Natural Ways to Reduce Uric Acid in the Body

Uric acid is a waste product produced by the body. Beyond normal uric acid levels in the body can lead to severe health conditions like gout or kidney stones.

Fortunately, uric acid in the body can easily be lowered through natural means. This article offers a comprehensive guide on how to remove uric acid from the body naturally.

What is Uric Acid? 

Uric acid is the waste product produced by the body when it breaks down chemicals known as purines in certain foods. Uric acid mostly dissolves into the blood. It is processed by the kidneys and is excreted from the body as urine.

Ideally, uric acid levels in the blood should be no more than 6.8 milligrams per decilitre.

What is Hyperuricemia? 

Sometimes, the body produces too much uric acid or fails to excrete enough of it, causing high levels of uric acid in one’s blood. This condition is known as Hyperuricemia.

Excess uric acid forms crystals, which can cause health problems such as gout in the joints or kidney stones.

What Are the Symptoms of Uric Acid in the Body?

When uric acid levels are only slightly higher than the standard, symptoms of uric acid in the body may not always be noticeable. However, untreated Hyperuricemia can cause uric acid build-up over time and cause gout attacks and kidney stones.

Symptoms of a gout attack include discolouration, intense pain, and stiffness in the joints.

Symptoms of kidney stones include urine that has blood, smells bad or looks cloudy, urinating with increased frequency, and pain in the lower back or side.

Untreated, the effects of uric acid on body can include permanent damage to one’s body and may even lead to health conditions such as diabetes and heart disease.

How to Lower Uric Acid Naturally? 

Uric acid is formed by the chemical breakdown of certain foods. Thus, a person’s diet should be their main focus to naturally reduce uric acid levels in the blood.

Here are the best tips to reduce uric acid level in the body:

1. Limit intake of purine-rich foods: Certain foods contain higher levels of purines, which are broken down by the body and turned into uric acid. Reducing the intake of purine-rich food products, such as red meats, seafood, poultry, legumes, etc., can help reduce uric acid formation.
2. Avoid alcohol: Alcohol, especially beer, contains purine, which is turned into uric acid. Alcohol also affects the rate at which uric acid is secreted in the body. Nucleotides are another source of purine in the body. Alcohol increases their metabolism and further contributes to uric acid formation.
3. Limit sugar intake: Fructose is a natural sugar that releases purine when broken down. This purine contributes to higher uric acid in the body. Honey, commercial sugar, corn syrup, and soft drinks contain fructose and should be avoided. Instead, try to eat more whole foods and satisfy sugar cravings with natural fruits and water.
4. Drink plenty of water: The kidneys filter and remove uric acid from the body. Regular and plentiful hydration helps the kidneys function more effectively and filter out the uric acid faster.
5. Consume foods that reduce uric acid levels: Certain foods and drinks help to reduce uric acid levels in the body. These include cherries, coffee, and foods rich in fibre and vitamin C. Coffee competes against the body’s purine-processing enzyme and also increases the rate at which the body excretes uric acid. High-fibre foods such as broccoli, apples, and bananas help reduce uric acid. They also keep the body full for longer and reduce cravings for purine-rich foods.
6. Manage body weight: Excess body weight affects the functioning of the kidneys, slowing their ability to filter out uric acid and increasing uric acid levels in the body. More body weight is also linked to increased uric acid production. A healthy and nutritious diet along with regular exercise is critical to maintaining a healthy body weight.
7. Check medication and supplements: Certain medications and supplements, including those used to treat tuberculosis and high blood pressure, can result in higher uric acid levels in the body. Medications such as aspirin, diuretics, levodopa, and beta-blockers can cause uric acid buildup. A healthcare professional can help provide alternatives to such medications.

High uric acid levels in one’s body can cause various health complications and should not be left untreated. Upon noticing symptoms of high uric acid levels, consult a doctor and book a uric acid test at Dr Lal PathLabs.

FAQs (H2)

1. What are the risk factors of having high levels of uric acid in the body?

Those assigned male at birth, have obesity, regularly consume alcohol, eat high-purine foods, have hypothyroidism, or have a family history of Hyperuricemia are at a greater risk of developing high levels of uric acid.

2. What level of uric acid in the body is considered too high?

Uric acid levels higher than 6 mg/dL in women and greater than 7mg/dL in men are considered too high for the body.