Uric acid is a substance formed by the body after the digestion of proteins, which form a substance called purine, which then results in uric acid crystals, which accumulate in the joints causing severe pain.
Normally, uric acid does not cause any health problems, being eliminated by the kidneys, however, when there is a kidney problem, when the person ingests too much protein or when their body produces an excess of uric acid, it accumulates in the joints, tendons and kidneys, giving rise to gouto arthritis, also known as gout, which is the very painful type of arthritis.
- Excess uric acid is curable because its imbalances can be controlled by a balanced diet.
- Increasing water consumption and following a low-calorie and protein diet.
- In addition.
- Physical inactivity should also be combated.
- With regular practice of moderate physical exercise.
- In some cases.
- When there are very severe symptoms.
- Your doctor may guide the use of specific remedies.
Uric acid testing may be done by examining blood or urine, and reference values are:
The uric acid test is usually prescribed by your doctor to assist in diagnosis, especially when the patient has joint pain or when there are suspicions of more serious diseases, such as kidney damage or leukemia.
Most commonly, the patient’s values are higher than baseline, but there is also a low uric acid content that is linked to congenital diseases, such as Wilson’s disease, for example.
The main symptoms of elevated uric acid, which mainly affects men, are:
Kidney stones, which cause severe back pain and difficulty urinating, such as are also common. Learn more about elevated uric acid symptoms.
Excessive consumption of protein-rich foods, such as red meats, seafood and fish, increases the risk of high uric acid content, as well as excessive consumption of alcoholic beverages, both by increasing urate production and reducing disposal, as well as by eating foods high in uric acid. saturated fats that increase the risk of insulin resistance and obesity, which decreases the elimination of urate by the kidneys.
Treatment of high uric acid should be guided by the family doctor or rheumatologist, but usually includes the use of drugs to decrease uric acid such as allopurinol, probenecide or sulfinpirazone, and the use of anti-inflammatory drugs, such as indomethacin or ibuprofen. , to relieve joint pain. Lifestyle changes, particularly in diet, exercise and water consumption, are also extremely important.
During treatment, a diet with uric acid is also very important, avoiding the consumption of foods rich in purines, such as red meats, fish and seafood, in addition to privileging natural foods over industrialized ones. Watch the video and find out what you can eat to control the uric acid in your blood:
Ideally, the best type of food for people with excess uric acid is one that includes only the use of organic foods, which contain a small amount of processed products.
However, organic foods should also be avoided for those who are richer in purines, such as:
In addition, more refined carbohydrates such as bread, cakes or biscuits should also be avoided. See a more complete list of what to avoid to relieve symptoms.