Four cups of coffee a day 'helps women halve their chances of gout'

Four cups of coffee a day can more than halve the risk of gout in women, according to researchers. They found those drinking that amount or more were 57 per cent less likely to suffer the agony of a gout attack than those who drank none. Two to four cups lowered the chances of gout by about 22 per cent but one a day only by three per cent.

Gout has seen a resurgence in the UK in recent years, and now around 250,000 people suffer the painful condition. It is estimated that drugs to treat it cost the NHS more than £6million a year. Once dubbed 'the disease of kings', it affects men more than women and has traditionally been associated with over-indulgence in certain foods and drink.

Recent evidence suggests younger adults in the UK are being affected, partly because of the increase in obesity.
Diet and excess alcohol are trigger factors for the condition, though some people have a genetic predisposition to it.
It develops when uric acid, a natural byproduct, is not disposed of properly by the body.

During an attack, the joint of the big toe swells and becomes so sore that even a sheet resting on it can produce unbearable pain. Attacks can last up to a week.

The latest findings, published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, come from a long-term study of almost 90,000 female nurses in the U.S.Researchers from Boston University and Harvard Medical School tracked the nurses over a 26-year period, monitoring their health and dietary habits. During that time almost 900 of the nurses developed gout. When researchers analysed their beverage intake they found those consuming-large amounts of coffee over a long period of time were least at risk.

The researchers did not know why coffee had the positive effect, but one theory is that it can lead to lower insulin levels in the blood. There is a known link between higher insulin and higher uric acid.

It seems unlikely that caffeine is the reason for coffee's healing powers because decaffeinated brands also lowered the risk to a similar extent. The researchers said: 'Long-term coffee consumption is associated with a lower risk of gout in women.'

The findings support the results of similar research, published in 2007, which showed that coffee appeared to protect both men and women against gout.

Some studies point to gout as an early warning sign of heart disease. Researchers have found middle-aged men with the ailment tend to have higher blood pressure, raised cholesterol and diabetes.