Uric acid is a compound that our body generates by filtering purines, a chemical present in some of the foods we consume. Normally, our body is able to filter and eliminate 80% of this substance through the urine, but when the diet contains a high rate of foods with purines, these end up accumulating in the blood and raising the level of uric acid in the body. Excess uric acid can lead to very painful diseases such as hyperuricemia, popularly known as “gout”.
Therefore, from certain ages and if you are prone to accumulate uric acid in your body, it is important to have an adequate diet in which the intake of foods with high levels of purines is reduced. If you want to learn how to take care of yourself, the following article of will be most useful, because we show you the forbidden foods for uric acid that you should avoid at all costs and the foods that, on the contrary, will help you keep uric acid at bay.
Prohibited foods for uric acid – full list
Just as there are foods recommended to combat and eliminate uric acid, there are also foods that, due to their high purine content, are prohibited for uric acid. If you suffer from this ailment, you should limit or completely eliminate all foods that contain a high purine index.
Now that you know the foods that you can add to your diet to take care of your health without giving up good ingredients, we talk about the forbidden foods for uric acid that you should keep away. Notes:
- Red meat and all its variants: red meat contains very high levels of fat and purines, so its consumption is totally discouraged when you suffer from uric acid. This recommendation also includes all its variants, as broths, sausages, dehydrated pills and sauces made from meat can also seriously harm your health.
- The casqueria: meats such as liver, kidney or gizzards are very rich in purines, which is why it is totally discouraged to consume them if you have uric acid in your blood.
- Seafood and oily fish: both seafood (prawns, mussels, oysters, lobsters, etc.) and oily fish (sardines, anchovies, mullets, mackerel, etc.) have very high rates of purines. These foods can easily provoke a gout attack, so avoiding their consumption will be a wise decision.
- Alcoholic beverages: alcohol is discouraged for those who suffer from uric acid. Within this category it is worth mentioning beer, since brewer's yeast contains a very high index of purines.
- Foods with large amounts of sugar: Foods and beverages with high sugar levels are prohibited or very limited in diets for uric acid. Avoid foods with a lot of sugar such as cereals, pastries, sweets, etc. Juices also have a high level of sugar very counterproductive if you have high levels of uric acid, which is why we recommend you to always make 100% natural juices.
- Broadleaf vegetables: Broadleaf vegetables such as spinach orchard also have high purine indices. For this reason, and despite being very diuretic foods, it is advisable to limit their consumption.
- Whole dairy: Whole dairy is another type of food discouraged for those who suffer from uric acid. However, this has an easy solution, because you will only have to replace them with semi-skimmed or skimmed products.
This other article on Which Foods Increase Uric Acid will help you fill in the information about the foods you should avoid.
How to lower uric acid quickly – other tips
As we have seen, if you want to lower uric acid quickly, it is very important that you follow an alkaline diet, that is, a diet based on foods that contain alkaline (a chemical component that helps eliminate purines from the body). But, in addition, we recommend that you pay attention to these tips:
- Balanced diet: as we have said, maintaining a balanced diet low in foods with purines is essential. On the other hand, if you are overweight, dieting to lose those extra pounds that are harmful to your health will significantly improve your lifestyle.
- Do some sport: complementing some exercise with the diet will help you lower uric acid quickly, since sport stimulates blood circulation, helps eliminate fluids and, consequently, eliminates extra purines in your body.
- Good hydration is essential: if you want to lower uric acid quickly, you should drink 1.5 to 2 liters of water a day, as this way you will be able to stimulate the kidney function of your body. Water will not only help you eliminate purines through the urine, but it will also be responsible for purifying your body of other harmful substances. If you want to alternate water with some infusions, we recommend consuming 2 diuretic infusions a day based on horsetail, rosemary or green nettle, as they are the most recommended to lower uric acid.
- Consume diuretic foods: If you are wondering how to lower uric acid quickly, you should know that it is essential to consume diuretic foods allowed in your diet. Citrus fruits such as oranges, grapefruits, lemons, etc. will help you eliminate purines easily and quickly. But be careful, because do not confuse the consumption of fruit with the consumption of juices. Packaged juices, due to their high sugar content, are totally prohibited in diets to reduce uric acid.
If you want to lower uric acid quickly it is important that you are constant, because skipping the diet, even if it is very punctual, can be enough for a gout attack to occur. In addition, so that you can carry out these instructions easily, here are some good foods for uric acid that you should include in your diet.
Good foods for uric acid
Now that you know what foods to avoid to lower uric acid quickly, here are some foods that will significantly improve your state of health:
- Fruits high in vitamin C: lemon and other citrus fruits such as pineapple and kiwi are fruits with high levels of vitamin C that, in addition, have diuretic qualities and totally natural sugars. Consuming these alkaline fruits will help your system drain fluids from your body and therefore eliminate purines with ease.
- Red fruits: other fruits that are also diuretic and have a high content of vitamin C and alkaline are cherries, strawberries, grapes, pomegranates and, in general, all red fruits.
- Nuts: nuts are very nutritious foods, because although it is true that they are hypercaloric foods, they also have a great alkalizing power. Ingesting them raw and without abusing them; a handful of five nuts in your breakfast will be enough to take advantage of its qualities. Consuming raw almonds or almond milk is also a healthy and very tasty way to get rid of uric acid.
- Vegetables: eating vegetables is essential in any balanced diet worth its salt. However, in the case of diets to lower uric acid you must be careful, as there are vegetables discouraged due to their high purine content. The vegetables that are recommended are, for example, celery, tomato, green beans, onion, radish, beets and brussels sprouts. Its fiber and diuretic capacity will help you keep uric acid at bay in your body. If you want more information about Good vegetables to lower uric acid, take a look at this article.
- Seeds: The seeds have a high level of protein, phosphorus and magnesium, which makes them alkalizing foods and, therefore, perfect foods to lower uric acid quickly. Including flax, alfalfa or soy seeds in your salads will help you meet your goals.
- Eggs: the yolk of the egg is highly alkalizing, so consumed in its right measure is an ideal ally to eliminate purines from the blood.
