Overview Show Uric acid is a natural waste product from the digestion of foods that contain purines. Purines are found in high levels in some foods such as:
Purines are also formed and broken down in your body. Normally, your body filters out uric acid through your kidneys and in urine. If you consume too much purine in your diet, or if your body can’t get rid of this by-product fast enough, uric acid can build up in your blood. A high uric acid level is known as hyperuricemia. This can lead to a disease called gout that causes painful joints that accumulate urate crystals. It can also make your blood and urine too acidic. Uric acid can collect in your body for many reasons. Some of these are:
Certain health disorders can also lead to high uric acid levels: Read on to learn how you can lower uric acid levels in your body naturally. You can limit the source of uric acid in your diet. Purine-rich foods include some types of meat, seafood, and vegetables. All of these foods give off uric acid when they’re digested. Avoid or reduce your intake of foods such as:
Find tips for following a low-purine diet here. While uric acid is usually linked to protein-rich foods, recent studies show that sugar may also be a potential cause. Added sugars to food include table sugar, corn syrup, and high fructose corn syrup, among others. The sugar fructose is a main type of simple sugar in processed and refined foods. Researchers have found that this type of sugar in particular could lead to high levels of uric acid. Check food labels for added sugars. Eating more whole foods and fewer refined packaged foods can also help you cut out sugars while allowing you to intake a more wholesome diet. Sugary beveragesSugary drinks, soda, and even fresh fruit juices are concentrated with fructose and glucose-containing sugar. You’ll also want to keep in mind that high-fructose corn syrup contains a mix of fructose and glucose, usually with 55 percent fructose and 42 percent glucose. This is similar to the ratio of 50 percent fructose and 50 percent glucose in table sugar. Fructose from refined sugar in juice or other foods is absorbed faster than sugar from foods that have a natural makeup that need to be broken down in your body. The faster absorption of refined sugars spikes your blood sugar levels and also leads to higher amounts of uric acid. Replace sugary drinks with filtered water and fiber-rich smoothies. Drink more waterDrinking plenty of fluids helps your kidneys flush out uric acid faster. Keep a water bottle with you at all times. Set an alarm every hour to remind you to take a few sips. Drinking alcohol can make you more dehydrated. It can also trigger high uric acid levels. This happens because your kidneys must first filter out products that occur in the blood due to alcohol instead of uric acid and other wastes. Some types of alcoholic drinks such as beer are also high in purines. Along with your diet, extra pounds can raise uric acid levels. Fat cells make more uric acid than muscle cells. Additionally, carrying extra pounds makes it harder for your kidneys to filter out uric acid. Losing weight too quickly can also affect levels. If you’re overweight, it’s best to avoid fad diets and crash dieting. Talk to a nutritionist about a healthy diet and weight loss plan that you can follow. Your doctor can recommend a healthy weight goal for your body type. Have your blood sugar level checked when you visit your doctor. This is important even if you don’t have diabetes mellitus. Adults with type 2 diabetes may have too much insulin in their bloodstream. This hormone is necessary to move sugar from your blood into your cells where it can power every bodily function. However, too much insulin leads to excess uric acid in the body, as well as weight gain. Individuals with a condition called prediabetes may also have high insulin levels and a higher risk for type 2 diabetes. Your doctor may want to check your serum insulin level in addition to your blood glucose level if insulin resistance is suspected. Eating more fiber will help your body get rid of uric acid. Fiber can also help balance your blood sugar and insulin levels. It also tends to increase satiety, helping to lower the risk of overeating. Add at least 5 to 10 grams of soluble fiber a day with whole foods such as:
Stress, poor sleeping habits, and too little exercise can increase inflammation. Inflammation may set off a high uric acid level. Practice mindful techniques such as breathing exercises and yoga to help you cope with your stress levels. Join a class or use an app that reminds you to breathe and stretch several times a day. Practice good sleep hygiene such as:
Talk to your doctor if you have insomnia or difficulty staying asleep. Some medications and supplements can also cause uric acid to build up in the blood. These include: If you need to take any of these medications and you have hyperuricemia, your doctor can work with you to figure out a good alternative. Diet, exercise, and other healthy lifestyle changes can improve gout and other illnesses caused by high uric acid levels. However, they can’t always replace necessary medical treatment. Take all prescribed medications as directed by your doctor. The right combination of diet, exercise, and medications can help keep symptoms at bay. It may seem as if there a lot of foods you need to avoid to help lower uric acid levels. The best way to limit these foods is by making a weekly meal plan. Talk to your nutritionist for help in making the best diet plan for you. Keep a list of foods on your shopping list that you should eat, rather than what you can’t eat. Stick to the list as you grocery shop. You can also join an online support group for people with uric acid-related illnesses for more ideas on how to prepare the best meals for you.
Written by Ryan Raman, MS, RD on September 26, 2017 We include products we think are useful for our readers. If you buy through links on this page, we may earn a small commission. Here’s our process. Gout is a type of arthritis, an inflammatory condition of the joints. It affects an estimated 8.3 million people in the US alone (1). People with gout experience sudden and severe attacks of pain, swelling and inflammation of the joints (2). Fortunately, gout can be controlled with medications, a gout-friendly diet and lifestyle changes. This article reviews the best diet for gout and what foods to avoid, backed by research.
Gout is a type of arthritis that involves sudden pain, swelling and inflammation of the joints. Nearly half of gout cases affect the big toes, while other cases affect the fingers, wrists, knees and heels (3, 4, 5). Gout symptoms or “attacks” occur when there is too much uric acid in the blood. Uric acid is a waste product made by the body when it digests certain foods. When uric acid levels are high, crystals of it can accumulate in your joints. This process triggers swelling, inflammation and intense pain (5). Gout attacks typically occur at night and last 3–10 days (6). Most people who have the condition experience these symptoms because their bodies can’t remove the excess uric acid efficiently. This lets uric acid accumulate, crystallize and settle in the joints. Others with gout make too much uric acid due to genetics or their diet (7, 8).
If you have gout, certain foods may trigger an attack by raising your uric acid levels. Trigger foods are commonly high in purines, a substance found naturally in foods. When you digest purines, your body makes uric acid as a waste product (9). This is not a concern for healthy people, as they efficiently remove excess uric acid from the body. However, people with gout can’t efficiently remove excess uric acid. Thus, a high-purine diet may let uric acid accumulate and cause a gout attack (5). Fortunately, research shows that restricting high-purine foods and taking the appropriate medication can prevent gout attacks (10). Foods that commonly trigger gout attacks include organ meats, red meats, seafood, alcohol and beer. They contain a moderate-to-high amount of purines (11, 12). However, there is one exception to this rule. Research shows that high-purine vegetables do not trigger gout attacks (13). And interestingly, fructose and sugar-sweetened beverages can increase the risk of gout and gout attacks, even though they’re not purine-rich (14). Instead, they may raise uric acid levels by accelerating several cellular processes (15, 16). For instance, a study including over 125,000 participants found that people who consumed the most fructose had a 62% higher risk of developing gout (17). On the other hand, research shows that low-fat dairy products, soy products and vitamin C supplements may help prevent gout attacks by reducing blood uric acid levels (11, 18). Full-fat and high-fat dairy products don’t seem to affect uric acid levels (13, 19).
If you’re susceptible to sudden gout attacks, avoid the main culprits — high-purine foods. These are foods that contain more than 200 mg of purines per 3.5 ounces (100 grams) (20). You should also avoid high-fructose foods, as well as moderately-high-purine foods, which contain 150–200 mg of purines per 3.5 ounces. These may trigger a gout attack. Here are a few major high-purine foods, moderately-high-purine foods and high-fructose foods to avoid (6, 11, 20):
Additionally, refined carbs like white bread, cakes and cookies should be avoided. Although they are not high in purines or fructose, they are low in nutrients and may raise your uric acid levels (21).
Although a gout-friendly diet eliminates many foods, there are still plenty of low-purine foods you can enjoy. Foods are considered low-purine when they have less than 100 mg of purines per 3.5 ounces (100 grams). Here are some low-purine foods that are generally safe for people with gout (20, 22):
Foods You Can Eat in ModerationAside from organ meats, game meats and certain fish, most meats can be consumed in moderation. You should limit yourself to 4–6 ounces (115–170 grams) of these a few times per week (20). They contain a moderate amount of purines, which is considered to be 100–200 mg per 100 grams. Thus, eating too much of them may trigger a gout attack.
Eating a gout-friendly diet will help you relieve the pain and swelling, while preventing future attacks. Here is a sample gout-friendly menu for one week. Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Sunday
Aside from your diet, there are several lifestyle changes that can help you lower your risk of gout and gout attacks. Lose WeightIf you have gout, carrying excess weight can increase your risk of gout attacks. That’s because excess weight can make you more resistant to insulin, leading to insulin resistance. In these cases, the body can’t use insulin properly to remove sugar from the blood. Insulin resistance also promotes high uric acid levels (25, 26). Research shows that losing weight can help reduce insulin resistance and lower uric acid levels (27, 28). That said, avoid crash dieting — that is, trying to lose weight very fast by eating very little. Research shows that rapid weight loss can increase the risk of gout attacks (29, 30, 31). Exercise MoreRegular exercise is another way to prevent gout attacks. Not only can exercise help you maintain a healthy weight, but it can also keep uric acid levels low (32). One study in 228 men found that those who ran more than 5 miles (8 km) daily had a 50% lower risk of gout. This was also partly due to carrying less weight (33). Stay HydratedStaying hydrated can help reduce the risk of gout attacks. That’s because adequate water intake helps the body remove excess uric acid from the blood, flushing it out in the urine (34, 35). If you exercise a lot, then it’s even more important to stay hydrated, because you may lose a lot of water through sweat. Limit Alcohol IntakeAlcohol is a common trigger for gout attacks (36, 37). That’s because the body may prioritize removing alcohol over removing uric acid, letting uric acid accumulate and form crystals (38). One study including 724 people found that drinking wine, beer or liquor increased the risk of gout attacks. One to two beverages per day increased the risk by 36%, and two to four beverages per day increased it by 51% (39). Try a Vitamin C SupplementResearch shows that vitamin C supplements may help prevent gout attacks by lowering uric acid levels (40, 41, 42). It seems that vitamin C does this by helping the kidneys remove more uric acid in the urine (42, 43). However, one study found that vitamin C supplements had no effect on gout (44). Research on vitamin C supplements for gout is new, so more studies are needed before strong conclusions can be made.
Gout is a type of arthritis involving sudden pain, swelling and inflammation of the joints. Fortunately, a gout-friendly diet can help relieve its symptoms. Foods and drinks that often trigger gout attacks include organ meats, game meats, some types of fish, fruit juice, sugary sodas and alcohol. On the other hand, fruits, vegetables, whole grains, soy products and low-fat dairy products may help prevent gout attacks by lowering uric acid levels. A few other lifestyle changes that can help prevent gout attacks include maintaining a healthy weight, exercising, staying hydrated, drinking less alcohol and possibly taking vitamin C supplements. |
What food are high in uric acid
Pos Terkait
Copyright © 2024 membukakan Inc.
