Coffee, tea, and caffeine consumption and serum uric acid level: The third national health and nutrition examination survey

Abstract

Objective. Coffee is one of the most widely consumed beverages in the world and may affect serum uric acid levels and risk of gout via various mechanisms. Our objective was to evaluate the relationship between coffee, tea, and caffeine intake and serum uric acid level in a nationally representative sample of men and women. Methods. Using data from 14,758 participants ages >20 years in the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (1988 -1994), we examined the relationship between coffee, tea, and caffeine intake and serum uric acid level using linear regression. Additionally, we examined the relationship with hyperuricemia (serum uric acid >7.0 mg/dl among men and >5.7 mg/dl among women) using logistic regression. Intake was assessed by a food frequency questionnaire. Results. Serum uric acid level decreased with increasing coffee intake. After adjusting for age and sex, serum uric acid level associated with coffee intake of 4 to 5 and >6 cups daily was lower than that associated with no intake by 0.26 mg/dl (95% confidence interval [95% CI] 0.11, 0.41) and 0.43 mg/dl (95% CI 0.23, 0.65; P for trend < 0.001), respectively. After adjusting for other covariates, the differences remained significant (P for trend < 0.001). Similarly, there was a modest inverse association between decaffeinated coffee intake and serum uric acid levels (multivariate P for trend 0.035). Total caffeine from coffee and other beverages and tea intake were not associated with serum uric acid levels (multivariate P for trend 0.15). The multivariate odds ratio for hyperuricemia in individuals with coffee intake >6 cups daily compared with those with no coffee use was 0.57 (95% CI 0.35, 0.94; P for trend 0.001). Conclusion. These findings from a nationally representative sample of US adults suggest that coffee consumption is associated with lower serum uric acid level and hyperuricemia frequency, but tea consumption is not. The inverse association with coffee appears to be via components of coffee other than caffeine.

Effect of Coffee Daily Consumption Uric Acid Level and Body Weight to Prevent Metabolic Syndrome

“…This was in accordance with previous study that coffee consumption of 0.72 ml for 7 days could reduce uric acid level of 15% in rats with hyperuricemia [10]. Coffee consumption was associated with reduction of hyperuricemia prevalence as compared with person that did not consume coffee [28,29].…”

Coffee consumption and risk of incident gout in men: A prospective study

“…This inference was consistent with the absence of an association with total caffeine intake and the null association with tea intake, which is another major source of caffeine. These results are closely in line with those of the Japanese cross-sectional study (6) and the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey study (30), both of which found coffee consumption, but not tea consumption, to be inversely associated with serum uric acid levels. Furthermore, these results agree with the recent data about the relationship between these beverages and serum insulin level (12), which is a strong correlate of serum uric acid level (26,28,29).…”

“…Indeed, a Japanese cross-sectional study of 2,240 men showed a significant inverse association between coffee consumption and serum uric acid levels (6). Furthermore, a study of a nationally representative sample of US adults showed that coffee consumption was associated with a lower serum level of uric acid and a lower frequency of hyperuricemia (30). To examine these issues, we prospectively evaluated the relationship between intake of coffee, decaffeinated coffee, tea, and total caffeine and the incidence of gout in a cohort of 45,869 men with no history of gout.…”

Understanding Gout Beyond Doubt

“…Dr. Hyon K. Choi, from the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada, has found that high vitamin C levels are closely linked with a lower risk of gout, and dietary increases in this vitamin may prevent the development of gout 21 . Coffee: Drinking more than four cups of coffee in a day significantly lowered serum uric acid levels, to an extent of 8 % at maximum 22 . Fruits: Eating more of the dark-colored fruits like raspberries, blueberries, purple grapes and blackberries have proven beneficial in the management of gout.…”