With the increasing number of gout patients, now everyone is familiar with gout. In fact, gout is not a product of modern times. It already existed in the ancient European court. At that time, gout seemed to be a privilege of the wealthy, known as the “palace disease.” Because the ancient European nobility lived extravagantly, often consuming excessive amounts of high-fat, high-protein foods, which led to high levels of purines in the body, affecting the elevation of uric acid levels in the blood, thus triggering gout.
Nowadays, people’s material life is prosperous, living standards have improved, and indulging in rich foods is no longer exclusive to the nobility; even ordinary people can afford it every day. Therefore, the number of gout patients has increased, which is inseparable from poor dietary habits.
Most of the food and water we ingest are excreted through urine, with urea being the main component in urine, but it also contains a small amount of uric acid, which is weakly acidic and is the metabolic product of oxidized purines. It can be said that high uric acid levels are mostly caused by diet!
Although high uric acid does not necessarily mean gout, if left unchecked and allowed to develop, it will eventually progress into gout.
Therefore, when we discover that our uric acid levels are high, we need to pay special attention to our diet, eat less foods that can lead to high uric acid levels, especially the following foods, even if we like them, we should eat them less. Otherwise, gout will truly come knocking.
5 Foods that Increase Uric Acid Levels
1. Spicy Stimulating Foods
Spicy stimulating foods, due to their strong flavor, are likely to contain a lot of salt, and both salt and chili peppers can increase uric acid levels. Spicy foods do not just refer to chili peppers; items like strong tea, curry, pepper, etc., fall under this category, which can stimulate the gastrointestinal tract upon consumption, affecting absorption. People with high uric acid levels should try to eat less of these and consume easily digestible foods, drink plenty of water to dilute urine, and promote uric acid excretion.
2. Animal Offal and Other High-Fat, High-Calorie Foods
Many people enjoy eating animal offal, but these foods contain a large amount of purine substances, which high uric acid patients cannot metabolize and will cause a rapid increase in uric acid levels. In addition, other high-fat meat and high-calorie foods are also not suitable for consumption, as excessive consumption will only exacerbate the condition.
3. Fungi Foods
While we may think that meat has high fat content and purine substances, fungi like mushrooms, enoki mushrooms, and shiitake mushrooms, which should not contain purine substances, can be consumed freely. However, this is not the case; although these fungi do not have as high purine content as meat, they still contain relatively high purine substances, so people with high uric acid levels should consume them in moderation and control their intake.
4. Acidic Foods
Acidic foods can burden the liver and kidneys, so people with high uric acid levels should avoid consuming overly acidic foods. Here, acidic foods do not refer to foods that taste sour, but rather foods with an acidic property, such as walnuts, peanuts, pork, beef, lamb, chicken, duck meat, etc., which are all acidic foods that are not conducive to controlling uric acid levels. Uric acid can be neutralized with alkaline fluids, thereby facilitating excretion from the body, whereas acidic fluids will only exacerbate uric acid deposition, worsening the condition.
5. Beverages and Alcohol
Not only should high-alcohol beverages like liquor be avoided, but beer should also be abstained from as it is the nemesis of gout patients, causing pain if consumed. Although red wine does not contain purines, consuming it together with purine-containing meats will worsen the condition, and alcohol hinders uric acid excretion, leading to elevated uric acid levels in the body. In addition, colas, sodas, and similar beverages should be avoided.
These are the 5 foods that individuals with high uric acid levels should eat less of, even if they enjoy them. However, eating is a human nature, and faced with delicacies, it may be difficult for many to restrain themselves. If you truly cannot resist the temptation to eat, then opt for a periodic dietary approach, control the amount, and minimize purine intake as much as possible.
In addition, consume more alkaline fruits and vegetables, eat smaller meals more frequently, drink teas that help reduce uric acid, get adequate rest, to effectively control uric acid levels and prevent them from rising.
In conclusion, it is hoped that everyone will take high uric acid levels seriously, resist the temporary pleasures of the palate, cultivate healthy eating habits, and add points to their own health.
Well, that’s it for today’s sharing. If you have any questions after reading this article, feel free to leave a comment in the comment section.
