Fruits For Uric Acid. Uric acid is a substance found in the body that is made by the breakdown of nucleic acids. Studies have shown that high levels of uric acid in the body can lead to certain diseases such as gout and kidney stones. However, uric acid also has several positive properties. For example, it helps to provide energy to cells, aids in cell division and can act as an antioxidant. There are many foods that are rich in uric acid where fruits are one of them. Fruits like pears, apples, oranges, and strawberries as well as many others are considered as the best fruits for uric acid. You’ll find fresh fruits or dried fruits rich in all kinds of nutrients yet low in calories, nutritious and refreshing.
Best (and Worst) Foods for Gout
Eat: Low-Fat Yogurt
1
Top a nice plain low-fat yogurt with some berries for a gout-friendly breakfast or snack. Certain proteins in milk help tell your body to get rid of uric acid, the culprit behind your condition.
Avoid: Certain Seafood
2
Not all coastal fare is bad for gout, but it’s best to only dabble in dishes of mussels, scallops, squid, shrimp, oysters, crab, and lobsters. Overindulging could raise uric acid levels and make gout symptoms worse.
Eat: Citrus Fruits
3
Grapefruit, oranges, pineapples, and strawberries are all great sources of vitamin C, which lowers your uric acid levels and helps prevent gout attacks. But if you take colchicine for your gout, skip the grapefruit. It can interact with your meds.
Avoid: Organ Meats
4
Meats like liver and tongue are chock-full of purines, compounds that your body tends to turn into uric acid. Leave these out of your diet.
Eat: Avocado
5
Shore up those healthy fats while getting your antioxidants, too. Avocados are high in vitamin E, an anti-inflammatory that can help curb gout flares.
Avoid: Red Meat
6
Red meat isn’t as high in purines as organ meats are, but they have enough that it’s wise to eat beef, venison, and bison only on occasion to keep your uric acid levels lower. Your safest picks are white meats like pork and chicken.
Eat: Cherries
7
The pigments that give cherries their deep purple-red color are called anthocyanins. They give you an antioxidant boost and help reduce inflammation in the body.
Avoid: White Bread
8
The quicker a food raises your blood sugar, the worse it is for uric acid levels. Refined carbs like white bread, cookies, and cake can send your blood sugar soaring and aren’t great for gout.
Top 10 foods to control uric acid
High level of uric acid in the body can cause various health issues like arthritis. When our body is not able to expel waste, it raises uric acid in the body, which form solid crystals in the joints, called gout.
Like in any other health issue, maintaining one’s health is of utmost important. It is extremely necessary to eat a balanced diet which includes all the essential nutrients such as carbohydrates, proteins, good and healthy fatty acids, vitamins and minerals. People suffering from high uric acid level in blood, find it difficult to pick the right and healthy foods that they can include in their diet. Hence, we have mentioned a few healthy food choices that can help you in regulating uric acid in the body.
Green Tea
Green tea is rich with high catechin content which is a potent antioxidant. Catechin, as believed by many, is used to slow down the production of particular type of enzymes in the body. They are related to the uric acid formation and thus, is extremely helpful in reducing the uric acid levels.
Fibre
Including fibre in your diet can be of great help. Opting for a fibre rich diet can be helpful to reduce the uric acid level in the body. Oats, whole grains, vegetables like broccoli, pumpkin and celery should be included in the diet to lower the uric acid level. These types of foods are filled with dietary fibres that are extremely beneficial in the absorption of the uric acid and in eliminating it from the body.
Vitamin C
Include vitamin C enriched fruits in your diet to get the best results. Studies have shown that with a consumption of 500 mg of Vitamin C every day can reduce the uric acid level in a short period. Orange or sweet lime juices are rich in vitamin C content and thus, can be extremely helpful in providing you with the required amount of vitamin C.
Cherries
For those suffering from high levels of uric acid in their body, choosing the right types of fruits can help in maintaining level of uric acid. It is always suggested not to include any citrus fruits in the diet when suffering from increased levels of uric acid in the body. All the types of berries like strawberry, blueberry, raspberry etc., have anti-inflammatory properties. Also, they are high in fibre content that helps in promoting the reduction of uric acid in the blood.
Water or fluids
Water is one natural cleanser and a fluid that flushes out the toxins from the body. So, definitely drink at least 10- 12 glasses of water daily. Fluids, too, are beneficial as they help in the removal of the uric acid from the body through excretion. Therefore, drinking more fluids and water will help in reducing the uric acid levels. But, remember to choose the right type of juices and fluids.
Berries
Berries, in general, have anti – inflammatory properties made out of the substance called anthocyanins. This particular substance is beneficial and helpful in reducing high uric acid levels. It also prevents the uric acid from crystallizing and getting deposited in the joints that may later lead to joint pains.
Fruits and tomatoes
Fruits, just like the vegetables, are extremely helpful in providing relief from increasing levels of uric acid. Tomatoes, which are also counted as a fruit rather than a vegetable, are good for your body and their high vitamin C content can help in reducing the uric acid levels.
Cucumber and carrots
Carrots and cucumber are great for health if you have high uric acid content in the body. Carrots are extremely rich in antioxidants that are good in controlling the production of the enzymes. These enzymes promote the synthesis of uric acid in the blood. Due to their high fibre content, they are also helpful in expelling the uric acid content from the body. A cucumber is also a great option for those people with high uric acid in the blood.
Vegetables
Vegetables help in reducing high uric acid level and also keep uric acid under control. However, if you are diagnosed with high level of uric acid, vegetables such as spinach, asparagus, peas and cauliflower should be avoided a they may contribute to increase the uric acid levels. Tomatoes, broccoli, and cucumbers are some of the veggies that you need to start including in your meals.
Dark Chocolate
Theobromine is an alkaloid that is similar in structure to caffeine which mainly found in the cocoa bean. It is also at the highest content level in dark chocolates. Theobromine alkaloid is very helpful to reduce high uric acid levels as it can help relax the bronchial muscles of lungs. The studies have also shown that it is more effective than codeine, another type of alkaloid, in relieving
Best Diet for Gout: What to Eat, What to Avoid
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Gout is a type of arthritis, an inflammatory condition of the joints. It affects an estimated 8.3 million people in the US alone
People with gout experience sudden and severe attacks of pain, swelling and inflammation of the joints
Fortunately, gout can be controlled with medications, a gout-friendly diet and lifestyle changes.
This article reviews the best diet for gout and what foods to avoid, backed by research.
What Is Gout?
Gout is a type of arthritis that involves sudden pain, swelling and inflammation of the joints.
Nearly half of gout cases affect the big toes, while other cases affect the fingers, wrists, knees and heels
Gout symptoms or “attacks” occur when there is too much uric acid in the blood. Uric acid is a waste product made by the body when it digests certain foods.
When uric acid levels are high, crystals of it can accumulate in your joints. This process triggers swelling, inflammation and intense pain
Gout attacks typically occur at night and last 3–10 days
Most people who have the condition experience these symptoms because their bodies can’t remove the excess uric acid efficiently. This lets uric acid accumulate, crystallize and settle in the joints.
Others with gout make too much uric acid due to genetics or their diet
Summary: Gout is a type of arthritis that involves sudden
pain, swelling and inflammation of the joints. It happens when there is too
much uric acid in the blood, causing it to deposit in the joints as crystals.
How Does Food Affect Gout?
If you have gout, certain foods may trigger an attack by raising your uric acid levels.
Trigger foods are commonly high in purines, a substance found naturally in foods. When you digest purines, your body makes uric acid as a waste product
This is not a concern for healthy people, as they efficiently remove excess uric acid from the body.
However, people with gout can’t efficiently remove excess uric acid. Thus, a high-purine diet may let uric acid accumulate and cause a gout attack
Fortunately, research shows that restricting high-purine foods and taking the appropriate medication can prevent gout attacks
Foods that commonly trigger gout attacks include organ meats, red meats, seafood, alcohol and beer. They contain a moderate-to-high amount of purines
However, there is one exception to this rule. Research shows that high-purine vegetables do not trigger gout attacks
And interestingly, fructose and sugar-sweetened beverages can increase the risk of gout and gout attacks, even though they’re not purine-rich
Instead, they may raise uric acid levels by accelerating several cellular processes
For instance, a study including over 125,000 participants found that people who consumed the most fructose had a 62% higher risk of developing gout
On the other hand, research shows that low-fat dairy products, soy products and vitamin C supplements may help prevent gout attacks by reducing blood uric acid levels
Full-fat and high-fat dairy products don’t seem to affect uric acid levels
Summary: Foods can either raise or lower your uric acid
levels, depending on their purine content. However, fructose can raise your
uric acid levels even though it is not purine-rich.
What Foods Should You Avoid?
If you’re susceptible to sudden gout attacks, avoid the main culprits — high-purine foods.
These are foods that contain more than 200 mg of purines per 3.5 ounces (100 grams)
You should also avoid high-fructose foods, as well as moderately-high-purine foods, which contain 150–200 mg of purines per 3.5 ounces. These may trigger a gout attack.
Here are a few major high-purine foods, moderately-high-purine foods and high-fructose foods to avoid
- All organ
meats: These include liver, kidneys, sweetbreads and
brain - Game
meats: Examples include pheasant, veal and venison - Fish: Herring, trout, mackerel, tuna, sardines, anchovies, haddock and
more - Other
seafood: Scallops, crab, shrimp and roe - Sugary
beverages: Especially fruit juices and sugary sodas - Added
sugars: Honey, agave nectar and high-fructose corn syrup - Yeasts: Nutritional yeast, brewer’s yeast and other yeast supplements
Additionally, refined carbs like white bread, cakes and cookies should be avoided. Although they are not high in purines or fructose, they are low in nutrients and may raise your uric acid levels
Summary: If you have gout, you should avoid foods like organ
meats, game meats, fish and seafood, sugary beverages, refined carbs, added
sugars and yeast.
What Foods Should You Eat?
Although a gout-friendly diet eliminates many foods, there are still plenty of low-purine foods you can enjoy.
Foods are considered low-purine when they have less than 100 mg of purines per 3.5 ounces (100 grams).
Here are some low-purine foods that are generally safe for people with gout
- Fruits: All fruits are generally fine for gout. Cherries may even help
prevent attacks by lowering uric acid levels and reducing inflammation - Vegetables: All vegetables are fine, including potatoes, peas, mushrooms,
eggplants and dark green leafy vegetables. - Legumes: All legumes are fine, including lentils, beans, soybeans and tofu.
- Nuts: All nuts and seeds.
- Whole
grains: These include oats, brown rice and barley. - Dairy
products: All dairy is safe, but low-fat dairy appears to
be especially beneficial - Eggs
- Beverages: Coffee, tea and green tea.
- Herbs and
spices: All herbs and spices. - Plant-based
oils: Including canola, coconut, olive and flax oils.
Foods You Can Eat in Moderation
Aside from organ meats, game meats and certain fish, most meats can be consumed in moderation. You should limit yourself to 4–6 ounces (115–170 grams) of these a few times per week
They contain a moderate amount of purines, which is considered to be 100–200 mg per 100 grams. Thus, eating too much of them may trigger a gout attack.
- Meats: These include chicken, beef, pork and lamb.
- Other fish: Fresh or
canned salmon generally contains lower levels of purines than most other
fish.
10 Foods That Will Help Keep Your Uric Acid Levels Under Control
Increase in uric acid levels in the body can lead to gout. Know about these foods which will help in controlling uric acid levels.
High levels of uric acid in urine can also signal kidney stones
- High uric acid levels in the body can lead to gout
- Obesity can lead to increase in levels of uric acid in the body
- High uric acid levels can cause kidney stones as well
Uric acid is a chemical produced by the body when it breaks down purines. The compounds that enter bloodstream through a natural breakdown of cells are known as purines. Purines are also created when the body digests certain foods like peas, mushroom, sardine etc. To diagnose levels of uric acid in the body, a uric acid test is done. Any abnormalities in uric acid levels will require a uric acid test to be determined. It helps in determining how much uric acid is been produced and removed from the body.
Any increase in uric acid levels in the body can lead to a condition known as gout. It is one the common forms of arthritis and is characterised by pain or tenderness in joints, especially in toes and ankles. Other symptoms of gout include swollen joints, reddened or discoloured skin around a joint or a joint that is too hot to be touched.
High levels of uric acid in urine can also signal kidney stones. Symptoms of kidney stones include sever pain in lower back, frequent urination, nausea, vomiting, fever and chills. Common causes of high levels of uric acid in the blood include eating too much of foods containing purines, liver diseases, obesity, kidney diseases or bone marrow disorders
These Five Herbs Serve As A Natural Way In Healing Your Gut
So what are the foods that can help in controlling your uric acid levels? Read below to know all about them:
1. Green tea
Catechin in green tea is a protein antioxidant which helps in slowing down the production of enzymes related to uric acid formation. It helps in controlling uric acid levels in the body and lowers risks of developing gout. What’s more is that green tea is considered to be good for health as well.
Green tea helps in controlling uric acid
2. Apple cider vinegar
Controlling levels of uric acid in the body is one the many functions of apple cider vinegar. You can add 3 spoons of it in water and have it around 3 times in a day for effective results.
Apple cider vinegar helps in controlling uric acid levels
3. Foods rich in Vitamin C
Foods rich in Vitamin C can be helpful in controlling levels of uric acid in the body. Citrus fruits like oranges, lime, Brussel sprouts, guava and bell peppers are all rich sources of Vitamin C.
Broccoli is rich in Vitamin C
4. Foods rich in fibre
Including foods which are a good source of fibre can be helpful in controlling your uric acid levels in the body. Fibrous foods help in absorbing uric acid in the blood stream and also help in eliminating excess uric acid from the body. These foods include leafy green vegies, oats, whole grains, broccoli, pumpkin, pears, celery, cucumbers, blueberries, apples, oranges etc. Dietary fibre in these foods helps in easing the absorption and elimination of uric acid from the body.
Leafy green veggies are rich in fibre
5. Cherries
Anthocyanins in cherries are anti-inflammatory substance that helps in controlling levels of uric acid in the body. Cherries also prevent formation of crystals and accumulation of uric acid in the joints.
Cherries can help in controlling uric acid levels
6. Fresh vegetable juices
A juice prepared by adding juice of carrot, cucumber and beetroot can be used as an effective home remedy for controlling uric acid levels in the body.
Fresh vegetable juice can be used for controlling uric acid levels
7. Low fat dairy products
Consumption of low fat dairy products can go a long way in preventing increase of uric acid levels in the blood. Low fat products include skimmed milk and almond milk to name a few.
Low fat dairy products help in controlling uric acid levels
8. Olive oil
Olive oil has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties that are helpful in controlling levels of uric acid in the blood.
9. Foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids
Foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids such as salmon, flax seeds, and walnuts can help in reducing inflammation and swelling in the joints caused by high levels of uric acid in the body. 
Salmon is rich in omega-3 fatty acid
10. Water
Regulating uric acid levels in the body is one the many reasons why many experts suggest drinking lots of water throughout the day. Water helps in eliminating harmful toxins from the body including excessive uric acid.
Drinking water helps in eliminating harmful toxins from the body