The reality about uric acid and diet. Why is it important to control it?
I have high uric acid …. More and more people receive the news of elevated uric acid levels when having their annual check-up with their doctor. But what does this mean?
Contrary to other common diseases such as high blood sugar (diabetes), high cholesterol, high triglycerides, etc., little is known and talked about what exactly it means to have high uric acid, is it a risk or not? increased something I’m eating ?, etc.
And it is that until recently it was considered simply associated with cardiovascular disease , and it was recommended to lower the levels only when the condition known as “gout” was developed.
For more information read the article : What is gout?
However, recent studies have shown that it is an independent risk of heart disease, and it should be given the same importance as other risk factors for cardiovascular disease.
The main problem associated with its high levels is that it causes a decrease in nitric oxide.
This compound is essential for two things:
- It acts on the endothelium, the tissue of the blood vessels. Nitric oxide is what allows them to contract and relax, so that lowering it favors arterial hypertension , as well as the formation of cholesterol plaque on the blood vessels.
- Nitric oxide is also necessary to facilitate the absorption of glucose through insulin, therefore, a decrease leads to insulin resistance , the main cause of metabolic syndrome .
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So, if you want to protect your heart, lower your uric acid levels, it should also be No. 1 on your list. In fact, it is just as important as lowering your cholesterol and triglyceride levels .
What increases uric acid in your blood?
Uric acid is a product of the metabolism of purines (components of certain proteins) and is produced naturally in the body.
As there are more purines in the body, blood uric acid levels increase. This is known as hyperuricemia .
Normal blood uric acid levels are 7 mg / dl for men and 6 mg / dl for women. The longer hyperuricemia persists, the greater the chance of developing gout.
Why does it start to increase abnormally? The accumulation occurs due to alterations in uric acid metabolism, which can be inherited.
There are two risk factors that are non-modifiable:
- Old age:
It has been shown that the risk of developing gout increases with advancing age, since the clinical manifestations of gout increase with a longer duration of hyperuricemia.
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Therefore, people who have had high uric acid levels for several years will have a greater chance of presenting signs and symptoms of gout.
- Sex
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Despite the fact that the prevalence of gout has increased in both sexes, in patients under 65 years of age, it has been observed that men have 4 times the risk of developing the disease than women. However, with advancing age, the risk is observed to be similar. This is because estrogens give some protection by increasing uric acid excretion, but after menopause this protection is lost.
Modifiable factors
There are factors that you can change that will help lower your uric acid levels or prevent them from rising. Topping the list are factors related to your diet and lifestyle.
About the diet to prevent and control gout, there are many myths, and putting them into practice can be more harmful than positive.
The first thing most people associate with gout is vegetables, putting tomato as the main culprit. So usually this is their first measure, they eliminate vegetables, but they continue to eat cookies, drink beer, etc …
What DOES URIC ACID INCREASE?
Recent research has shown that the same dietary changes that are recommended to prevent other chronic diseases (such as diabetes, high blood pressure, hypercholesterolemia, etc.), are the same ones that will help lower your uric acid levels and therefore prevent development of gout.
In fact, because hyperuricemia can lead to these other conditions, you will get double the benefits, since it not only prevents gout, but also diabetes, hypercholesterolemia, etc.
The following are the main culprits for increasing your uric acid:
1. Overweight
Weight gain is directly associated with increased uric acid levels. Obesity favors an increase in production and also decreases excretion. On the contrary, losing weight favors a decrease in uric acid
2. Beer and other spirits
Before you stop eating the salad, the first thing to do is put down the beer cans. The consumption of beer and other liquors is what has the greatest effect on uric acid levels.
With only the equivalent of a 350 ml beer or 30 ml of other spirits, the risk of increased uric acid can be almost doubled.
So definitely if you’ve featured high uric acid, saying goodbye to beer and other spirits should be top of your list.
However, you don’t need to completely abstain from alcohol. Wine has no effect on uric acid levels, so swapping beer for a glass of wine may be a good strategy.
Of course, in moderation, which equates to one glass of wine a day for women and two glasses for men (1 glass = 150 ml).
3. Red meat, fish and shellfish.
Reducing the consumption of these is one of the main actions to take to prevent hyperuricemia and gout.
Red meat is also the main source of saturated fat in the diet, which is associated with insulin resistance and heart disease, so it is definitely better to avoid it, especially pork-derived sausages (ham, mortadella, salami, bacon, etc.).
The amount of total protein in the diet has no effect on uric acid levels, but the source of protein does. Red meat and fish are the only ones that will increase uric acid.
Fish is the best source in the diet of omega-3, the heart-protective fatty acids, but unfortunately if you have high uric acid it can be counterproductive.
What is recommended is that instead of consuming fish, you supplement with fish oils and increase your plant sources of omega – 3.
For protection, a supplement that provides 1 gram of omega – 3 per day is recommended. Most supplements on the market provide 300 mg of omega-3 and 1 total gram of oil per capsule, so you should consume 3 capsules per day.
The best vegetable sources of omega-3s are flaxseed and walnuts.
Walnuts have shown benefits in helping to control blood sugar levels, that if they should be consumed in moderation, since they are high in calories, about two tablespoons a day is what is recommended.
Linseed. The consumption of two tablespoons a day of ground flax seed is also recommended, since this is how the body best uses it.
4. Fructose
The next culprit in increasing uric acid is fructose. Fructose is the main sugar in fruits, but it is not precisely the fruits that contribute to the increase in uric acid levels.
The main problem is the foods that have fructose added, which in fact have been identified as the main culprits in the cause of metabolic syndrome and associated problems.
What are these foods? Basically most packaged products, like:
- Cookies
- Cereal bars
- Fruit juices,
In addition, many other sugary juices have fructose as an ingredient. In fact, many low calorie products use fructose as one of their main ingredients.
The best thing you can do as a consumer is to be vigilant and check the label. That it is a “natural” sugar does not imply healthy.
Check the ingredient list well, not only does fructose imply its presence, but also corn syrup or syrup.
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Protective factors
Recent evidence has also found that there are dietary factors that may rather help lower uric acid levels.
These foods are dairy and sources of vitamin C, which coincidentally protect against hypertension, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease.
The recommendation to consume 3 servings of low-fat dairy a day is especially important for anyone with gout or hyperuricemia. One serving is one cup of skim milk or low-fat, unsweetened yogurt.
Several studies have suggested that supplementing with vitamin C can help lower uric acid levels. 500 mg per day for 2 months have been shown to be effective in reducing uric acid levels by 0.5 mg / dL.
Because vitamin C is generally safe, it can be used preventively.
