What to do when uric acid is high?
Increased uric acid often results from an excess of acid-forming foods, making it harder for the body to eliminate and store acids. This can eventually lead to symptoms such as gout. By eating a varied diet and choosing more alkaline (deacidifying) foods, you can improve acid balance. Excessive alcohol consumption, certain foods and impaired kidney function can exacerbate the problem. With persistent high uric acid or gout symptoms, it is important to consult a doctor.
Today I got a gentleman on the phone asking what it means that his uric acid is elevated and what he can do about it to improve it.
Because I have had to tell this story to people many times and because my husband is struggling with the same problems, I am writing this blog about it.
Acidification of the body, muscles and joints is usually caused by a daily excess of acid-forming foods. Acid-forming foods, after burning them, leave behind acidic wastes such as uric acid, lactic acid and acetic acid. Because the body cannot eliminate all of this acid waste, the excess acids are stored in the body.
Eat a variety of foods
Because the body gets nutrients from the entire spectrum of foods, it is important to eat a variety of foods. If you eat too one-sided for a long period of time, the body will eventually start to build up a deficiency of certain nutrients.
Foods that are good against acidosis:
| Vegetables / Grasses | Turnips | Nuts & Seeds | Dairy, fats and eggs |
| Potato | Radish white/black | Almonds | Unpasteurized butter |
| Potato, sweet | Red beet | Chia seed | Unpasteurized whole milk |
| Alfalfa | Red Cabbage | Fenugreek Seed | Fresh whey |
| Endive, fresh | Arugula | Hazelnut | Sauces, spices and seasonings |
| Artichokes | Savoy cabbage | Hemp Seed | Apple cider vinegar |
| Eggplant | Celery | Flaxseed | Basil |
| Chives | Shallots | Caraway seeds | Cayenne pepper |
| Cauliflower | Lettuce | Cumin Seed | Lemon balm |
| Kale | Green beans | Quinoa seed | Lemongrass |
| Broccoli | Spinach | Sesame seeds | Curcuma |
| Zucchini | Spirulina | Spelt seeds | Ginger, fresh |
| French string beans | Sprouts | Fennel seed | Mint |
| Barley grass | Wheatgrass | Unprocessed grains & legumes | Oregano |
| Grass root | Bean sprouts | Buckwheat | Thyme |
| Green cabbage | Onion | Soybeans, fresh | |
| Horsetail | Corn salad | Soy lecithin, pure | |
| Iceberg lettuce | Fennel | Soy flour | |
| Kamutgrass | Watercress | Soybean sprouts | |
| Kelp | Chicory | Tofu | |
| Germs | White cabbage | Oils and Fats | |
| Garlic | Carrots | Avocado oil | |
| Kohlrabi | Seaweed | Coconut oil | |
| Kohlrabi | Fruit | Flaxseed oil | |
| Cucumber | Lemon | Olive oil, extra- virgin | |
| Head lettuce | Cherry, sour | Udo's oil | |
| Horseradish | Coconut, fresh | Drinks | |
| Paprika | Lime | Tap water | |
| Pumpkin | Tomato | Herbal tea, Alka® Tea | |
| Leeks | Watermelon | Water with Alka® Drops |
Foods that can be acidifying:
| Nuts and seeds | Wine, rosé | Wheat Bread | Artificial sweeteners |
| Cashew nuts | Dairy, fats and eggs | Whole wheat bread with yeast | Lactose |
| Pecans | Chocolate milk | White bread | Sugar |
| Pistachios | Hard cheese | Cereals and rice | Miscellaneous |
| Macadamia | Halvarine | Millet | Processed foods |
| Peanuts (= legume) | Cheese (processed cheese) | Corn | Ready-made food |
| Pumpkin seeds | Puddings/desserts | Rice, white | Food prepared in microwave oven |
| Walnuts | Spreading cheese | Wheat | Packaged or canned foods |
| Sunflower seeds | Yogurt, sweetened | Wheat semolina | Pizza |
| Oils and fats | Yogurt drink | Wheat, white (pasta) | Cookies |
| Halvarine | Meat, poultry & fish | Sauces, spices & seasonings | Cigarettes |
| Hardened fats | Herring | Pickles | Drugs |
| Trans fats | Carp | Vinegar | Candy |
| Margarine | Beef | Curry | Chocolate |
| Corn Oil | Veal | Ketchup | Chips |
| Liquid butters | Lobster | Mayonnaise | |
| Sunflower oil | Liver | Molasses | |
| Drinks | Mackerel | Mustard | |
| Beer (lager and all specialty beers) | Organ meats | Wine vinegar | |
| Coke (including light and zero) | Pangafilet | Silver onions | |
| Energy drinks | Crayfish | Salt | |
| Soft drinks (carbonated) | Tilapia | Sweeteners | |
| Coffee | Pork | Beet sugar | |
| Liqueur | Meats | Brown rice syrup | |
| Spirits (distilled) | Salmon | Fructose | |
| Tea, black | Bread | Dried sugar cane | |
| Fruit juice, sweetened | Dark brown with yeast | Barley malt syrup | |
| Wine, white | Rye Bread | Honey |
Increased uric acid in the blood can result in gout if you don't improve your acid balance. Once you develop gout, it is important to see your doctor.
Overeating and drinking alcohol can trigger a gout attack, which is why it was early called a king disease, but this is not necessarily the cause. The cause can be found in your kidneys retaining urate (salts of uric acid) and your metabolism not going quite right.
Chronic gout
Chronic gout occurs in 3 groups of people:
People who developed gout at a young age and continue to have excessively high blood uric acid levels, usually due to:
- kidneys retaining too much urate
- foods containing high urate/purine
- medications such as urine pills
- excessive alcohol consumption
Often these people have high blood pressure and/or are overweight. In this group, gout usually starts with acute attacks. Later it becomes chronic and the gout goes into several joints. If you have gout attacks, always see your doctor.
The biomarker 'uric acid' is part of the 'Medical Check-up General Blood Test':
