Best Diet Tips By Experts How To Reduce Uric Acid

Uric Acid And Hyperuricemia

Joint Pain Due To Uric Acid Accumulation

The quantity of every chemical in the body is fixed in a defined normal range. One of these chemicals is uric acid. It is mainly synthesised in the body during the metabolism of purine.

But we also get a small part of it from our food like alcohol and fructose drinks. In addition to the liver and intestines, uric acid is also synthesized in other tissues, such as muscle, kidney, and vascular endothelium.

Most of its quantity is removed from the body by the kidney.

Too much uric acid can lead to a host of problems, including high blood pressure, joint pain, movement problems, and swelling. Gout is one of the oldest known diseases caused by hyperuricemia and uric acid crystal deposition, presenting as inflammatory arthritis with an acute onset and subsequent long-term duration.

Increased uric acid is also called hyperuricemia. Gout and nephrolithiasis are the main complications of Hyperuricemia. Hyperuricemia is also seen in diseases such as metabolic syndrome, diabetes mellitus, heart disease, and chronic renal disease. Therefore, high serum uric acid is used as an indicator of these diseases. 

There are many reasons for increasing uric acid in the body. In some people, uric acid increases due to wrong eating habits, while in some people it is genetic. 

It can also be increased by eating a variety of foods such as red meat, seafood, pulses, kidney beans, paneer and rice. Staying empty stomach for a long time can also be a reason for increasing uric acid. Apart from this, uric acid can also increase in diabetic patients. Obesity and stress are also the reason for increasing uric acid.

Symptoms Of High Uric Acid

Pain in the joints, difficulty in getting up and sitting, swelling of the fingers, complaints of lumps in the joints, besides stinging pain in the feet and fingers of the hands, which sometimes becomes unbearable. In this the person gets tired quickly. So do not ignore these symptoms. 

Lastly, a blood test is done to detect uric acid in the body.

Foods That Can Lower Uric Acid

1. Drinking More Water

Keep your body hydrated as much as possible so that you can easily remove it from your body, for this you should keep drinking water in a while.

2. DASH Diet

Healthy Diet To Reduce Uric Acid

The DASH diet is known to be very effective for the management of high blood pressure. These include fruits, vegetables, nuts, low-fat and non-fat dairy, low-fat meat, fish, poultry, as well as limited amounts of red meat, sweets, sugary drinks, saturated fat, total fat and cholesterol.

3. Mediterranean Diet

In the Mediterranean diet, you consume mostly vegetable proteins, whole grains, fish, monounsaturated fats (eg, olive oil). In addition, moderate alcohol consumption and red meat and refined grains can also be taken in moderation.

4. Coffee

Scientists believe that coffee lowers serum uric acid levels. There are many ways such as its anti-oxidants phenol chlorogenic acid, which increases insulin sensitivity. This promotes urate excretion by the kidneys. Caffeine itself may be a competitive inhibitor of enzyme Xanthine oxidase and obstructs purine metabolism.

5. Milk

It is believed that dairy products increase level of uric acid in the body. However, casein, lactoalbumin, and orotic acid found in milk exerts uricosuric urate-lowering effect. Moreover, it does not overload with purine like other animal protein sources do. 

You can drink soy or almond milk in place of milk that is rich in protein, as well as soy chunks in place of cheese and more. This does not mean that we are suggesting you to take less protein, but if the level of uric acid in your body is increasing, then use dairy products with low fat. 

Research has also shown due to its anti-inflammatory effects skimmed milk powder derivatives is good for patients with pre-existing gout.

6. Add More Fiber To Your Diet

Studies have demonstrated that the intake of dietary fiber is negatively associated with the risk of hyperuricemia.

7. Boost Vitamin C Intake

Vitamin C has recognized uricosuric properties. There are researches with mixed results. it may be due to the population selection. However, due to its uricosuric properties the diet rich in vitamin C is recommended by experts. High vitamin C intake is believed to be protective against the development of gout.

Citrus fruits like oranges, kiwi and lemon etc, Bell peppers, Strawberries and Tomatoes are main source of vitamin C. In addition, we also get vitamin C from some vegetables such as broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower and white potatoes.

8. Eat Cherries

Cherries and cherry extract are advised due to their antioxidant and urate-lowering properties. They have been selected as a potential treatment for gout. However, epidemiological evidence of the relationship between cherry consumption and gout is limited. 

Which Food Can Increase Uric Acid In Body?

1. Foods Rich In Purines

If you are thinking of Purine-free diets to lower your uric acid level, let me tell you that it does not exist. But purine content may very among foods. you can consider avoiding foods which are rich in purines such as red meat, seafood, organ meats and certain types of beans and refined carbohydrates and vegetables such as asparagus, peas and mushrooms.

2. Fructose-Rich Foods

According to a research, consuming fructose-rich foods doubles your risk of arthritis, so avoid consuming fructose-rich foods as much as possible. Sugar-sweetened beverages (SSB), ketchup, various sauces, protein and energy bars and drinks, sweet breads, dairy products, and other formulated food products are good source of fructose. 

Studies suggest that despite fruits are sources of fructose, but they do not increase the risk for gout. The reasons for this is amount of fructose in an individual fruit is limited and slow fructose absorption or partially block the fructose metabolic effect due to the presence of other nutrients in the fruit (such as fiber, vitamin C, and many important secondary metabolites).

3. Alcohol Intake

Alcohol has long been anecdotally associated with gout, with well-established links to hyperuricemia, though data regarding specific types of alcohol remain mixed. Do not consume alcohol, because it dehydrates your body. 

All types of alcoholic beverages, including beer, hard liquor, and wine, are associated with increased risk of flares.

Conclusion

There are limited studies regarding the impact of diet on hyperuricemia and gout on people without gout. So, it can not be concluded that diet alone can reduce the uric acid level. The dietary approach should be considered only as adjunctive measures with medications to lower your uric acid level 

Healthy dietary habits also reduce the risk of obesity, diabetes and hypertension. Although, the Mediterranean, DASH diets and other dietary approach for weight loss can all lower serum urate levels, yet their impact is little as compared to a typical urate-lowering drug. In addition to this, studies have also shown that long-term adoption of a low-purine dietary approach is very challenging and almost non sustainable for patients with gout. 

Therefore, undoubtedly healthy diet and exercise along with other healthy lifestyle changes can help to improve gout and other complications caused by high uric acid levels but they should not be considered as a replacement of necessary medical treatment.

You have to take all medications prescribed by your doctor. 

This article only provides information what should be considered as good and bad diet in high uric acid levels. But it is highly recommended to talk to your doctor/physician/nutritionist for help in making the best diet plan for you.

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