Every other person you meet these days is suffering from high uric acid levels, reasons can be many like high consumption of alcohol, obesity, diabetes, dehydration and inefficiency of kidney to remove the waste product (uric acid) from the body.

We get a lot of questions related to Uric Acid and have listed answers to the same below.

What is Uric Acid?

Uric Acid is a product formed when a substance called Purine is broken down. Purines are produced in the body and also available in foods and beverages like all types of alcoholic beverages, seafood, beans and organ meat.

What are the normal Uric Acid levels?

For females, the normal uric acid levels are: 2.4-6.0 mg/dL and for males it is 3.4-7.0 mg/dL. Although, levels may vary with laboratory. 

How are gout and uric acid related?

Gout is a disease which occurs due to hyperuricemia (very high uric acid levels). It is one of the most common forms of arthritis (inflammation of joints). which occurs due to prolong accumulation of uric acid. Generally seen in middle or old aged men or post-menopausal woman.

What to do if my Uric Acid levels are high?

The condition of high uric acid level is called as hyperuricemia. There are certain changes that you can make to reduce the levels, like:       

  • Drinking plenty of water (because it helps in flushing out the uric acid faster)     
  • Try reaching the ideal body fat percentage i.e lose weight (fat cells contribute in production of uric acid and extra weight makes it difficult for kidney to filter out the uric acid)       
  • Manage the type-2 diabetes (because high insulin levels can lead to high uric acid levels)       
  • Breathing exercises or yoga (this will help in reducing stress and improving sleep which otherwise were contributors of high uric acid)

Which foods should I limi

Yeast, alcoholic beverages, organ meat like liver, spinach,asparagus, peas(chickpea/cowpea), mushrooms, bean (soybean or kidney beans ) and pulses.

Should dals be completely avoided? 

Not all dals should be avoided; you can add pulses like moong to your diet (in moderation) which are low in nitrogen. 

Can any other disease cause high uric acid levels?

Conditions like Diabetes Mellitus, cancer or chemotherapy, hypothyroidism and kidney disorders can lead up to high uric acid levels.