What is uric acid?
Uric acid is a compound and it consist of nitrogen,carbon,oxygen and hydrogen. It is responsible for the formation of urates and acid urates.
What is the main benefit of Uric Acid to the human body?
In my little research, I found out that uric acid is not bad after all if taken in moderation just like everything else. The problem starts when it is present in the human body more than the desired quantity. The normal amount of uric acid in the human body is between 3.6 mg/dL (~214 µmol/L) and 8.3 mg/dL (~494 µmol/L) (1 mg/dL=59.48 µmol/L)[20], and 2.3-6.6 mg/dL for woman (137-393 µmol/L).
More than that, like everything else could produce undesirable results to the body. For example, gout, a form of connective tissue disease that resembles rheumatoid arthritis but the typical affectation are the knees. This can be very painful because just imagine crystals lodged in between the joints of your knees because the uric acid will form into crystals or stones.
What are the common ailments associated with high uric acid?
1. Gout - in my Pathophysiology class way back in college, the first and foremost example that our professor cited is Gout. Gout commonly affects the knee joints and they can be very painful. patient typically experience a sharp or gnawing pain especially during walking as the crystals are squeezed in between the knee joints.
2. Cardiovascular disease. AS I've said, uric acid is an anti-oxidant but if found high in the serum, it could lead to heart disease if this happen for a long periods of time. The role of uric acid in the development of heart disease is not yet clear though.
3. Kidney disease. Uric acid will form into crystals and if by chance they found their way in the kidneys, this could mean trouble for you. This can be in the form of kidney stones. just imagine how painful it can be.
So, what are the food rich in uric acid?
Ok, the basic rule my professor gave us of the foods rich in uric acid way back back then and I know still applies today are the innards of the dairy animals that we consume everyday like cow, pig, sheep, goat etc. In addition, liver is also high in uric acid so people if you love this kinds of food and I know a lot of people are should think twice before consuming too much of these, alright?
BTW, here's the list of Top 20 foods rich in uric acid & the equivalents to give you an idea:
Foods High in Uric Acid
| Food | Purine Equivalents(Uric Acid mg/100g) |
|---|---|
| Theobromine | 2300 |
| Yeast, Brewer’s | 1810 | Neck sweet bread, Calf’s | 1260 |
| Sprat, smoked | 804 |
| Sheep’s spleen | 773 | Yeast, Baker’s | 680 |
| Ox liver | 554 |
| Pig’s heart | 530 | Pig’s spleen | 516 |
| Pig’s liver | 515 |
| Mushroom, flat, edible Boletus, dried | 488 | Fish, sardines in oil | 480 | Liver, Calf’s | 460 |
| Ox spleen | 444 | Pig’s lungs (lights) | 434 |
| Ox lungs (lights) | 399 |
| Fish, sardine, pilchard | 345 | Spleen, Calf’s | 343 |
| Pig’s kidney | 334 |
| Fish, Tuna in oil | 290 |
So there you go. I hope that this post has enlightened you my dear reader in some ways so that every time you dunk food into your mouth, you are well aware what are the foods rich in uric acid. Thank you and have a nice day!
