High Uric Acid Foods
High uric acid foods should be avoided whenever possible if you suffer from the effects of high uric acid. I know you can’t totally avoid these high uric acid foods. Most of the food we eat contains purines. Purines are the culprit. The end result of your body digesting purines, is uric acid.
Choosing foods that have less purines and eating less foods with high purines is what we have to do.
When most of us visit our local grocery store we cruise up and down the aisle tossing our favorite foods into the cart. Occasionally looking at the nutritional chart on the back of the container. We know which foods are good for us and which ones aren’t the best. Everyone knows that bag of fresh apples is better for you than that box of cookies. The case of bottled water is better for you than that case of pop.
High Uric Acid Foods are healthy
Some of the foods we consider the healthiest for people are high uric acid foods.
For people with uric acid problems these foods can result in a lot of pain. Most people know cholesterol and sodium can cause health problems. There are labels on different foods that say low sodium and low cholesterol.
If you have high uric acid levels you need to learn about high uric acid foods because you are on your own in the grocery store. There aren’t any labels to help you. So you need to do some research and figure what foods you should be avoiding.
Foods high in fat should be avoided.
These foods aren’t necessarily high in purines. The fat gets in the way of your kidneys making it harder for them to clean out your blood. This can cause elevated uric acid levels in your body. Some examples are:
- Fried foods
- Ice Cream
- Whole Milk
- Cream
All meat has purines in it. This doesn’t mean you have to avoid all meats.
Some meats have a higher concentration of purines than others. These are the meats you should avoid or eat only on a special occasion. Some examples are:
- Red Meat
- Beef
- Pork (especially bacon)
- Lamb
- Sweetbreads
- Organ Meat
- Liver
- Kidneys
- Lung
- Brain
- Spleen
Wild game like: duck, goose, and rabbit also have high purines.
If you just cannot go without meat like me, stick to white meat. Try to limit how much you consume. Remember, white meat still contains purines.
Seafood is also a culprit. A lot of people think seafood is a great alternative to red meat. It can, but you have to be careful which ones you pick. Some types of seafood have a high level of purines. Some examples are:
- Ocean Pearch
- Scallops
- Sardines
- Herring
- Shrimp
- Mackerel
- Lobster
- Mussels
There are some vegetables that have moderate levels of purines. These aren’t as bad to eat as the red meats and seafood, but you should still limit your intake. Some examples:
- Cauliflower
- Brussel Sprouts
- Asparagus
- Mushrooms
- Chives
- Green Peas
- Pea Pods
- Spinach
Caffeine and alcohol should definitely be avoided. Drink decaffeinated coffee.