Tequila sounds Mexican to our ears. This alcoholic beverage is a symbol of social gatherings and cultural prowess. But, do you know that it is a symbol of Gout? Wait, what? Yes. You read it right.
The pleasures that go with drinking Tequila or any other alcoholic beverages comes with suffering. And Gout is one of the effects of Tequila. I understand that you want to know how Tequila triggers Gout attacks.
Tequila, what is this?
Each of us has a different preference on how to drink it. Tequila is a type of an alcoholic drink that is made from the blue agave plant and it is also a regional distilled beverage. Tequila differs in the region of origins. It is mostly served as it is in Mexico but it is served as a shot with salt or lime in other countries of the world.
Tequila is made from blue agave and the red volcanic soil around Tequila in Jalisco is very much suited to grow the plant. The way they plant and harvest agave plant remain as manual labor, and it is passed down from generations.
There are two categories of tequila, mixtos and 100% agave. Mixtos contains 51% agave with glucose and fructose sugars.
Gout and Tequila, how do they relate each other?
Gout sufferers should avoid drinking Tequila. First is because it is an alcoholic beverage, second it is distilled. And, lastly, it is obtained from a fruit.
Tequila is a Distilled Liquor
The alcohol content of Distilled Liquors is higher than fermented liquors. The reason of this is because distilled liquors undergo with the fermentation stage, too. The alcoholic beverages that are purely fermented contain 14% of alcohol and distilled beverages have 90% of alcohol content. To remove the impurities in the liquor.
You can look up the alcohol content of a liquor on its alcohol by volume percentage. The US law suggests that Tequila contain about 38% to 40%. You can check it on official Mexican standard for Tequila.
Alcohol or Ethanol can boost the degree or the frequency of Gout attacks. It can accelerate the production of pyruvate and lactate that can increase the volume of lactic acid. And the bad news is that Gout worsens when the lactic acids levels are increased.
Others may think that Lactic Acid crystallizes but, no. lactic acid can affect the pathway of the excretion of uric acid. Because of this, our kidneys will not function properly. It cannot focus to discharge uric acid because it has to focus to discharge the lactic acid, too. Because of this, the amount of lactic acid will double. As the number of lactic acid doubles, it triggers gout attacks more painfully and more frequently.
Tequila is almost 10 times more alcoholic than beer. It is because Tequila contains 38% alcohol while the beer is about 5% ABV. And this could only mean that Tequila can trigger and worsen gout attacks faster.
Tequila is obtained from a fruit
The fructose and glucose from the agave plant are changed into ethanol when they are fermented. And the remaining sugars are eliminated through the process of distillation. Although fructose is less of a threat to gout sufferers they should still avoid it. Fructose has the ability to boosts the production of pyruvate and lactate that can increase the volume of lactic acid. Because of this, the process to excrete uric acid lessens. In addition, the aging process of the liquor is acidic. And it is another hindrance to the conversion of uric acid.
The other risks of Tequila
Whether we suffer from gout or not, Tequila can affect us in many ways. Tequila contains methanol that is more toxic than Ethanol and can cause can cause cancer. Tequila also contains Ethanol and it can also cause cancer, as well. In addition, it can trigger the kidney stones and cause damage to the kidneys. As we drink liquor, our body dehydrates and that causes the kidney stones to form. In addition, the high levels of uric acid can also cause to the development of uric acid crystals.
Conclusion
If you suffer from gout and you want to cure it, you should stop drinking any alcoholic drink. Any kind of alcoholic drink can cause gout. And once you developed it, it can only cause you inflammation and pain.
