Gout

Overview

Gout is a type of inflammatory arthritis resulting from uric acid crystals surrounding the body’s joints after eating certain foods that contain purines.

Alcohol consumption and diuretic medications both increase the concentration of uric acid in the body. Beer is actually more likely to trigger a gout flare than wine or hard liquor because it contains high levels of purines, though hard liquor has still been found to raise the risk of gout flares by a factor two or three.