High uric acid can be lowered by following a few basic tips and tricks. Learn how to lower it effectively, why it goes up and how to prevent it from rising.
How to lower uric acid?
It should be noted that the levels considered normal for uric acid in the blood tend to range between 3.0 and 7.0 mg/ld., although this is a level that usually varies depending on the laboratories.
Here are some basic tips that will let you know how to lower uric acid:
- Eliminate red meat (pork and lamb), any type of consommé made from meat and tomato, as well as certain types of fish such as anchovies or sardines, from your usual diet.
- Also avoid the consumption of shellfish, especially until such time as uric acid levels are lowered.
- Eliminate the consumption of alcoholic beverages, especially wine and beer.
- Limit or eliminate stimulant beverages such as tea or carbonated soft drinks from regular consumption.
It can also be useful to know how to purify the kidneys, ideally purifying them at least once a year.
How to prevent high uric acid:
Although it is true that there are several causes of gout, the truth is that it is usually closely related to high levels of uric acid in the blood, either because our body produces it in excess, or when it has difficulty getting rid of it.
Be careful with red meat
In the kitchen it is possible to prevent excess uric acid, especially red meats and derivatives for being one of the foods rich in purines.
For example, pork provides 150 mg. of purines per 100 grams, beef provides just over 160 mg, and chicken between 50 and 160 mg. of purines.
Products derived from meat are also very rich in purines, such as meat broths, since they tend to pass into the water during cooking.
Legumes are also rich in purines
Although they are essential in a varied and balanced diet, purines also provide purines, highlighting in this sense lentils as the foods of this group that are richest in these substances. In fact, 100 grams of lentils provide between 50 to 160 mg.
Opt for foods low in purines
Foods such as cereals and grains, natural fruits and vegetables, eggs and dairy products stand out.
As we can see, if we have been diagnosed with hyperuricemia in a blood test, the key is to change our diet and opt for foods low in purines, also avoiding other unhealthy habits that influence uric acid levels, such as eating habitual consumption of alcohol.
Uric acid is a chemical that is created when the body breaks down substances called purines, which we find in different foods and drinks.
Among the foods and drinks that contain purines include anchovies, liver, mackerel, dried peas, beans, wine and beer.
Generally, most of the uric acid dissolves in the blood and travels to the kidneys, where it passes out in the urine. But whether the body produces too much uric acid or is not able to eliminate enough, high levels can appear in the blood (hyperuricemia), so that the person can get sick, producing, for example, a disease classically known as gout.
But, is it possible to know how to lower uric acid? How can the levels of this chemical in the blood be reduced? We explain how. But first we are going to know what it consists of, and above all, why it rises.
What is uric acid and when is it considered elevated?
Uric acid is a substance that is produced in our body after degrading different blood compounds, such as RNA and DNA. These substances are composed of purines, which after being metabolized finally give rise to uric acid.
Approximately 80% of the uric acid that a person can produce per day (about 500 mg of uric acid) is eliminated from our body through urine. But high uric acid levels can affect health and cause different problems.
It should be noted that the levels considered normal for uric acid in the blood tend to range between 3.0 and 7.0 mg/ld., although this is a level that usually varies depending on the laboratories (for example, it is common for them to also be considered as normal values). Normal between 2.4 and 6.5 mg/ld.).
Therefore, it is considered that there are elevated levels of uric acid in the blood when this value increases to more than 7 mg/LD…
Causes of high uric acid
From a medical point of view, when we have a high level of uric acid in the blood, we are faced with hyperuricemia, which basically consists of an excess of uric acid in the blood. In this sense, its causes are very varied, and we must differentiate between primary and secondary causes.
Causes of primary hyperuricemia
Primary hyperuricemia occurs when the elevation of uric acid in the blood is directly due to the presence of high levels of purines.
Thus, its causes range from the increase in the production of this uric acid due to the degradation of purines itself, to the inability of the kidneys to eliminate the uric acid present in the blood.
Causes of secondary hyperuricemia
Secondary hyperuricemia, however, is one that occurs as a consequence of some other disease or disorder. Its causes, therefore, are much broader, such as:
- Kidney disease: occurs when the kidney is not able to remove uric acid from the blood, causing its increase.
- Chemotherapy treatment: as a consequence of rapid cell destruction, especially after medical chemotherapy treatment. It occurs when tumor lists syndrome appears. Also certain chemotherapeutic agents can cause cell death.
- Certain cancers: In some malignant tumors, cell death may occur.
- Consumption of medications: some medications can cause the elevation of uric acid, especially when they are regularly consumed.
What symptoms does elevated uric acid produce?
Although gout is a well-known condition and directly related to elevated uric acid, the truth is that only about 20% of people with elevated uric acid levels actually develop gout. What’s more, did you know that there are people who have gout and yet their blood uric acid levels are not elevated?
Therefore, high uric acid may not produce symptoms, or it may cause certain signs. For example, if it rises due to kidney problems, problems can occur when urinating.
While if uric acid is deposited in the joints, there may be an inflammation of the joint that causes pain.
What are the consequences of having high uric acid
An excess of uric acid can cause the appearance of arthritis or gout; the latter is one of the best known and most popularly related conditions with high levels of uric acid, and which consists of a type of arthritis that causes joint inflammation when it accumulates in the blood. It is one of the main consequences.
In addition, calculations or stones in the kidneys can arise due to the accumulation of uric acid crystals and -as we said- the annoying and uncomfortable gout, which causes the accumulation of these crystals in the joints, especially in the fingers.
