Daily orange juice could increase diabetes risk

Newspapers reported a large study of 70,000 female nurses in the US to determine the links between diet and risk of various outcomes.

During the 18-year follow-up, 4529 new cases of diabetes were reported. Reserachers found that drinking one or more cups of orange juice per day increased the risk of diabetes by about 24% compared with drinking less than one cup a month, whereas the same increase in whole fruit consumption was associated with a lower risk of developing diabetes. Also found that an increase of 1 serving/day in green leafy vegetable consumption was associated with a modestly lower risk of diabetes.

Critics say the link between fruit juice consumption and risk of type 2 diabetes may be related to the high sugar content in the juice and the results warrent further study.

Source :"Intake of Fruit, Vegetables, and Fruit Juices and Risk of Diabetes in Women." Diabetes Care 2008; 31:1311-1317

Fizzy drink linked to gout risk in men

A number of news sources reported a study published in the BMJ that warned too much soft drinks and fruit juices can substantially increase the risk of gout in men. More than 46,000 men who did not have gout were followed by researchers over 12 years and monitored their dietary habits, in particular intake of soft drinks, fruit and fruit juices. The men provided updated information about their food and drink consumption every four years.

The analysis found that men who drank two or more cans of soft drinks a day had increased risk of gout by 85 % compared with those who drank less than one soft drink a month. The data also suggest that fructose- rich fruits and fruit juices may also increase the risk, but diet soft drinks were not associated with the risk of gout.

Source: "Soft drinks, fructose consumption, and the risk of gout in men: prospective cohort study" BMJ published online 31 January 2008 ( full text via Athens)