This Common Drink Treats Gout

Gout is a painful condition that occurs when uric acid builds up in the body and forms crystals in the joints.

It can be a chronic issue for some, leading to severe pain and inflammation. Many factors can influence the risk of developing gout, including diet.

But according to a new study published in Current Medical Science, one common drink may hold the key to fighting off gout forever.

While many studies have tried to identify a link between tea consumption and gout, the results have been inconsistent.

To build a clearer picture, one new study used an approach known as Mendelian randomization. Instead of simply observing patterns as in a regular study, this study type uses genetic data to help establish cause-and-effect relationships.

The researchers examined the genetic information of a huge number of individuals (349,376 to be precise) from the UK Biobank. They identified specific genetic markers linked to people who had a habit of consuming one cup of tea per day.

Then they used this genetic data alongside another data set of individuals (13,179 cases of gout and 750,634 controls) from the Chronic Kidney Disease Genetics consortium to see if there was a connection between the ‘tea-drinking’ genes and gout.

The results were enlightening.

For every genetically predicted increase in tea consumption, there was a decrease in the risk of gout. More precisely, there was a 10% lower risk of gout among those who had the genetic markers for consuming an extra cup of tea daily.

The researchers made sure that other genetic factors (known as pleiotropy) did not influence their results, which strengthened the validity of their findings.

But drinking tea will not heal your gout. For that, you need to make a few, simple, lifestyle changes explained here…