Many patients are psychologically confused when even after completely cutting beef, seafood and organs from the menu, the uric acid test results still exceed the safe threshold. According to medical experts, the real culprit often hides in seemingly harmless daily habits. So what is the cause of high uric acid?
High uric acid is not only due to red meat
Uric acid is a natural metabolite of purines. When the concentration of this substance increases, it cannot be completely excreted through the kidneys, gradually precipitating into needle-shaped urate crystals that pierce the joint cartilage, causing chilling acute gout attacks in the middle of the night.
However, a diet that is too strict sometimes does not solve the root of the problem. Below are 5 most common mistakes that are silently destroying your efforts to lower uric acid.
1. Falling into the "sweet trap" of fructose sugar
Many people abstain from alcohol and switch to drinking fruit juice, bottled soft drinks, and this is a big mistake. According to the US National Institutes of Health (NIH), fructose sugar (abundant in corn syrup, carbonated soft drinks, industrial juices) when decomposed in the body will consume a large amount of ATP (cellular energy), leading to the massive production of endogenous purines. This causes uric acid to spike in just a short time.
| Mistakes | Solution |
|---|---|
| Drink canned fruit juice | Eat whole fresh fruits (especially cherries, oranges, tangerines). |
| Fast fasting for weight loss | Scientific weight loss, slowly combined with gentle exercise. |
| Lazy to drink water | Drink scattered 2 - 2. 5 liters of filtered water per day. |
2. Overweight, excessive fasting
Overweight people often eagerly fast to lose weight, hoping to reduce pressure on joints. In fact, when the body is starved, it will self-decompose muscle tissues to create energy (the ketosis process). This massive cell decomposition process releases a huge amount of purines into the blood, while reducing the kidney's ability to secrete uric acid.
3. Absolutely trust "non-alcoholic beer
Reducing alcohol is right, but replacing it with "non-alcoholic beer" is a mistake. Even without alcohol, this drink is still brewed from beer yeast, which is one of the ingredients with the highest purine content in the world. Drinking non-alcoholic beer can still trigger gout as usual.
4. Lazy to drink water when it's cold
About two-thirds of the uric acid in the body is excreted through the kidneys. When the body is dehydrated, urine levels may decrease and blood uric acid levels may increase, thereby increasing the risk of gout attacks in people with hyperuricemia or gout. Some studies also note that dehydration is a factor that can trigger gout attacks. Urat crystals precipitate in the toes and knee joints.
5. Use diuretics without medical consultation
Many middle-aged patients with high blood pressure are often prescribed diuretics. This group of drugs pushes excess salt and water out through the urine to lower blood pressure, but its side effects are to reduce the ability to filter uric acid in the kidneys. If you are taking this medication and have gout, you should immediately talk to your doctor to adjust the regimen.
Quick quiz on uric acid and gout risk
Why don't you eat red meat but your uric acid index is still high?
Uric acid does not only come from animal protein. The body synthesizes purines (endogenetic purines), consuming a lot of fructose sugar (soft drinks), fasting to lose weight, or the kidney's filtering function is impaired all cause uric acid levels to spike suddenly.
Is it safe for people with gout to drink non-alcoholic beer?
Not safe. Non-alcoholic beer still contains a very large amount of brewer's yeast. This is a rich source of purines, directly increasing uric acid in the blood.
