URIC ACID LEVEL & DIETS

Does and don'ts about diet for high uric acid levels

Uric acid is a chemical created when the body breaks down substances called purines. Purines are found in some foods and drinks, such as liver, anchovies, mackerel, dried beans and peas, beer, and wine. Purines are also a part of normal body substances, such as DNA.

Most uric acid dissolves in blood and travels to the kidneys, where it passes out in urine. If your body produces too much uric acid or doesn't remove enough of it, you may get sick. A high level of uric acid in the body is called hyperuricemia.

Causes of high uric acid

-In many instances, people have elevated uric acid levels for hereditary reasons.

-Diet may be a factor. High intake of dietary purine, high fructose corn syrup, and table sugar can cause increased levels of uric acid.

-Serum uric acid can be elevated due to reduced excretion by the kidneys.

-Fasting or rapid weight loss can temporarily elevate uric acid levels.

-Certain drugs, such as thiazide diuretics, can increase uric acid levels in the blood by interfering with renal clearance.

How to reduce uric acid level

High uric acid level can be reduced with a change in diet. Doctors strongly recommend making simple changes in diet like eliminating beef rolls and choosing green leafy vegetables, cabbage and high fibre foods instead for regulating uric acid levels.

Manage high uric acid with nutrition

High-fibre foods

Adding foods high in dietary fibre may help lower uric acid levels in your blood. Dietary fibre may help absorb uric acid in your bloodstream, allowing it to be eliminated from your body through your kidneys. Increase the consumption of dietary soluble fibres such as Isabgol, Oats, Spinach, Broccoli to name few.

Cold-pressed olive oil

Use cold-pressed olive oil in cooking instead of shortening, butter or vegetable oils. Oils that have been subjected to heat or processing turn rancid quickly. Rancid fats destroy vitamin E in your body - this vitamin is necessary for controlling uric acid levels. Olive oil helps you avoid the production of excess uric acid, which is associated with the consumption of rancid fats.

Take in a healthy dose of vitamin C

To help reduce the amount of uric acid in your system, regularly taking 500 milligrams of vitamin C will decrease your uric acid levels in a month or two.

Celery seed extract 

This is also a popular natural remedy for gout and uric acid problems. The seeds of the celery plant have long been used to treat gout, rheumatism and arthritis. Celery possesses sedative, antioxidant and mild diuretic action and is considered a urinary antiseptic. In rare cases, this herb is also used to treat sleeplessness, anxiety and nervous breakdown. Although the seeds of this plant are often used in herbal supplements, the roots may also be used.

Antioxidant-rich foods

Fruits and vegetables such as red bell peppers, tomatoes, blueberries, broccoli and grapes are rich sources of antioxidant vitamins. Antioxidants which are vitamins that prevent free radical molecules from attacking your organ and muscle tissue cells may help lower uric acid levels.

Cherries 

Cherries contain chemical compounds that may help neutralise uric acid allowing your body to eliminate this acid as waste. Some researchers recommend consuming 30 to 40 cherries every four hours during an attack.

Apple cider vinegar

It is believed that raw, apple cider vinegar can help alleviate high uric acid levels by changing the pH values of your blood. But it has to be raw, un-distilled, un-pasteurised apple cider vinegar; the kind you get from your local health food store.

"Add 2 teaspoons of vinegar to a large glass of water and stir thoroughly. Drink a glass between 2 and 3 times every day. You can also use it topically: half a cup added to three cups of hot water and soak the affected area for 30 minutes. Reheat and repeat as necessary."

Saturated fat, Trans fat, sugar and alcohol

All these affect your triglycerides, a type of fat that can clog your arteries and increase your risk for heart attacks and strokes.

High-fructose corn syrup 

This is a type of sweetener in soft drinks and other processed foods that can elevate your levels of triglyceride and uric acid - a chemical associated with diabetes, gout, alcoholism, kidney disease and other health problems.

Choose complex carbohydrates

Eat more whole grains, fruits and vegetables and fewer refined carbohydrates such as white bread, cakes and candy. Because foods that rich in complex carbohydrates promote feelings of fullness and prevent overeating and are useful in maintaining a healthy weight.

Drink plenty of fluids to help flush uric acid from your body

Drink a minimum of 3 and 1/2 liters of water daily. Water is a medium that aids the kidney to 'strain' the impurities from your body.

Avoid or Limits

-Avoid high-protein weight-loss diets which can cause you to produce too much uric acid (hyperuricemia).

-Limit meat, poultry and fish - animal proteins are high in purine and this will result in high uric acid levels in the body.

-Avoid cakes, pastries, cookies and other sugary delights which are rich in saturated fats and trans fats.

-Alcohol interferes with the elimination of uric acid from your body. Drinking beer in particular has been linked to gout attacks. If you are prone to uric acid attacks, limit alcohol consumption to one drink three times a week.

Warning: The reader of this article should exercise all precautionary measures while following instructions on the home remedies from this article. Avoid using any of these products if you are allergic to it. The responsibility lies with the reader and not with the site or the writer.
This information is solely for informational purposes. IT IS NOT INTENDED TO PROVIDE MEDICAL ADVICE and should not be treated as a substitute for the medical advice of your own doctor.