Sugary drinks/beverages are among the list of foods that contribute to the painful & crippling health condition of gout, a fresh study by New Zealand researchers revealed.

A group of researchers from the Otago University and Auckland University discovered that a human gene variant can "turn bad," causing the arthritic ailment, when affected by sugary drinks/beverages.

In the research, scientists found that when the variant of SLC2A9 gene behaved correctly, it helped in smooth transportation of uric acid out of the blood stream and then facilitated its flow through the kidney.

Associate Prof. Tony Merriman explained, “But when people with this gene variant consume sugary drinks… the apparent function of the gene variant reverses, such that we think uric acid is instead transported back into the blood stream and the risk of gout is increased.”

Prof. Merriman, who works at Otago University’s Department of Biochemistry, added that each daily 300ml serving of sugary drink hikes the chance of developing gout by 13 per cent.

The list of foods that are already known for paving higher levels of uric acid that triggers the arthritic condition includes various sea foods, red meat and beer.