Uric Acid Metabolism

The Mayo Clinic describes uric acid as a byproduct of purines, a natural substance in foods. The uric acid then finds its way to the kidneys, which extract it from the bloodstream and dilute it in water to form urine. While this everyday occurrence poses no issues for most people, some experience kidney-rleated health problems from excessive levels of uric acid. In many of these cases, reducing purine intake can help keep uric acid levels down to a manageable level.

Purines

• According to The George Mateijan Foundation, purines, a natural component of practically all foods, contribute to our cells' genetic structure. The Purine Research Society adds that purines also convert food to energy, help nerves and muscles communicate with each other, remove excess nitrogen from cells, and help protect against cancer. Some foods, such as sardines, anchovies and organ meats, contain particularly large amounts of purines.

Purine Metabolism

• The body uses 4 different types of metabolic pathways when dealing with purines. It synthesizes its own purines, converts purine-containing compounds, reuses consumed purines and gets rid of leftover purines. In normal metabolism, the body breaks these leftover purines down into uric acid. For reasons not yet fully understood, some people's bodies have difficulty breaking down purines. Children with this problem often display other medical conditions such as anemia, epilepsy, deafness or autism.

Uric Acid

• Once the body has broken purines down into uric acid, the bloodstream carries the uric acid to the kidneys, a pair of organs responsible for removing liquid wastes from the body. The National Kidney and Urologic Diseases Information Clearinghouse (NKUDIC) describes the kidneys' function as a kind of filtering process. The kidneys separate the waste products from the blood, then combine the filtered uric acid and other wastes with water to form urine. The urine then proceeds to the bladder, which may hold it for up to 8 hours before the body finally eliminates it, according to the National Kidney Foundation.

Problems

• Sometimes the body either produces too much uric acid or excretes too little of it, leaving a high level of it in the body. Drugs, disease or consumption of too many purine-rich foods may cause this condition. Too much uric acid in the blood can lead to kidney trouble. According to the Mayo Clinic, a high concentration of uric acid can cause hard, painful deposits called kidney stones, and in some cases may even cause the kidneys to fail. Uric acid can also cause gout, a painful condition afflicting the joints.

Treatment

• The George Mateijan Foundation states that cooking high-purine foods before eating them can remove some of the purines, making them safer for gout patients or people with kidney problems. Food items with moderate purine levels, such as peas or spinach, pose little threat even in their raw form as long as the diner sticks to limited portion sizes as part of a doctor-administered dietary plan.