There are various foods and drinks that produces a compound called purine. Uric acid is a chemical formed when the purine compound breaks.

High level of uric acid in a body makes a person sick as the acid dissolves in the blood and travels to the kidney. It then passes out in urine. Uric acid being a waste product of the body when remains high for a long period, can lead to various health problems.

Uric acid symptoms and cure

High level of uric acid built up in the tissues and joints and blood causes pain in the joints, stiffness and various health problems. The uric acid forms crystals in the joints and tissues and this may result in inflammation in the joints.

High level of uric acid commonly leads to gout, a kind of arthritis. Symptoms of uric acid in legs, especially in toe joints, ankles and knees include pain, swelling and discoloration.

Uric acid treatment at home

Foods being the source of uric acid is also a cure for high level of uric acid in blood. Purine rich diet is a root cause of raised uric acid level. Some of the foods that are high in purines are fish and seafoods, peas, spinach, organ meats, yeast, alcohol, cauliflower, etc.

Some of the natural ways to manage high uric acid in blood are –

• Limit purine rich foods
• Maintain a healthy body weight
• Do not take drugs that increases uric acid
• Eat foods low in purine
• Limit alcohol intake and avoid sugary drinks
• Vitamin C supplement reduces uric acid in blood

Weight management

As discussed above, high level of uric acid causes gout (a condition affecting the joints in the legs). So, obesity is a major concern when it comes to treatment of uric acid. Losing weight decrease the pressure on the weight bearing joints and decreases the level of uric acid. Hence, we shall discuss here the ways to lose weight and simultaneously decrease the level of uric acid in blood.

Eating and avoiding certain foods may not cure the problem but it definitely aids in managing the symptoms linked with high uric acid.

• Limit or restrict yourself from eating fatty foods such as fried foods, bakery items, pastries, full fat dairy products, etc.
• Stay away from non-veg foods as it is high in protein and you must limit your protein intake. It is also recommended to completely avoid eating organ meats as they are very high in purine.
• Do not skip meals.
• Eat proteins that are low in fat. Dairy products that are low in fat benefits in weight management and also reduces uric acid level.
• Include dals and pulses in your diet but moderately.
• Do not eat yeast extracts.
• Drink enough water. It flushes uric acid and prevents its deposition.

Those suffering from high uric acid have problem to pick the right food to eat. So, we have listed here some of the low purine foods that can help you reduce the high uric acid level.

Preferable foods in high uric acid

• Fruits and vegetables
• Nuts
• Dairy products such as skimmed milk, curd, paneer, eggs
• Breads
• Cereals
• Green vegetables and tomatoes
• Chocolate and cocoa
• Cherries
• Berries
• Green tea
• Fibre rich diet
• Carrots and cucumber

Conclusion

There was a time when the choice of food revolved around amount of calorie intake. It is important to select combination of foods that are rich in nutrients. According to the above article, protein rich diet indicates high purine. But restricting protein may cause protein deficiency. Hence, it is critical to balance your diet so that you can manage uric acid symptoms and also avoid protein deficiency.