Is Beer and Alcohol Bad for Gout

Beer, Alcohol Bad For Gout.
Glass of wine, salad and baked potato?
Not if I can help it.

Gout, a rich man’s disease?
Not according to the latest studies and now
beer drinkers with gout beware.
It seems that the drink of the common man is the worst liquor
you can drink if you have gout or are prone to developing the
disease.

In the largest study ever on the subject of gout and liquor,
the research showed that as little as two beer a week can increase
your chances of a gout attack by 25%.
Men who drank two beer a day or more are 200% more likely to
develop gout as non-beer drinkers. The more beer you drink,
the more you increase your chances of an attack.

The guys who drank spirits or liquor drinks were less at risk of an
attack of gout but even one drink a day can increase your chances
and if you drink two a day the increase is in the 60% range.

Now get this, wine drinking in moderation may be ok and if you
have one glass a day it may even lessen your chances of getting
an attack of gout.
Obviously when it comes to gout, all alcohol is not created equal.

The study (Massachusetts General Hospital), was over a 12 year
period and included 47,000 men. 730 of them developed gout in this time.
Middle aged men either overweight or on the high side of the
scale are at greatest risk of developing gout.

Purines again are the culprit.
Food and drink high in purines a substance that breaks down into
uric acid which in turn develops needle-shaped crystals in the joints
are what cause gout and as it turns out beer is high in purines.
Other types of alcohol are not so high.

So a big juicy steak with lots of fat and a few beer on a great
summer day may not be the best idea for those of us that
suffer with gout and it seems this study has proven that alcohol
and gout don’t mix.
I guess we’ll have to settle for a glass of wine, salad and a baked
potato……not!!!