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Which Vegetables Are Not Good for Uric Acid?

If your blood shows elevated levels of uric acid, you may be at risk for painful ailments including gout and kidney stones. Uric acid comes from purine, a colorless crystal compound vital in physical processes such as making DNA and RNA. Purine is found throughout nature, and in many foods. Research has linked consumption of purine-rich meats and seafood with elevated uric acid levels. Some vegetables also are high in purine.

  1. Significance

    • Purine in tissues breaks down into uric acid and travels in the blood to the kidneys, which excrete it in urine. But if the body produces extra uric acid, or the kidneys can't get rid of enough, uric acid builds up in the bloodstream. Uric acid is toxic to tissue, and sometimes causes painful maladies.

    Gout

    • Uric acid can build up in connective tissue or joints, causing great pain. It frequently makes its presence known in the foot or big toe. Gout is a type of arthritis. Widely thought of as a rich man's disease because of its association with luxury foods, gout affects three times as many men as women. Changing your diet can greatly reduce the discomfort caused by gout.

    Kidney Stones

    • A kidney stone is made of crystals that clump together in the urinary tract. Most commonly they are calcium crystals, but uric acid can form similar masses. Although surgery is rarely needed, kidney stones cause a great deal of pain as they move along the urethra. Usually, treatment consists of drinking lots of water to move the stone along and taking pain medication prescribed by your doctor.

    Veggies/Legumes

    • If your doctor tells you to follow a diet that emphasizes low-purine foods, reduce your consumption of mushrooms, cauliflower, asparagus, spinach, lentils, peas and dried beans. All are higher in purine than other vegetables and legumes. Oatmeal is another nonmeat source of purine.

    Considerations

    • Vegetables can deliver purine, but research shows the purine in flesh-based foods has more effect on uric acid levels. Beef, pork, lamb and organ meats are rich in purine, as are anchovies, sardines and caviar. It is more effective to reduce your consumption of these foods than of vegetables.

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