The kidneys produce 1 to 2 liters of urine every day. This is water mixed with waste products. The breakdown of proteins and tissues releases purine, which is converted into uric acid. This is excreted via the kidneys. When uric acid starts to deposit in the joints, we call it gout. This is a rheumatic condition. Kidney stones can also develop. Too high a uric acid level is often the result of a diet that contains a lot of purines. It is easy to reduce too high levels yourself through diet. Sometimes medication is prescribed.
Uric acid is a final product
We all know what urine is. That is the often yellow fluid that we pee out. Urine consists of waste products and water. It is formed by the kidneys. Of all the fluid that the kidneys produce every day, 99 percent goes into the blood. The remaining 1 percent leaves the kidneys and urine is drained to the outside via the ureter, bladder and urethra.
When the nuclear acids DNA and RNA are broken down, waste products are created. Uric acid is an end product of this. It is discharged through the urine together with other waste products.
Causes for an increased uric acid level
Sometimes the uric acid level is increased: there is a lot of it in the urine. This is mainly caused by the breakdown of tissue. The nuclear acids are also broken down, which end up in the urine as the end product uric acid. By the way, it is not only tissue breakdown that causes an increased uric acid level. Anyone who eats a lot of meat can also have an increased uric acid level. After all, when eating meat, tissue is also broken down. People who eat little meat and little protein have reduced uric acid excretion.
Food is the most common cause of high uric acid levels. But sometimes the cause can be found elsewhere, such as cancer, psoriasis, obesity or chemotherapy.
The consequences
Is high uric acid harmful? As long as it goes well, it is not harmful. But uric acid that is present in large quantities can start to deposit in the joints. In this case, gout develops. Kidney stones can also develop, as can acidification of the muscles.
What is gout?
Gout is a rheumatic disease. The cause of gout is the precipitation of uric acid crystals in the joints. We see this happen in people where the uric acid level becomes too high. This circulates in the blood and cannot be excreted by the kidneys. Ultimately, these crystals settle in the joints. The joints become swollen, painful, warm and often red skin is visible. The pain attacks are most severe, especially during the night. Sometimes small lumps develop under the skin, especially on the auricle, fingers and toes. These are accumulated uric acid crystals.
Kidney stones
Too high a level of uric acid can also cause kidney stones. Normally urine does not crystallize so quickly due to the presence of sugars and proteins. But when there is an excess of waste products in the form of uric acid, crystals can form. These attach to each other and grow larger. Z kidney stones are formed. Small crystals or kidney stones can still leave the body through the urethra, but larger ones often block the ureter or renal pelvis. This means that the urine can no longer be drained properly. This mainly causes pain when urinating. Later, pain attacks occur due to engorgement. At first this is noticeable as pain in the lower back, later this spreads further. Sometimes there is blood in the urine.
Reduce uric acid levels
To keep uric acid levels as low as possible, it is important to drink enough. This flushes the kidneys and minimizes waste products and crystals. The food can also be adjusted. In particular, organ meat, game, oily fish, duck, rabbit, beef, pork, seafood, spinach, mushrooms, carrots, broccoli and cauliflower contain a lot of purines. Vegetables contain less purine than meat and fish. Purine is a substance that is released during the breakdown of tissues, but is also found in many foods. Yeast, dates and figs, bananas, apples and pineapple are also foods high in purines. It is better to avoid these products, especially when attacks of gout or kidney stones occur.
Foods that are low in purines include potatoes, jam, bread and cereals, eggs, cheese, milk, certain fruits and certain leafy vegetables. By adjusting the diet, the level of uric acid is reduced naturally.
Treatment with drugs
In addition, high levels of uric acid can also be reduced with medication. Allopurinol will often be prescribed. This medicine lowers the level of uric acid by inhibiting a certain enzyme. This reduces the production of uric acid.
In addition to lowering the uric acid level, the underlying cause must also be examined. Cancer, for example, often causes too high levels of uric acid in the blood. There are many different types of cancer and abnormalities should always be checked by a doctor. Psoriasis also often causes higher levels of uric acid. This is a chronic skin disease characterized by chronic inflammation of the skin.
