many attacks start at the base of the big toe.

Pain and inflammation in this region can make walking or standing for long periods of time excruciating.

There are a few home remedies that may provide quick relief for a gout flare-up.

But if your pain is severe, sudden, or worsening, contact a healthcare professional before attempting any remedies at home.

Why Coffee Might Be Beneficial

There are a few reasons why coffee may provide a protective effect against the buildup of uric acid. To understand why, we first need to understand how certain medications for gout work.

There are two types of gout medication that your doctor may prescribe: xanthine oxidase inhibitors and uricosurics.

Xanthine oxidase inhibitors function by inhibiting the activity of xanthine oxidase. Xanthine oxidase is an enzyme that helps the body metabolize purines. Since purines are a source of uric acid, inhibiting this enzyme can help to keep uric acid levels low.

Caffeine is considered to be a methyl xanthine . Therefore, it can also compete with and potentially block the action of xanthine oxidase.

Uricosurics function by helping the kidneys rid the body of uric acid. Although caffeine isnt necessarily considered a uricosuric, it may function in a similar manner.

Theres a lack of research that suggests coffee may contribute to raising your risk of gout. However, some researchers believe that theres insufficient evidence in favor of drinking coffee to reduce gout risk.

In one , 11 studies were investigated for their results on coffee intake and serum uric acid levels. The researchers found that while there was evidence to suggest coffee intake reduces gout risk, the results were not statistically significant enough to matter.

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