Uric acid is a waste product normally present in the blood as a result of the breakdown of purines. Excessive amounts of uric acid can cause crystals to form in the joints and cause gout, a painful condition is called gout.
Most of the uric acid is filtered out by the kidneys and passes out of the body in urine. A small amount passes out of the body in stool. But if too much uric acid is being produced or if the kidneys are not able to remove it from the blood normally, the level of uric acid in the blood increases.
Uric acid is produced when 'purines' breakdown in our bodies after carrying out the vital work of converting our food to energy and genes to proteins. Purines are chemical compounds that appear naturally in our body cells and in much of our foods. So any remedy for gout has to take your diet into consideration.
Uric acid symptoms of gout :
Inflammation, swelling, redness, heat and agonising pain - are caused by uric acid crystals in your joints, tendons and surrounding tissues. The most common joints are the big toe, ankle and knee, but, almost any joint can be affected.
Normal Range of uric acid in blood:
Men:
3.4–7.0 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL)
Women:
2.4–6.0 mg/dL
Children:
2.5–5.5 mg/dL
High uric acid values may be caused by:
* Individual differences in the way your body produces or gets rid of uric acid.
* Conditions, such as:
* Kidney disease or kidney damage.
* The increased breakdown of body cells that occurs with some types of cancer (including leukemia, lymphoma, and multiple myeloma) or cancertreatments, hemolytic anemia, sickle cell anemia.
* Eating foods that are very high in purines, such as organ meats (liver, brains), red meats(beef, lamb), game meat (deer, elk), some seafood (sardines, herring, scallops), and beer.
Low uric acid values may be caused by:
* Severe liver disease, Wilson's disease, or some types of cancer.
* The syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone (SIADH), a condition that causes large amounts of fluid to build up in the body.
* Not eating enough protein.
Here are 5 simple ways to reduce your uric acid symptoms of gout, starting with your diet:-
1. You must avoid foods with high levels of purines. These are foods such as,red meats, offal, game, gravy, broth, poultry, shellfish, fish roe, sardines,mackerel, legumes, lentils, yeast extracts, etc. Also alcohol. Avoid alcohol,especially beer!
2. Eating 5 portions of fresh vegetables and fruit every day helps to flush uric acid out of your system. But avoid cauliflower, asparagus and mushrooms because they are relatively high in purines.
3. It is very important to flush excess acid out of your system by drinking at least 2 litres of water every day.
4. Eat plenty of cherries: a cupful at each meal. They have antioxident and anti-inflammatory powers and are known as a very effective natural remedy for gout.
5. Take Alfalfa to reduce acid levels. It also acts as an anti-inflammatory agent. You can take it in seed form, capsules or liquid extracts.
