How To Get Rid Of Uric Acid In South Africa
Overview
Uric acid is a natural waste product from the digestion of foods that contain purines. Purines are found in high levels in some foods such as:
- certain meats
- sardines
- dried beans
- beer
Purines are also formed and broken down in your body.
Normally, your body filters out uric acid through your kidneys and in urine. If you consume too much purine in your diet, or if your body can’t get rid of this by-product fast enough, uric acid can build up in your blood.
A high uric acid level is known as hyperuricemia. This can lead to a disease called gout that causes painful joints that accumulate urate crystals. It can also make your blood and urine too acidic.
Uric acid can collect in your body for many reasons. Some of these are:
- diet
- genetics
- obesity or being overweight
- stress
Certain health disorders can also lead to high uric acid levels:
- kidney disease
- diabetes mellitus
- hypothyroidism
- some types of cancers or chemotherapy
- psoriasis
How To Get Rid Of Uric Acid In South Africa
Limit purine-rich foods
You can limit the source of uric acid in your diet. Purine-rich foods include some types of meat, seafood, and vegetables. All of these foods give off uric acid when they’re digested.
Avoid or reduce your intake of foods such as:
- organ meats
- pork
- turkey
- fish and shellfish
- scallops
- mutton
- veal
- cauliflower
- green peas
- dried beans
- mushrooms
Avoid Sugary foods
While uric acid is usually linked to protein-rich foods, recent studies show that sugar may also be a potential cause. Added sugars to food include table sugar, corn syrup, and high fructose corn syrup, among others.
The sugar fructose is a main type of simple sugar in processed and refined foods. Researchers have found that this type of sugar in particular could lead to high levels of uric acid.
Check food labels for added sugars. Eating more whole foods and fewer refined packaged foods can also help you cut out sugars while allowing you to intake a more wholesome diet.
Sugary beverages
Sugary drinks, soda, and even fresh fruit juices are concentrated with fructose and glucose-containing sugar.
You’ll also want to keep in mind that high-fructose corn syrup contains a mix of fructose and glucose, usually with 55 percent fructose and 42 percent glucose. This is similar to the ratio of 50 percent fructose and 50 percent glucose in table sugar.
Fructose from refined sugar in juice or other foods is absorbed faster than sugar from foods that have a natural makeup that need to be broken down in your body. The faster absorption of refined sugars spikes your blood sugar levels and also leads to higher amounts of uric acid.
Replace sugary drinks with filtered water and fiber-rich smoothies.
Drink more water
Drinking plenty of fluids helps your kidneys flush out uric acid faster. Keep a water bottle with you at all times. Set an alarm every hour to remind you to take a few sips.
Avoid alcohol
Drinking alcohol can make you more dehydrated. It can also trigger high uric acid levels. This happens because your kidneys must first filter out products that occur in the blood due to alcohol instead of uric acid and other wastes.
Some types of alcoholic drinks such as beer are also high in purines.
Lose weight
Along with your diet, extra pounds can raise uric acid levels. Fat cells make more uric acid than muscle cells. Additionally, carrying extra pounds makes it harder for your kidneys to filter out uric acid. Losing weight too quickly can also affect levels.
If you’re overweight, it’s best to avoid fad diets and crash dieting. Talk to a nutritionist about a healthy diet and weight loss plan that you can follow. Your doctor can recommend a healthy weight goal for your body type.
Balance insulin levels
Have your blood sugar level checked when you visit your doctor. This is important even if you don’t have diabetes mellitus.
Adults with type 2 diabetes may have too much insulin in their bloodstream. This hormone is necessary to move sugar from your blood into your cells where it can power every bodily function. However, too much insulin leads to excess uric acid in the body, as well as weight gain.
Individuals with a condition called prediabetes may also have high insulin levels and a higher risk for type 2 diabetes.
Your doctor may want to check your serum insulin level in addition to your blood glucose level if insulin resistance is suspected.
Add more fiber to your diet
Eating more fiber will help your body get rid of uric acid. Fiber can also help balance your blood sugar and insulin levels. It also tends to increase satiety, helping to lower the risk of overeating.
Add at least 5 to 10 grams of soluble fiber a day with whole foods such as:
- fresh, frozen, or dried fruit
- fresh or frozen vegetables
- oats
- nuts
- barley
Reduce stress
Stress, poor sleeping habits, and too little exercise can increase inflammation. Inflammation may set off a high uric acid level.
Practice mindful techniques such as breathing exercises and yoga to help you cope with your stress levels. Join a class or use an app that reminds you to breathe and stretch several times a day.
Practice good sleep hygiene such as:
- avoiding digital screens for two to three hours before bedtime
- sleeping and waking at consistent times every day
- avoiding caffeine after lunchtime
Talk to your doctor if you have insomnia or difficulty staying asleep.
Check your medications and supplements
Some medications and supplements can also cause uric acid to build up in the blood. These include:
- aspirin
- vitamin B-3 (niacin)
- diuretics
- immune-suppressing drugs
- chemotherapy drugs
If you need to take any of these medications and you have hyperuricemia, your doctor can work with you to figure out a good alternative.
The takeaway
Diet, exercise, and other healthy lifestyle changes can improve gout and other illnesses caused by high uric acid levels. However, they can’t always replace necessary medical treatment.
Take all prescribed medications as directed by your doctor. The right combination of diet, exercise, and medications can help keep symptoms at bay.
It may seem as if there a lot of foods you need to avoid to help lower uric acid levels. The best way to limit these foods is by making a weekly meal plan. Talk to your nutritionist for help in making the best diet plan for you.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Can uric acid be removed naturally?
Below are the home remedies to help you know how to control uric acid levels in your body. Limiting the intake of foods highly rich in purine can reduce uric acid levels in the blood. Reduce alcoholic beverages, increase your water consumption. This can help your body get rid of excess uric acid by diluting your urine.
How can I flush uric acid at home?
That’s because adequate water intake helps the body remove excess uric acid from the blood, flushing it out in the urine ( 34 , 35 ). If you exercise a lot, then it’s even more important to stay hydrated, because you may lose a lot of water through sweat.
What causes high uric acid?
Most of the time, a high uric acid level occurs when your kidneys don’t eliminate uric acid efficiently. Things that may cause this slow-down in the removal of uric acid include rich foods, being overweight, having diabetes, taking certain diuretics (sometimes called water pills) and drinking too much alcohol.
Is banana good for uric acid?
Takeaway. Bananas are low in purines and high in vitamin C, which makes them a good food to eat if you have gout. Changing your diet to include more low-purine foods, like bananas, can lower the amount of uric acid in your blood and reduce your risk of recurrent gout attacks.
What are symptoms of high uric acid?
Hyperuricemia occurs when there’s too much uric acid in your blood. High uric acid levels can lead to several diseases, including a painful type of arthritis called gout.
Hyperuricemia symptoms
- severe pain in your joints.
- joint stiffness.
- difficulty moving affected joints.
- redness and swelling.
- misshapen joints.
Is lemon good for uric acid?
A 2017 study found that lemon juice and lemon extract helped lower uric acid levels in the blood. Adults with high uric acid levels drank freshly squeezed lemon juice (equivalent to a lemon a day) every day for 6 weeks.
Is Egg good for uric acid?
Eggs are a good protein source for people with gout, because eggs are naturally low in purines.
What is the fastest way to get rid of uric acid crystals?
Drink at least 10-12 eight-ounce glasses of non-alcoholic fluids daily, especially if you have had kidney stones. This will help flush the uric acid crystals out of your body.
How long does it take to flush out uric acid?
Reducing the levels of uric acid prevents new crystals from forming. It also slowly dissolves the crystals that are already there. It can take up to 2 years of daily medications to completely clear the body of crystals, and then further attacks of gout and joint damage are unlikely.
Is ginger good for uric acid?
Ginger. Ginger is a versatile herb well-known for its potent medicinal and culinary purposes. The powerful anti-inflammatory effects of ginger reduce inflammation, swelling and lower the blood uric acid levels and confer respite to gout attacks
Does high uric acid mean kidney failure?
This happens because: the body makes too much uric acid, and/or the kidneys can’t add enough uric acid to your urine, so it builds up in your blood (the more common reason). That’s why having gout and high uric acid may be signs of kidney disease, so if you have gout, get checked for kidney disease.
Is chicken high in uric acid?
But the amount of purines in specific cuts ranges from low to very high. You should avoid purine-rich organ meats like chicken liver and only eat moderate amounts of moderate-purine cuts.
Is cucumber good for high uric acid?
Due to their high fibre content, they are also helpful in expelling the uric acid content from the body. A cucumber is also a great option for those people with high uric acid in the blood.
Does rice increase uric acid?
A 2016 study found that reducing the glycemic index lowered uric acid levels in participants. Limiting foods with a high glycemic index such as white bread, pasta, and white rice may help to reduce uric acid levels and possibly prevent gout onset or flares.
Is Potato good for uric acid?
Foods are considered low-purine when they have less than 100 mg of purines per 3.5 ounces (100 grams). prevent attacks by lowering uric acid levels and reducing inflammation ( 23 , 24 ). Vegetables: All vegetables are fine, including potatoes, peas, mushrooms, eggplants and dark green leafy vegetables.