How to Lower Uric Acid Levels Naturally?

Uric acid is naturally produced by the breakdown of your body’s cells and from the food we eat. Most of the uric acid is filtered out by our kidneys and passed out from the body through urine. In some cases, our body produces too much uric acid and the kidneys are not able to remove this then the level of uric acid becomes high in our body. It generates many problems in our body. In this article, we will cover following topics on uric acid- causes of high uric acid, high uric acid symptoms and treatments to reduce uric acid levels naturally.

How to Lower Uric Acid Levels Naturally?

Causes of High Uric Acid

There are some factors that may cause high uric acid levels:

• Immune-suppressing drugs 
• Niacin, or vitamin B-3 
• Obesity 
• Psoriasis 
• Diets rich in Purine: game meat, anchovies, liver, sardines, gravy, dried beans and peas, mushrooms, and other foods 
• Diuretic medications (water pills) 
• Drinking too much alcohol 
• Genetics (inherited tendencies) 
• Hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid) 
• Renal insufficiency - inability of the kidneys to filter waste

High Uric Acid Symptoms

The most common symptoms of excess uric acid are tenderness, nighttime attack of swelling, pain in your big toe and redness. You can also get gout attacks in knees, ankle, foot and other joints. The attacks can last a few days or many weeks before the pain goes away. Another attack may not happen for months or years.

How to Lower Uric Acid Levels Naturally?

Here are some natural ways to lower uric acid levels naturally:

1. Drink Plenty of Water

Drinking plenty of water may help to stabilize the uric acid to a normal level. It also dilutes the acid, stimulating the kidneys to eliminate it more effectively.

2. Avoid Fructose

Some studies show that fructose-sweetened drinks like soda and fruit juice are culprits for increasing uric acid production. A man who drinks over six servings of high fructose drinks each week had a greater occurrence of gout.

3. Don’t Drink Wine

According to Arthritis Foundation, beer has long been known to increase the risk of gout, but wine is worse than beer. Drinking more than 1 serving of beer or liquor in 1 day can increase the risk of a gout attack by 36%, and that risk rises with every drink consumed thereafter. Wine, on the other hand, more than doubles the risk even after just one or two servings.

4. Limit Purines Intake

Some studies show that a high diet in purines leads to higher uric acid levels and a greater potential for gout to occur. Purines are chemical compounds found in foods. Our body converts these purines into uric acid.

5. Increase More Dairy Foods

Dairy foods are helpful in the extraction of uric acid from our body. So enjoy milk, cheese, and yogurt to control uric acid levels.

6. Increase Consumption of Vitamin C

Vitamin C increases the ability of our body to excrete uric acid. You can increase your Vitamin C intake through your diet or by supplements. You can incorporate strawberries, tomatoes, bell peppers, oranges and lemons to increase Vitamin C. 

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