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What Food Should I Eat to Eliminate Uric Acid?

Uric acid is a natural byproduct that occurs when the body breaks down purines, a protein found in food sources such as meat, fish, beans, wine and beer. Normally, the body is able to flush out uric acid. In some cases, though, the body may make too much or may not be able to get rid of it efficiently. When this happens, uric acid can build up and cause many medical conditions, most commonly gout, a form of arthritis. You can follow a diet to help lower uric acid levels.

  1. Gout Diet

    • The gout diet is designed to help eliminate or significantly reduce the amount of purines in the diet. A diet high in purines can lead to excess uric acid in the body. Eating a low-purine diet can lower uric acid levels and help prevent associated medical problems. To follow the gout diet, it's important to cut back on certain types of meat and seafood, including organ meats, sweetbread, game meats, herring, sardines and mackerel. Good foods to eat include breads and cereals, low-fat dairy products and most fruits and vegetables. Also choose protein sources that are lower in purines, such as poultry, lean red meat and freshwater fish. When following the gout diet, you need to avoid or strictly limit beer and wine intake because both are high in purines.

    Cherries

    • Cherries can help lower your uric acid levels and also prevent inflammation, which can worsen gout symptoms. Either eating cherries or drinking cherry juice is a good way to help lower uric acid levels. Try drinking a glass of cherry juice or eating at least 10 to 15 cherries a day to realize the effects. Other dark berries, such as blueberries, strawberries, raspberries and blackberries, can also be beneficial.

    Vitamin C

    • Eating foods rich in vitamin C or taking a vitamin C supplement can also help lower uric acids levels. Good food sources of vitamin C include oranges, strawberries, papaya, broccoli, cauliflower, bell peppers, spinach and brussel sprouts. If you choose to take a vitamin C supplement be careful not to take too high of a dose. Taking too large of a dose can have the opposite effect and may actually cause high levels of uric acid in the body.

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