Alcohol-free beer can cause gout, claims Korean rheumatologist

Non-alcoholic beer is often viewed as a healthier option, but one eminent doctor in Seoul warns that it can still trigger the inflammatory disease gout.

According to Dr Ji-won Hwang, a rheumatologist at Kyung Hee University Hospital in Seoul, alcohol-free beer has the potential to trigger gout attacks.

The root cause of gout is the build-up of uric acid crystals in cooler parts of the body, like the toes. When the body’s white blood cells recognise these crystals as foreign invaders, it triggers an immune response, which is often felt as sudden pain in the toe, ankle or knee.

And while research has long suggested that frequently consuming excessive amounts of alcohol causes gout to flare up, little time has been dedicated to exploring whether the same is true for alcohol-free drinks.

“Some of these beverages still contain trace amounts of alcohol, and if they include fructose or artificial sweeteners, they can stimulate uric acid production,” Hwang told The Korea Times.

Higher levels of purines

Beer is said to be one of the worst culprits for causing gout, as it contains higher levels of purines compared to wine or spirits. The breakdown of these purines creates more uric acid.

For this reason, Hwang does not class alcohol-free drinks, particularly alcohol-free beer, to be “risk-free”.

Hwang’s comments are unlikely to land well with Asian brewers such as Asahi, which recently revealed that no- and low-alcohol drinks will generate 50% of the company’s sales by 2040.

As db reported in a round-up of the biggest no and low trends of 2025, more brands are tapping into the ancient wisdom of Asian cultures to create a captivating story around their alcohol-free products. London-based Impossibrew, which soft-launched in 2022, crafts its 0.5% ABV ‘enhanced lager ’ from a centuries-old Japanese recipe.

Co-founder Mark Wong, born in Hong Kong, says he happened upon “an ancient Japanese text from 1211AD – the Kissa Yojoki – which details natural herbs with powerful relaxation properties”. Wong claims his gluten-and alcohol-free lager combines “ancient wisdom with modern science”. So far, Impossibrew has sold more than 1 million cans, thanks to its natural ingredients including L-theanine, an amino acid found in green tea and thought to protect brain wave activity, and ashwagandha, used in Ayurvedic medicine.

The combination, Wong says, offers “the unwinding experience that drinkers seek, without alcohol”.

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