Can people with high uric acid drink coffee?
Dietary habits, such as drinking too much alcohol, eating a lot of red meat, and drinking sugary drinks, can lead to high uric acid. In addition, there is a lot of conflicting information about coffee.
According toHealthline,Uric acid is produced when chemical compounds called purines are broken down. When hyperuricemia occurs, uric acid crystals can form in the joints, causing painful swelling and inflammation (gout).
Dietary habits, such as drinking too much alcohol and eating foods high in purines (red meat and shellfish) or fructose (sugary drinks), can also lead to high blood uric acid levels.
However, there is a lot of conflicting information about coffee. So is coffee actually beneficial or harmful for people with high uric acid?
Some studies have shown that drinking coffee can help reduce uric acid levels. Illustration: Picfair
Research supports coffee
Most scientific studies suggest that coffee may play a role in reducing the risk of gout. It contains many beneficial compounds, including minerals, polyphenols, and caffeine.
Coffee is thought to reduce the risk of gout by reducing uric acid levels through several mechanisms. Coffee may reduce uric acid levels by increasing the rate at which the body excretes uric acid.
Coffee is also thought to compete with the enzymes that break down purines in the body. This may reduce the rate at which uric acid is produced.
A recent review of this research found that in many cases, drinking coffee was associated with lower uric acid levels and less hyperuricemia.
In a Japanese study, researchers found that coffee consumption was inversely related to uric acid levels. Those who drank the most coffee (about 5 cups per day) had the lowest uric acid levels among the study participants.
Although both coffee and tea were tested, these results appear to apply only to coffee.
This evidence suggests that compounds in coffee other than caffeine may play a role in reducing uric acid levels.
Another systematic review seems to support this idea. In this 2014 review, researchers looked at two studies on coffee and gout from the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.
Researchers found that coffee consumption was associated with reduced uric acid levels and a reduced risk of hyperuricemia.
Why can coffee be beneficial?
There are a number of reasons why coffee may have a protective effect against uric acid buildup. To understand why, we first need to understand how some gout medications work.
Doctors often prescribe xanthine oxidase inhibitors to treat gout. Xanthine oxidase is an enzyme that helps the body metabolize purines. Since purines are the source of uric acid, inhibiting this enzyme can help keep uric acid levels low.
Caffeine is considered a methylxanthine. Therefore, it can also compete with and potentially block the activity of xanthine oxidase.
Another class of medications that may be prescribed is uricosuric, which works by helping the kidneys remove uric acid from the body. Although caffeine is not necessarily considered a uricosuric, it can work in a similar way.
Research against coffee
Some researchers say there is not enough evidence to support drinking coffee to reduce the risk of gout.
In a systematic review, 11 studies were investigated for their effects on coffee consumption and serum uric acid levels. The researchers found that although there was evidence that coffee consumption reduced the risk of gout, the results were not statistically significant.
Coffee is a familiar drink to many people. Photo: Tu Anh
Additionally, one study found a very different relationship between coffee consumption and serum uric acid levels. In that study, researchers found that uric acid levels increased during periods of coffee consumption and decreased during periods of no coffee consumption.
Additional research also suggests that genetic variations play a role in the relationship between coffee intake and gout risk.
This study does not necessarily show a negative effect of coffee on gout risk. Instead, it suggests that the relationship between gout and coffee may be influenced by genetic factors.
Why can coffee be harmful?
There is little evidence that coffee consumption causes gout or increases the risk of gout flare-ups. Although the majority of evidence supports that drinking coffee may reduce the risk of gout, more research is needed.
So, most studies have shown that drinking coffee can reduce your risk of gout. If you already have gout, drinking coffee can help reduce your risk of flare-ups. This is because coffee can help reduce the uric acid your body produces. It can also improve your body's excretion of uric acid.
Research also shows that decaffeinated tea and coffee do not have the same uric acid-lowering effects as coffee. Instead, the benefits seem to be most pronounced with regular daily coffee consumption.
Adding a few spoonfuls of low-fat milk to your coffee can be an added benefit, but leave out the sugar.
