Can I have one more cup of coffee please!

If men ever needed a reason to justify that extra cup of coffee, here it is: four or more cups of coffee a day appear to reduce the risk of gout, Canadian researchers said recently. Gout is a painful joint disorder caused by a buildup of uric acid in the blood.

In the past, patients at risk for gout were advised to avoid coffee, but Dr. Hyon Choi of the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada, and colleagues at Harvard Medical School in Boston wanted to see just what effect coffee might have on the condition.

The study is based on a survey of about 50,000 men aged 40 to 75 with no history of gout. Men who drank decaffeinated coffee also benefited, Choi said, but tea appeared to have no effect.

The researchers found significantly lower levels of uric acid in the blood of those who consumed large quantities of coffee.

Uric acid is the compound that causes gout. Choi said the findings appear to suggest that something in the coffee other than caffeine - such as a strong antioxidant - may be helping to reduce uric acid levels.

But "if you are drinking coffee already and have gout or are at higher risk of developing gout ... there is no need to reduce or stop coffee consumption," he said.