It’s not port, beer is more likely to cause gout

Gout—a painful type of inflammatory arthritis in the foot—is usually associated with rich foods and fortified wines, such as port.

But new research suggests the humble pint of beer or cider is more likely to trigger the condition and can increase the risk of developing the problem by as much as 60 percent.  By comparison, port—which is usually fingered as the prime suspect—didn’t raise the risk at all.

Researchers from Suzhou Medical College of Soochow University in China analysed data from more than 400,000 participants in the UK Biobank survey and discovered that men who drink more than four pints of beer or cider a week were at the greatest risk of developing gout, as were women who drank more than a pint.  The drinks contain high levels of purine, and the researchers think these get converted into uric acid, which causes gout.

Champagne and white wine also increased the risk, but to a lesser extent, but port and other fortified wines didn’t have any effect, thus putting to rest the urban myth.

Gout is caused by a build-up of uric acid, which accumulates around the joints, causing inflammation and swelling.  It affects around 3.2 percent of the adult population—and it’s twice as likely in men—which means that beer and cider increase the absolute risk by 1.9 percent.

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