Uric Acid

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.

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 if it, you can get sick. High levels of uric acid in the body is called hyperuricemia.

The presence of excess uric acid can cause gout, a condition characterized by inflammation that occurs in joints when crystals derived from uric acid form in the joint (synovial) fluid.

Excess uric acid can also lead to kidney disease. People with gout suffer from joint pain, most often in their toes, but in other joints as well.

What Not to Eat

Along with consuming foods that lower uric acid in the body, there has to be stress laid on avoiding certain foods that will lead to a rise in the uric acid levels in the body as well. When following a diet for the reduction of uric acid, foods that are extremely high and moderately high in purines and protein, especially some kinds of meat and seafood, should be strictly eliminated.

Foods with High Levels of Purine

·         Yeast

·         Pork

·         Lamb

·         Shrimp

·         Anchovies 

·         Mussels

·         Tuna

·         Sardines

·         Organ meats (kidney, liver)

·         Sweetbreads 

Foods with Medium Levels of Purine

·         Mushroom

·         Spinach

·         Cauliflower

·         Dried beans

·         Lentils and legumes

·         Peas

·         Asparagus 

·         Turkey

·         Goose

·         Chicken

·         Oatmeal

·         Bacon

·         Beer

·         Soft drinks 

Foods with Low Levels of Purine

·         Eggs

·         Milk

·         Cheese

·         Yogurt

·         Potatoes

·         White bread

·         Pasta 

·         Biscuits

·         Olives

·         Chocolate

·         Ice cream

·         Berries

·         Spaghetti

·         Noodles 

What to Eat

Include some of these uric acid foods to reduce the level and production of uric acid in your system.

A uric acid diet should consist of foods that are rich in potassium. Here are some of the foods that you can include in your diet.

·         Potatoes

·         Avocados

·         Dried peaches

·         Orange juice

·         Apples 

·         Bananas

·         Skimmed milk

·         Yogurt

·         Kidney beans

·         Yam