November 10/Washington/States News Service -- In response to "Fructose-Rich Beverages and Risk of Gout in Women," a study published online in the Journal of the American Medical Association, Dr. Richard Adamson, former director, Division of Cancer Etiology and scientific director, National Cancer Institute of the National Institutes of Health; former vice president of Scientific and Technical Affairs for the American Beverage Association; current president of TPN Associates, LLC, and consultant to the American Beverage Association, said:
"This study fails to be meaningful when it comes to informing Americans about the real causes of gout. In fact, suggesting that fructose intake causes gout is not based on modern day science, but rather centuries-old theory. In reality, the compendium of research conducted on gout shows foods and beverages high in purines -- such as alcohol, beer and certain meats -- are strongly linked to uric acid metabolism and, therefore, gout. As the authors themselves note, neither soft drinks nor orange juice -- the beverages discussed in this study -- contain purines.