The uric acid diet aims to reduce the intake of purines, a type of protein that, when consumed in excess, increases uric acid levels and is present mainly in red meat, fish, such as tuna and sardines, and fruit. sea, such as shrimp and mussels.
During the diet, it is also important to reduce the consumption of sweets and soft drinks, as they are rich in fructose, a type of carbohydrate that promotes the production of uric acid, in addition to causing weight gain, which is one of the causes of high uric acid. Understand better what high uric acid is, its causes and symptoms.
On the other hand, it is important to prioritize the consumption of vegetables and fruits, because fiber and vitamins, especially vitamin C, help regulate uric acid in the blood, and it is also recommended to drink plenty of water, as this drink helps eliminate uric acid. excess uric acid in the urine. See some home remedies to lower uric acid.
Food table for uric acid
Foods that should be avoided are mainly refined carbohydrates, such as white bread, sugar and flour, red meat, offal and seafood.
On the other hand, it is important to prioritize the intake of fruits, vegetables, healthy fats and whole grains, as shown in the following table:
* It is important to read the nutritional information on industrialized products, as those containing high fructose corn syrup can increase uric acid.
Read too: How to read food labels
Foods that should be consumed in moderation, such as chicken, red meat and eggs, can be temporarily excluded from the diet when uric acid in the blood is very high or during a gout attack, an inflammatory disease that affects the joints. . Understand better what gout is.
Most common questions
Some common questions about the diet for high uric acid are:
1. Do legumes increase uric acid?
Legumes such as beans, lentils and chickpeas have a high purine content. However, these foods do not increase uric acid.
This happens because adenine and guanine, which are the main types of purines present in legumes, do not cause an increase in uric acid levels in the body.
In foods of animal origin, the type of purine in greatest quantity is hypoxanthine, a substance that is converted in the body into uric acid, thus being mainly responsible for increasing uric acid levels in the blood.
2. Can people with high uric acid eat eggs?
Eggs can be consumed by those with high uric acid. However, the intake of this food should be moderate, which is equivalent to an average of 2 eggs at lunch or dinner, for example.
However, eggs can be temporarily excluded from the diet, especially when uric acid levels in the blood are very high or during a gout attack.
3. Do citrus fruits acidify the blood, increasing uric acid?
Citrus fruits are believed to acidify the blood, increasing uric acid. However, the acidity of fruits is neutralized by stomach acid, which is stronger than the acid in food. Therefore, the acids in citrus fruits do not interfere with blood acidity and do not increase uric acid.
4. Do tomatoes increase uric acid?
Although it is believed that tomato consumption is associated with an increase in uric acid, there are no studies that confirm this relationship.
Furthermore, tomatoes are a food rich in vitamin C, a nutrient with uricosuric action that helps balance uric acid levels in the body, and, therefore, can be consumed during the high uric acid diet.
5. Are there any prohibited fruits?
There are no prohibited fruits for high uric acid, however it is recommended to moderate the consumption of natural fruit juices and avoid the consumption of pasteurized juices, as they contain a large amount of fructose, which is the sugar present in fruits, and sugars (in this case of pasteurized juice), which can favor the formation of uric acid.
Therefore, it is recommended to consume whole fruits, preferably with the skin and pomace.
Menu to lower uric acid
The following table shows an example of a 3-day menu to help control blood uric acid levels:
This menu is just an example to include in your diet. For the treatment of high uric acid, in addition to monitoring by a rheumatologist, it is also recommended to be monitored by a nutritionist, so that an individualized and balanced diet can be created.
Other tips to reduce uric acid
To help reduce uric acid, there are some tips that can be followed every day, such as:
- Drink 1.5 to 2 liters of water per day;
- Reduce the amount of red meat, chicken and fish in the diet;
- Give preference to diuretic foods such as watermelon, cucumber or celery. See a list of diuretic foods;
- Avoid consuming foods rich in purines, such as liver, kidneys and gizzards;
- Avoid drinking alcoholic beverages;
- Reduce the consumption of industrialized products with a lot of sugar, such as soft drinks, cookies, ice cream or ready-to-eat food;
- Increase your consumption of foods rich in vitamin C, such as oranges, pineapple and acerola. See other foods rich in vitamin C;
- Lose or maintain adequate weight, as obesity and overweight are one of the causes of high uric acid in the blood.
Furthermore, it is also recommended to practice physical exercise regularly, as it helps maintain adequate body weight, thus balancing uric acid levels.
