Before understanding factors that causes an increased level of Uric acid in the body we need to dive into some basic question i.e.
- What is uric acid ?
- What are its functions in the body?
- What problems an excess formation of uric acid can cause?
What forms Uric Acid in the body?
As we all know, when we urinate our body filters waste from the blood to get rid of toxins. And, uric acid is one of the normal waste product in urine that gets flushed out. Chemically, when purine (a compound) is extracted from food by the body, uric acid is produced as a waste.
Ironically, one thing to note is that even you are healthy the uric acid is formed in the body, albeit, in permissible limits!
Functions of Uric Acid in the body
As said, Uric acid is a waste product formed after the breakdown of a chemical compund named purine.
As a matter of fact, in the process of digestion the liver in our body breaks down the purine found in the food that we eat to cell maintenance.
So, when we talk about the function of uric acid, we must understand that it is purine which is vital for human DNA repair and development.
Not to forget, the development and function of living things are encoded in DNA of our cells.
Problems an excess uric acid can cause
The adverse effects of uric acid in human body due to an increased level can mainly cause kidney stone, gout and diabetes.
When you have excess of uric acid, crystalls of the chemical begins to deposit on the joints. As a result, an intense pain in the joins is experienced. A swelling, redness and discomfort may accompany the joint pain in ankles, feet,hands, knees, and wrists.
Let us discover what increases uric acid in our body.
Causes of Increased uric acid in Body
Again returning to our main question, What Causes Increased level of Uric acid in the body? Let us find out what exactly are the reasons that aggravate or contribute to this disorder.
Excess of Proteins The excessive level of protein intake in the body is identified to be the main culprit behind increasing uric acid. A protein is made up of a combination of amino acids. When protein breaks up during the digestion process, uric acid is formed in the body Which is a kind of antioxidant.
In a general sense, having a controlled amount of protein rich foods in a body is beneficial for health. However, when its volume increases, it travels to other parts of the body with the blood flow and begins to accumulate in the feet, ankles, knees, wrists, and elbows. This uric reacts with blood and form urate crystals causing pain and swelling in the joints.
Fatty Liver Disease: Fatty liver condition is also responsible for elevated uric acid levels in the body. Non- Alcoholic Fatty Acid Liver Disease triggers endoplasmic reticulum stress, oxidative stress and insulin resistance consequently raising serum uric acid level.
Lifestyle Disorder It is a health problem related to disorderly lifestyle. An increased uric acid mostly occurs in young men aged 25 to 40 years. In women, this problem is usually seen after 50 years of age.
Food Causing Increased Uric acid TheUric acid increases due to an intake of high quantities of red meat, seafood, red wine, processed cheese, lentils, rajma, mushroom, cauliflower, tomatoes, spinach.
Crash Dieting This problem increases even with more fasting or when you try to lose your weight in a very short span of time.
Improper Kidney Functioning Usually, kidneys release the extra amount of uric acid of the blood through urine, but the people with an improper kidney function can witness a raised level of uric acid in the body due to the ailment.
Kidney Stones If the lining of the person’s kidney inner walls is damaged, then due to the increase in uric acid level, the stones can be formed in the kidneys. In fact, it is the formation of plaque due to increased uric acid on the inner wall of one or both of the renal arteries in the Kidneys that causes Kidney stones.
Medications Beta blockers class of medicine commonly used to reduce blood pressure are also associated with increased uric acid. Common beta blockers medicines are – acebutolol, atenolol, betaxolol, bisoprolol, metoprolol, nadolol, nebivolol, pindolol, propranolol, and timolol.
A similar function medicine class – calcium channel blockers are considered to possess lower risk in increasing uric acid level.
Controlling excess uric acid formation
Besides medication, you can also opt common home remedies to reduce uric acid-fast.
The following prevention methods will also help you keep uric acid balanced in your body.
- Drink a lot of water as this will flush out an excess of uric acid in the body through urine.
- Apply an ice pack wrapped in a thin cloth to the area of pain to get relief.
- Eat a balanced diet such that carbohydrate, protein, fat, vitamins and minerals should all be in a limited and balanced amount.
- Regular exercise is the easiest way to avoid this problem as exercising removes the accumulation of extra proteins in the body.
- People with this problem should get their uric acid level checked after every six months without quitting their regular medicines.
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