has been a new study done that has definitely linked RA and sugary drinks. Other studies have linked these drinks with conditions such as diabetes, obesity, heart disease and many other health issues.
The study, conducted by a researcher named Yang Hu linked only drinks sweetened with sugar to the condition.
Hu says that while there is a definite link, RA is by no means caused by them but your risk of contracting RA is severely intensified with the regular consumption of these types of drinks.
The CDC says that over 50 million people in the US suffer from arthritis. Break that down and you get one in five adults. That makes arthritis the number one cause of disability in the USA.
Whether you realize it or not, arthritis is what they call a blanket term. It covers a variety of conditions (over 500) that can cause things like stiffness, swelling and pain in the joints.
These conditions include but are definitely not limited to osteoarthritis, fibromyalgia, gout, lupus, and yes, Rheumatoid Arthritis.
Some foods and drinks such as sodas and sweet tea can increase the probability of inflaming or even developing these arthritic conditions…especially when you consume a lot of them.
Follow Up Study by Health Professionals
A study that was published Britain in the British Medical Journal looked at the correlation between occurrences of gout in men and sugary drinks like soda.
(Gout is a form of arthritis, remember?) This was a 12 year study conducted by Canadian and American researchers.
They observed over 46,000 men who were middle aged and had never had a history of gout. These men routinely filled out questionnaires with regards to their dietary habits as well as information regarding their medications, medical conditions and weight.
What did they find?
In the course of the 12 years, 755 of the participants were diagnosed with gout. It turns out that men who dank two or more sodas on a daily basis were 85% more likely to develop gout than those who had less than one monthly soda. Those men who had 1 daily soda had a percentage rate that was 45% higher.
While diet soda was not found to increase the risk, both fruits high in fructose and fruit juice did. That said, eating apples, oranges and other fruits with high fructose levels actually helps in preventing certain types of cancers and assists in keeping blood pressure at normal levels, reduces the risk of heart disease and strokes.
For that reason, researchers advise that you keep the benefits in mind and weigh them against the risk in the case of fruits and fruit juices.
Inflammation of the Joints
Sodas also happen to be a culprit in the inflammation of arthritic joints. Marcelle Pick is a woman who co-founded a clinic known as the Woman to Woman Clinic talks about soft drinks (diet and regular), all forms of refined and natural sugar, and fruit juices as foods that fuel inflammation…especially when consumed at night.
She states that it is interesting that some women who drink (or eat) at night, carbs that have been refined are the ones who are most likely to experience both morning pain and morning fluid retention.
She says that if they would just alter this one aspect of their habits, they can turn their joint pain around.
Soda Relieving Arthritis?
There is a web site called Raleigh Chiropractic that makes the claim that some people will actually drink an entire six pack of soft drinks in order to diminish the pain of their arthritis.
Is there any veracity to this claim? Actually, there is. Temporary relief can be gained in this manner because of phosphate in the sodas.
The phosphate dissolves the deposits of calcium in the joints. Since the calcium is the source of the problem, this would seem to be a good way to treat the problem, right? WRONG!
This practice should not be undertaken because regular consumption of this amount of soda will actually LEAD to Osteoporosis because while the phosphate is dissolving the calcium in the joints, it is also dissolving the calcium contained in the bones.
Rheumatoid Arthritis is a debilitating condition. People who suffer from this type of arthritis actually become deformed as a result of this disease.
It is incredibly painful and makes the little things that we do every single day a ritual of torture for people with the condition.
Since soda has been linked to it, it is recommended that you stay away from it. RA is not something to go into willingly.
