Introduction: The problem of high uric acid, the "fourth highest" problem that has gradually emerged in recent years, is not just a simple metabolic abnormality, its appearance, like a ** devil, quietly erodes our body.
Gout is only the superficial symptoms it brings, but the deeper harm is often ignored by us, high uric acid may not only lead to gout, but also cause damage to many important organs such as blood vessels, kidneys, liver, etc.
Imagine that our body is like a delicate machine, and an abnormally high level of uric acid is like a malfunction in one of the parts of the machine, which can not only cause the machine to not function properly, but also cause damage to other parts.
According to the data of "2021 China's Hyperuric Acid and Gout Trends***", the overall prevalence of hyperuricemia in China is as high as 133%, and the number of patients is nearly 17.7 billion, with an overall incidence of 11%, the number of people affected can reach 14.66 million, which is a staggering number, and gout has become another common metabolic disease after diabetes.
This trend is especially evident among young people, and the number of young patients with hyperuricemia is increasing year by year, which cannot but cause our attention.
We can no longer simply look at the problem of high uric acid, it is a serious metabolic disease that can cause long-term, lasting damage to our body.
Gout and hyperuricemia is a disease closely related to gender, according to survey data, men account for the vast majority of patients with gout and hyperuricemia, as high as 985%, compared to about 1% of female patients.
This data suggests that men are more likely to develop gout and hyperuricemia, and one of the main reasons is that men themselves have relatively high levels of uric acid.
Normally, the upper limit of uric acid levels in men is 425 mmol L, while the upper limit of uric acid levels in women is 345 mmol L, which means that men are more likely to have uric acid levels above the normal range, further triggering hyperuricemia and gout.
In addition, the female body's estrogen also plays a key role, and estrogen is able to promote the excretion of uric acid from the kidneys, so women's uric acid levels are relatively low.
However, when a woman enters menopause, estrogen levels decrease substantially, resulting in a gradual increase in uric acid levels, which increases the risk of developing gout.
Improper diet
Long-term intake of high-purine foods, such as animal offal, seafood, red meat, etc., can lead to an increase in uric acid levels in the body.
Lack of exercise
Long-term lack of exercise will lead to a slowdown in the body's metabolism and affect the excretion of uric acid, and regular moderate exercise, such as walking, jogging, swimming, etc., will help improve the body's metabolic level and promote the excretion of uric acid.
Overwork
Long-term overwork can lead to a decrease in the body's immunity, affecting the metabolism and excretion of uric acid.
Obesity
Obese people often have metabolic disorders that tend to lead to decreased uric acid excretion.
Disease ** element
Certain diseases such as kidney disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, etc., can affect the excretion and synthesis of uric acid, resulting in high uric acid.
Regarding the rumors on the Internet that you can't eat mutton with high uric acid, it is actually a misunderstanding, although mutton contains a certain amount of purines, it doesn't mean that people with high uric acid can't eat mutton.
In fact, for people with high uric acid, it is okay to consume lamb in moderation, but there are some details that need to be paid attention to.
First of all, the purine content of mutton is about 109mg 100g, which belongs to the medium purine food, and for people with high uric acid, a moderate amount of purine intake will not have much impact on their health.
However, if too much purine is consumed, it may lead to an increase in uric acid levels, which can increase the risk of diseases such as gout.
Therefore, people with high uric acid need to pay attention to the appropriate amount when eating mutton, and can choose lean meat parts, because the purine content in lean meat is relatively low. In addition, pairing it with abundant vegetables can reduce the purine intake of whole foods, allowing for better control of uric acid levels.
In addition, people with high uric acid also need to pay attention to the way they cook. It is advisable to choose healthy cooking methods such as steaming, boiling, and stewing, and avoid high-fat cooking methods such as frying or grilling, which can reduce fat intake and thus reduce the formation of uric acid.
In short, it is not that people with high uric acid cannot eat lamb at all, but they need to pay attention to the appropriate amount and cooking method. Maintaining a balanced and varied diet, eating more vegetables and fruits, and eating less high-fat and high-purine foods can help control uric acid levels and maintain good health.
Gouty arthritis
Uric acid is a product of purine metabolism in the human body, and when uric acid is high for a long time, it may lead to the occurrence of gouty arthritis.
Gouty arthritis is a chronic disease, and patients may experience symptoms such as joint pain, redness, swelling, fever, and in severe cases, may even lead to joint deformity and dysfunction.
Cardiovascular disease
High uric acid levels may also increase the risk of cardiovascular disease, and prolonged high levels of uric acid may lead to the deposition of urate crystals in the blood on the walls of blood vessels, which can lead to cardiovascular diseases such as arteriosclerosis, high blood pressure, and coronary heart disease.
Kidney disease
When the uric acid level is too high, it may lead to an increase in the burden on the kidneys, causing kidney diseases such as kidney stones, nephritis, and renal insufficiency.
Metabolic syndrome
High uric acid levels may also be associated with metabolic syndrome, which is a group of clinical syndromes characterized by obesity, hypertension, hyperglycemia, dyslipidemia, etc., and long-term high uric acid levels may increase the risk of metabolic syndrome.
Foods high in sugar
Patients with high uric acid need to pay attention to their diet to avoid further damage to the kidneys, among them, high-sugar foods should be avoided as much as possible, high-sugar foods will lead to an increase in acidity in the body, thereby increasing the burden on the kidneys and adversely affecting the health of the kidneys.
Patients with high uric acid who do not want their kidneys to go "downhill" must strictly control their diet, especially for the intake of high-sugar foods.
These foods include a variety of desserts, sweets, drinks, cakes, etc., which not only contain a lot of sugar, but also tend to be high in calories and fat, all of which can negatively affect the health of the kidneys.
Organ meats
The liver, intestines, kidneys, brains and other parts of chickens, ducks, fish and other animals contain high cholesterol and purines, which have a certain impact on human health, especially for patients with high uric acid, these parts need to be eaten less or avoided.
In duck liver, for example, it has a purine content of up to 3979 mg 100g, foie gras and chicken liver also contain 3769 mg 100g and 3170 mg of 100 g of purine.
These purines will be metabolized into uric acid in the human body, and if too much is consumed, it will lead to an increase in blood uric acid levels, which will increase the burden on the kidneys and even cause diseases such as gout.
Seafood
Patients with high uric acid need to pay attention to their diet to avoid further damage to the kidneys, among which, seafood is one of the foods that patients with high uric acid need to avoid as much as possible.
Seafood contains a large amount of purine substances, which will form uric acid after being metabolized in the human body, resulting in an increase in blood uric acid levels.
Therefore, patients with high uric acid should eat less seafood as much as possible to protect the health of the kidneys, and at the same time, patients with high uric acid also need to pay attention to avoiding alcohol to reduce the burden on the kidneys.
Mushrooms
Patients with high uric acid need to pay attention to their diet to avoid further damage to the kidneys, among which, mushrooms and other mushroom foods are high in purines, so patients should try to eat less of these foods.
Taking shiitake mushrooms as an example, there are 214 per 100 grams of shiitake mushrooms5 mg of purines, while dried shiitake mushrooms have a higher purine content of 405 mg per 100 grams, so patients with high uric acid should try to avoid eating these high-purine mushroom foods.
In addition, for patients who are in the acute exacerbation phase of gout, consuming mushrooms may further aggravate the condition, so it is best to avoid them.
Celery
Celery is rich in potassium, which helps to flush out excess uric acid from the body. In addition, celery also has a diuretic effect, which helps to reduce edema and reduce the burden on the kidneys.
Cucumbers
Cucumber is a low-purine, low-fat, high-fiber food rich in vitamins and minerals that help promote the excretion of uric acid.
Tomatoes
Tomatoes are rich in vitamin C and antioxidants, which help reduce inflammation and reduce uric acid production.
Watermelon
Watermelon is a high-water, low-purine food that helps to dilute the concentration of uric acid in the urine and promote the excretion of uric acid.
Increase your water intake
Drinking plenty of water can promote the excretion of uric acid, and it is recommended to drink about 2000-3000 ml of water per day.
Exercise moderately
Proper exercise can promote metabolism and help the excretion of uric acid, it is recommended to choose aerobic exercise such as walking, jogging, swimming, etc.
Regular check-ups
Regular checking of uric acid levels can keep abreast of the condition and adjust the ** regimen, and it is recommended to check the uric acid level at least once every six months.
There is a common misconception in our lives that elevated uric acid levels will inevitably trigger gout problems, however, this view is not entirely accurate.
In fact, only about 12% of all patients with high uric acid will develop gout, suggesting that high uric acid does not necessarily cause gout, and there is no necessary link between the two.
Uric acid is a natural metabolite in the human body, when the level of uric acid increases, it does increase the risk of gout, however, the occurrence of gout is not only related to the level of uric acid, but also closely related to a variety of other factors, such as genetics, diet, lifestyle habits, physical conditions, etc., so high uric acid and gout cannot be simply equated.