Sugary soda
Sugary drinks, soda, industrial fruit juices, energy drinks and ready-made drinks often contain significant amounts of sugar. In which, fructose is metabolized by the body through a path that can promote the formation of uric acid.
When fructose is metabolized rapidly in the liver, this process consumes ATP - a form of cell energy. Drinking a lot of fructose-rich drinks can increase the burden of uric acid, especially in people who are already at risk of increased uric acid.
Fruit juice is not always good for uric acid
Many people believe that fruit juice is always good for health because it has natural origins.
When juiceing fruit, a portion of fiber is removed while natural sugar is retained. This makes a glass of juice that can provide a significant amount of sugar but feel less full than eating whole fruit.
Therefore, people with high uric acid should prioritize eating whole fruits with a reasonable diet, instead of regularly drinking juice or smoothies with added sugar.
Milk tea, coffee and tea with a lot of sugar also need to be limited
Tea or coffee themselves are not the main cause of increased uric acid. The problem lies in the amount of added sugar.
A cup of milk tea can contain a lot of sugar from condensed milk, syrup, or blended sugar. Similarly, milk coffee mixed with a lot of condensed milk can also become a significant source of free sugar.
If you are controlling uric acid, you should switch to unsweetened tea, low or unsweetened coffee, and limit toppings and syrups.
Beer and alcoholic beverages
Besides sugary drinks, people with high uric acid also need to pay special attention to alcohol and beer.
Unlike soft drinks, the effects of beer are not only related to sugar but also to ethanol and purine metabolism. Alcohol can increase uric acid production while reducing the kidney's ability to excrete urate.
This is why alcohol restriction is often included in gout management recommendations.
It is important that increased uric acid not only depends on one type of drink. Genetics, kidney function, weight, metabolic syndrome, medication use and overall diet can all affect urate levels.
Therefore, people with high uric acid should prioritize filtered water, limit sugary soft drinks and high-fructose drinks, reduce alcohol and beer, and maintain a reasonable weight. It can be replaced by tea or coffee with little or no sugar.
