Researchers also made these comparisons for those who drink orange juice, a common source for naturally-occurring fructose. Participants who consumed one serving of orange juice a day were at a 1.4-fold increased risk of gout and those who consumed two or more servings per day were at a 2.4-fold increased risk.

When looking at diet soft drinks, researchers found no association with an increased risk in gout.

"From a public health viewpoint, we are particularly concerned about sugar-sweetened sodas, whose consumption has grown so much over the past few decades. It is possible that this increased consumption has contributed in part to the doubling frequency of gout in our society during the same period," explains Hyon Choi, MD, a rheumatologist at the University of British Columbia and lead investigator in the study. "Our findings indicate that the link between fructose-rich beverages and the risk of gout is comparable to alcoholic beverages, which are well-known causes of gout. Physicians and patients should be aware of this link, as the current lifestyle recommendations for gout prevention almost exclusively focus on reducing purine and alcohol."

Source: American College of Rheumatology