What Is Uric Acid?

Uric acid is a natural chemical found in your blood that your body makes when you consume certain foods like meat and shellfish, fruit, sugars, beer, and alcohol, for example. In normal amounts, uric acid is actually very healthy for your body as it works as an antioxidant, helping to protect your cells against free radical damage.

Symptoms Of High Uric Acid

However, many people suffer from high uric acid levels, which can cause different problems in the body, such as gout, a type of arthritis where uric acid crystals form inside the joints, causing some severe pain, especially in your big toe. High uric acid can also lead to high blood pressure because it lowers nitric oxide levels in your blood and weakens the walls of your arteries. Also, you may develop uric acid kidney stones or kidney disease as a result of having too much uric acid.

Now, in most people, 70% of uric acid is filtered out by their kidneys and passed through the urine, and the other 30% of it is filtered out in the gut and passes through the stool. However, some people have difficulty breaking down uric acid, so it starts to recirculate through the blood, triggering problems like gout and the others that I just mentioned.

Now, if you have this particular problem, it’s very important to start cutting back on beer and fructose in particular, as these seem to be the main triggers of high uric acid.

You see, alcohol changes the function of your kidneys and it makes them less able to filter uric acid from the blood, whilst fructose, a sugar used in over 80% of packaged foods, damages the gut and the intestines, also leading to a buildup of uric acid. Fortunately, however, there are also many different foods that you can eat to help your gut and your kidneys to filter out uric acid.

In this article, we will explore the top ten foods that reduce uric acid levels in the blood naturally to prevent gout attacks, kidney problems, and high blood pressure. Just a quick reminder this article is for educational purposes only, so do speak to your doctor if you have any medical concerns.

Celery

The first item on my list is celery. When it comes to lowering uric acid in the body, celery is undoubtedly one of the best foods that you can eat. Celery stalks, seeds, and especially leaves contain high amounts of luteolin, a natural compound that helps to lower uric acid.

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This works by blocking an enzyme called xanthine oxidase, which usually produces uric acid in the body from purines that you eat from foods like meat and seafood. In addition, celery also contains some other phytonutrients, which have been shown to reduce inflammation in the joints to prevent a gout attack.

Apple Cider Vinegar

Number two is apple cider vinegar. Start drinking one tablespoon of raw, unfiltered apple cider vinegar mixed in a glass of water before each meal. This golden liquid contains malic acid, which helps the body to break down and eliminate uric acid whilst also improving your digestion.

Also, apple cider vinegar is excellent to help control your blood sugars and reduce the risk of developing kidney stones. If you’re finding this information helpful so far, please share your thoughts in the comment section below.

Lemon And Limes

Coming back now to number three, which is lemon and limes. Most people who have gout or high uric acid levels have urine that’s a little too acidic. In order to help your kidneys filter out the uric acid, you can start to consume foods that alkalize the urine, such as lemons and limes. I recommend blending one whole organic unwaxed lemon in water using the seeds, the pith, the fruit, and the peel entirely.

Drink this daily to improve your uric acid profile. These citrus fruits are very low in sugar, but they contain citrates and alkaline minerals like potassium citrate, which will raise the PH of your kidneys and help them to break down the uric acid.

Garlic

Number four is very interesting garlic. New research shows that certain microbes in the lactobacillus and pseudomonas families help to break down and eliminate uric acid in your intestines. These are friendly microbes that are an essential part of the microbiome.

People who had high uric acid levels were shown to have significantly fewer of these microbes present in their digestive system. Now, garlic is one of the best foods that you can eat to both repairs and restore your microbiome, as it’s rich in prebiotics that feeds these friendly microbes. Garlic also contains allicin and other compounds that will destroy harmful microbes in order to restore the balance in your gut so that you may excrete more uric acid.

Cassia Cinnamon

Now number five is Cassia Cinnamon. Start consuming cinnamon powder in your stir-fries, and in your drinks, and use it in your cooking to help lower inflammation in your joints and also reduce uric acid. Cinnamon is derived from the bark of the cinnamon tree and provides a flavorful addition to many dishes.

Studies show us that cinnamon contains cinnamaldehyde, which helps to naturally inhibit xanthine oxidase, the enzyme that produces uric acid in your body. Cinnamon is also excellent for reducing high blood pressure and high blood sugar as it helps to normalize the insulin hormone.

Cod Liver Oil

Next up is number six virgin cod liver oil. If you have gout or uric acid crystals in your joints, your doctor may recommend that you cut back on certain types of seafood that are high in purines like sardines, shellfish, and also organ meats. However, virgin cod liver oil is one of the healthiest liquids to use if you have high uric acid, as it helps to lower inflammation throughout the body and reduce gout, flare-ups, and attacks.

The DHA and EPA found in virgin cod liver oil help to heal any damage in your gut or your kidneys that could be contributing to high uric acid levels. It’s recommended to take one teaspoon of Icelandic virgin cod liver oil on a daily basis to not only lower uric acid but also to reduce stiffness in your joints as it supports the synovial fluid.

Tart Cherry Juice (Unsweetened)

Number seven is tart cherry juice. Now, it’s important to note that most fruit juices are extremely high in fructose and this is linked to high uric acid levels. For this reason, it’s very important to stop drinking these juices as they’re extremely unhealthy and they do not contain the fiber needed to help buffer the sugars.

However, tart cherry juice is an exception to the rule, as it contains an extremely low amount of fructose but contains some powerful healing phytonutrients such as chlorogenic acid, quercetin, and kaempferol. All of these natural ingredients have been shown to help the body eliminate uric acid by inhibiting the xanthine oxidase that I talked about earlier.

Mineral Water

Number eight is often overlooked mineral water. It’s also very important to hydrate your body by drinking at least two liters of mineral water each day. If you suffer from high uric acid or gout. Drinking at least this amount helps flush the kidneys to clear out the uric acid and other byproducts made by your metabolism.

However, drinking too much water can deplete your mineral reserves, so it’s recommended to add a scoop of a high-quality electrolyte powder to your water, which contains alkaline minerals like potassium, citrate, magnesium citrate, and calcium lactate. These minerals will all help to alkalize your urine in order to help the kidneys eliminate uric acid.

Sauerkraut

The 9th food on my list is sauerkraut. As previously mentioned, people with high uric acid tend to have an altered microbiome, and they usually have a higher risk of developing inflammatory bowel disease. For this reason, it’s important to start loading up on probiotic and prebiotic-rich foods to boost the friendly microbes that live in your gut.

Sauerkrauts, kimchi, pickles, and other fermented vegetables help to colonize your large intestine with these friendly microbes. These microbes will then produce short-chain fatty acids that reduce inflammation, lower uric acid levels and help to prevent you from getting a painful, swollen big toe.

Tea

And finally, we have number ten, which is both black and green tea. You may not realize, but both are black. And green tea comes from the camellia synesis plant and both contain gallic acid which can help to reduce uric acid in your body. However, it’s important that you do not consume more than two to three cups of tea per day, as it does contain a high amount of caffeine, which can deplete your bone and affect your blood sugars.

I recommend keeping your tea and coffee to one to two cups in the morning. You can also drink herbal teas like nettle tea, hibiscus, and lemon balm to help lower inflammation in your joints, balance your stress hormones, and help to normalize your blood pressure. Here’s a quick summary of the foods and drinks that we’ve talked about today.

For lower uric acid celery, including the stalks, leaves, and seeds, apple cider vinegar in water, whole limes and lemons garlic cassia, cinnamon, virgin cod, liver oil, tart, cherry juice, mineral water, sauerkrauts and fermented veggies, black tea, green tea, and herbal teas. Now that you’ve learned about what foods to eat, let’s take a look at some other lifestyle changes you can make to get your uric acid and gout under control.

• Reduce your intake of fructose sugar and high fructose corn syrup from fruit juice table sources like ketchup, soda drinks, jams syrups, sweets, beer, and junk foods. Both fructose and alcohol are the main triggers for extra uric acid production.

• Hydrate your body by drinking at least two liters of mineral water per day and adding a scoop of electrolyte powder, which contains potassium citrate and magnesium citrate. These minerals help to alkalize your urine and kidneys to break down and flush out uric acid.

• Reduce your intake of fructose from sweet fruits like apples, oranges, grapes, et cetera. Replace these with fruits that contain less sugar, like blueberries, strawberries, blackberries, passion fruit, and lemons if you prefer. You can avoid fruits and eat lots of raw vegetables to get plant-based nutrients.

• If you’re prone to gout attacks and uric acid crystals in the joints, keep some devil’s claw root extract in your home. This is a potent anti-inflammatory herb that can be used to relieve symptoms of a gout attack by helping to stop the immune reaction that takes place in your big toe or your other joints.

• Avoid high-purine foods like shellfish, organ meats, game meats, seafood, asparagus, peas, and spinach. Replace your proteins with chicken, beef, pork, or lamb. Always use grass-fed and organic where possible.

• Eat as many of the foods listed in today’s article as you can on a regular basis to help your intestines and kidneys eliminate excess uric acid. Note that some people are genetically predisposed to gout, so you’ll need to focus on keeping your uric acid down in the future, long term.

Thank you so much for reading my article today, and as always, I wish you great health, wealth, and happiness.