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Nutritional Ways to Reduce Uric Acid Levels

Uric acid is a waste product of purine, a substance found in many foods. Your body normally eliminates uric acid when you urinate, but in some cases, uric acid may collect in the blood or vital organs. Hyperuricemia, a high level of uric acid in the blood, increases the risk of heart disease, stroke, kidney failure and gout, a type of arthritis that affects the finger and large toe joints. There are ways to reconfigure your diet in order to reduce your uric acid levels.

  1. Organ Meats

    • One easy way to reduce uric acid levels in your blood is to reduce the amount of purines in your diet. Since uric acid is a product of purines, reducing purines will cause a drop of uric acid in your system. A list of foods with high purine concentrations must always start with organ meats such as liver and kidneys. Uric acid, as it is carried by blood, is often found in organs where blood is cleaned or processed. Animal hearts and brains also contain high levels of purines.

    Other Foods to Avoid

    • Other meats you should avoid are turkey, goose, and pheasant. Certain members of the seafood family, such as salmon, herring, mackerel and fish eggs, also have high purine levels. Alcohol, next to organ meats, is another large no-no, as alcohol causes the body to dehydrate, which creates a spike in uric acid levels.

    Low-Purine Diet

    • The cornerstones of a low-purine diet include eggs, low-fat milk and cheeses and nuts (including processed nut products like peanut butter). Fruit juices and white rices are also good bets. Coffee and tea are low in purine, but take care to use them in moderation or dehydration may result with an increase in uric acid levels. Although vegetables are a linchpin in many healthy diets, beware of spinach, asparagus, cauliflower, mushrooms and green peas, as they all contain moderate amounts of purines.

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