Purine is an organic compound that is naturally found in some of the foods we eat and in the cells of our body. Uric acid is a waste product formed when this purine undergoes the digestive process in the body. Normally, it dissolves in the blood and is filtered by the kidneys and excreted in the urine. However, severe arthritis or gout occurs when the level of uric acid in the blood increases excessively (Hyperuricemia) and it accumulates in the joints as fine crystals like black stones (Monosodium Urate Crystals). Here are the 5 main scientific reasons behind this:
Excessive consumption of purine-rich foods (High-Purine Diet): The most important scientific reason for the increase in uric acid is the diet we eat. Red meats such as beef, mutton, and pork, liver and other internal organs, and seafood such as shrimp, squid, herring, and mackerel are high in purines. When these are consumed regularly, a large amount of uric acid is produced in the body.
Decreased Kidney Excretion: 70 percent of the uric acid produced in the body is excreted by the kidneys. However, in people with kidney diseases or when the kidneys’ glomerular filtration rate (GFR) decreases, the body is unable to properly excrete uric acid in the blood. Due to this, uric acid accumulates in the blood and its level increases.
High Fructose Corn Syrup and Soft Drinks: Artificial sweeteners containing fructose are more dangerous than sugar in increasing uric acid. ‘High fructose corn syrup’ is often added to packet juices, carbonated soft drinks, bakery sweets, and chocolates available in the market. When fructose is digested in the body, it quickly breaks down the energy molecules called ATP and directly increases the production of uric acid.
Excessive alcohol consumption, especially beer: Alcohol consumption simultaneously increases uric acid in the body and prevents it from being excreted. When alcohol is digested in the liver, uric acid production increases. Beer, in particular, has a very high purine content. Along with this, the lactic acid produced in the body when drinking alcohol completely blocks the process of uric acid excretion through the kidneys.
Obesity and use of certain medications: In people who have a gradual increase in body weight and a large belly, the body produces more uric acid and the kidneys often have difficulty excreting it. In addition, diuretics such as thiazide diuretics, which are used for high blood pressure (BP), and low-dose aspirin, which is taken for a long time, increase uric acid levels. People with inherited genetic factors are also at higher risk of this disease.
