Leprosy: Drinking coffee, reducing the risk of disease

According to a large-scale study by Canadian and American scientists, drinking four or more cups of coffee a day can reduce the risk of gout - 40% of the most common arthritis in men over 40. year old.

Gout (gout), also known as gout, is actually arthritis caused by a disorder of uric acid metabolism in the body, leading to elevated levels of uric acid in the blood, forming crystals Urate salts around the joints cause severe pain. In addition, urate salts are deposited in the kidneys, causing kidney stones, leading to hypertension, heart failure, kidney failure and possibly death.

In the past, patients at risk of gout were advised not to drink coffee. But Dr. Hyon Choi, of the University of British Columbia in Canada and colleagues - from the Canadian Arthritis Research Center, University of British Columbia, Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, and Harvard School of Public Health in Boston - conducted a large study to understand the true impact of coffee on this disease.

Drinking 6 cups or more: the risk reduces by 59%

Drinking plenty of coffee helps reduce the risk of gout.(Photo: Softpedia News)

The study was conducted over the past 12 years for about 50,000 men aged 40 to 75 years and no history of gout. These people provided detailed information on the use of coffee with caffeine, caffeine-free coffee, tea, drinks containing caffeine - like coca and chocolate.

They are classified into 4 groups: never drink, less than 1 cup, 1-3 cups, 4-5 cups, and 6 separate or more each day. This information is updated every 4 years.

During the study period, 757 people had gout, and experts found that the amount of uric acid decreased significantly in the blood of those who drank a lot of coffee, and thus the risk of disease also decreased accordingly.

Specifically, compared to those who never drank coffee, those who consumed the drink had the following levels of risk reduction: drinking 4-5 cups of coffee a day, the risk decreased by 40%; drink 6 or more cups, the risk decreases by 59%.

According to research results, the reduced risk was noted in both those who drank caffeine-reduced coffee and the total amount of caffeine added to their body daily had no effect on the risk of disease. At the same time, drinking tea does not reduce the risk of gout.

To ensure the accuracy of the study, the experts excluded the influencing factors such as body size index (BMI), history of high blood pressure, degree of alcohol consumption, diet red meat and fat-rich foods, etc.

Another substance, not caffeine, reduces uric acid

Hand gout patient.
(Photo: Emedicine.com)

Through this study, experts found that not caffeine, but a certain substance, such as chlorogenic acid - a powerful antioxidant - has been shown to reduce uric acid levels in the blood. However, the team has not identified the mechanism of action of such a substance. They said they will continue to learn about this issue in the future.

Dr. Choi emphasized: 'This disease occurs in men more than women, and this study is done directly and for a long time for men who have never had gout and 40 years and older - the most susceptible age for gout '.

However, Choi said the study is not intended to encourage people to rush to drink coffee to treat gout. But according to him, 'if you are in the habit of drinking coffee every day and are suffering from gout, or are at high risk of gout, there is no need to stop drinking or reduce the amount of coffee you drink daily'.

Coffee is one of the most widely consumed drinks in the world. Currently, the average daily consumption rate of coffee in the world is 1 and a half; Particularly in the US, this rate is over 3.5 cups and more than 50% of Americans drink 2 cups a day.

As one of the most traded products in the world, produced in more than 60 countries and brings a total annual retail revenue of over US $ 70 billion, coffee is increasingly researched and determined. is related to reducing the risk of certain diseases, especially liver disease and diabetes.

This study was published in Arthritis & Rheumatism (Arthritis & Rheumatism) on May 25.

Quang Thinh

According to Science Daily, First Science, Reuters, Food Production Daily, VNN