Is diet pop bad for gout?

Hold on to your seats, folks! We’re about to dive into the age-old question of whether or not diet pop is bad for gout. For those who are unfamiliar with gout, it’s a type of arthritis that commonly affects the joints in your feet and toes.

Many people have long believed that consuming diet sodas can make gout worse. But as always, we need science to resolve this conspiracy once and for all. So buckle up and let’s explore the research together!

What is diet soda?

First things first: what exactly is diet soda? It’s a carbonated beverage that contains artificial sweeteners instead of real sugar (because life isn’t unfair enough already). Commonly known as “pop” in some regions (my Canadian peeps know what I’m talking about), these goodies come in various flavors like cola, ginger ale, and lemon-lime.

Fun fact: did you know that both PepsiCo and Coca-Cola claim they invented Diet Coke back in 1982? Hmmm… suspicious…

Moving on!

What causes gout?

Before we start pinning the blame on poor old Diet Coke, let’s take a moment to understand what actually triggers gout attacks.

Gout occurs when there’s an excess buildup of uric acid crystals inside your joints. Uric acid is produced by our body when it breaks down purines—the substances found naturally in some foods and drinks such as seafood, liver, beer (!), red meat etcetera).

If your kidneys can’t properly filter out uric acid from your blood (or if they decide to go rogue like mine did), then you end up with hyperuricemia—a fancy way of saying high levels of uric acid—which may result into an inflamed joint known as ‘GOUT’.

So basically speaking- Avoiding Purine rich food items could help you avoid Gouts. Here are some common items from that list:

• Fish (excluding salmon, tuna and other oily fish)
• Shellfish
• Meat, particularly liver and kidney
• Alcoholic beverages such as beer or wines.

What do science & researchers say about diet sodas?

Now the big question remains: what’s the connection between diet soda and gout? Are we looking at another instance of scapegoating (cough cough vaccines cough)?

Sadly, folks – The research on this topic is not crystal clear yet.

Some studies suggest that among people with a predisposition to gout (genetics play its part here), consuming sweetened drinks such as regular soda increases their risk of experiencing a flare-up whereas non-sugar sweeteners like diet coke, have little to no effect on uric acid levels in healthy humans who does not have genetic disposition 2.

So yeah! If your genes hate you for life then avoiding even Diet Sodas could be good option for keeping Gouts away. But if doesn’t seems to happen now.. you’re probably safe!

However, it may also help if we dive into numbers… just bear in mind these results are inconclusive!

One small study published in BMJ Open Diabetes Research & Care analysed which type of soft drink—sugary or artificially sweetened—affects your health more adversely.

The participants involved were mostly overweight men who had recently lost weight through lifestyle changes alone (no weight loss surgery). Hence their base starting point was already way high close to Me during Christmas time!!

After drinking either sugar-added Kool-Aid or an equivalent dose of low-calorie Kool-Aid—the fun never ends when it comes to naming sugary drinks—they measured how much uric acid each person excreted over 24 hours before switching sides after one week.

Eureka – A trend emerged – Those who drank the Kool-Aid with regular sugar showed a slight increase in overall uric acid creation inside their bloodstreams, Whereas In no-way-shape-or-size associated people they found very little or no correlation between artificial sweeteners, uric acid formation and Gout or Uthricaria Risk!!.

So, now what?

Things to consider when drinking diet soda by an occurrence of gout

Before you swear off your beloved Diet Dr. Pepper for good ( Ya rite!) here are our top recommendations on how to enjoy harmless quenchers that won’t trigger your gout flare-ups:-

1. Moderation Is The Key

As we have seen earlier in terms of science – there is not enough evidence to prove/discard that diet sodas may trigger Gouts . However, If you’re genetically predisposed then it’s best to proceed with caution and consume soda beverages in moderation/or avoid altogether (sobbing noises)

2. Know Your Body & Observe Patterns

If you’re still trying to figure out whether specific food items/ drinks cause flare-ups do monitor!– Start logging complete record regarding Food Intake including amount as well as when did the attacks happened- could be useful!

3. Drink Lots Of Water

Drinking ample amounts of water stands true for living healthy life even if not suffering from any disorder.

Staying hydrated helps kidneys flush out excess uric acid out from bloodstream hence less chances for crystals formation which could become overly dramatic later!!

Is It Really Worthed?

What’s better than sipping on some bubbly drink after most tiring day at work ? Well.. it highly depends upon individual preferences but one thing’s certain: gout sucks bigtime!.

But there comes another question : Are artificially sweetened sodas really worth drinking—or should we abandon them altogether?

One advantage of switching over (starting afresh & trying out healthier options) to diet soda is that you consume less sugar, which could be really helpful for people suffering from obesity and other lifestyle-related conditions such as diabetes.

However if it’s harmful to already gout-prone individuals then let’s just say I will prefer my body over any fizzy drink with a slice of pizza! What about you??

To Diet Pop or Not – You Decide!

To summarise- There isn’t enough evidence according to research yet indicating if Artificial sweeteners are triggering Gouts… HOWEVER should anyone be inclined to limit/abandon Purine rich food items due to genetic dispositions then they should seriously consider quitting the bubbly stuff (My condolences). However- Consuming them in moderation under doctor’s watchful eye, staying well hydrated & taking care of your health otherwise wouldn’t hurt anyone amid low risk factors.

Whether diet soda drinks are right for YOU? You decide!

Happy sipping folks!!!