High uric acid levels don’t just cause gout, “it hurts when the wind blows”! Nutritionist Jian Yuhua: High uric acid levels may lead to the risk of 4 major diseases

"Gout" is an acute arthritis caused by abnormal uric acid metabolism in the human body. People often describe it as "it hurts even when the wind blows." This is mainly because gout can cause redness, swelling, fever, and pain in the joints, so it is called "gout" because it hurts even when the wind blows. However, what is easily overlooked is that if there is no pain when the wind blows, does it mean that the uric acid level is not high and it is not a big deal? Nutritionists remind you that high uric acid levels can affect the risk of four major types of diseases and cause harm to your health, so be careful!

According to the Nutrition and Health Study in Taiwan (NAHSIT) report, the prevalence of gout is about 8.21% in men and about 2.33% in women. With lifestyle habits and Westernized diet, the risk of gout is further increased. Therefore, it is very important to understand how to prevent and improve it.

What is uric acid?

Nutritionist Jian Yuhua from the Cancer Care Foundation said that uric acid is one of the normal metabolic products of the human body. It is produced by the metabolism of the body's old waste cells and diet, and is finally excreted through urine. Therefore, the source of uric acid is not actually from what people think. 80% comes from endogenous metabolism and 20% comes from diet.

What physical problems can high uric acid cause?

However, when the body is in a state of high uric acid for a long time and the metabolic function is abnormal, there is a higher chance that these uric acid crystals will accumulate in the body's cartilage, joints, etc., and induce gout. Nutritionist Jian Yuhua reminds us, however, that we should not ignore the condition of high uric acid just because we do not feel pain when the wind blows. Clinically, many people suffer from asymptomatic hyperuricemia.

Don’t ignore the condition of high uric acid just because you don’t feel pain when the wind blows. Clinically, many people suffer from asymptomatic hyperuricemia.

High uric acid levels hide the risk of 4 major diseases

If the root cause of hyperuricemia is not found, the disease risk will not be limited to gout. Past studies have found that it may increase the risk of mortality and cardiovascular death in the entire population. Overall, high uric acid hides the risk of four major diseases.

1. Risk of kidney disease

Uric acid is excreted through the kidneys and will cause a burden on the kidneys over a long period of time.

2. Risk of high blood pressure

The concentration of nitric oxide is affected, and the blood vessels are in a state of contraction and hypertension for a long time, resulting in an increase in blood pressure.

3. Risk of high blood sugar

Reduced insulin sensitivity, thereby increasing the risk of dysglycemia.

4. Cardiovascular disease risk

Uric acid crystals cause an inflammatory reaction in the blood vessels. Long-term inflammation of the blood vessels affects the function of endothelial cells, causing vascular stenosis and blockage.

To stay away from gout, what should you pay attention to in your diet?

It is also very important to grasp the 20% influencing factors. Refined sugar, excessive protein and excessive fat in the diet are all very important factors that cause hyperuricemia. Therefore, if you want to reduce the risk, you must first adjust your personal eating habits.

In addition, nutritionist Jian Yuhua also specifically reminded that if you want to excrete uric acid in the body, you must drink plenty of water to help. Therefore, people with high uric acid are generally recommended to drink at least 3000 ml of water a day. As for dairy products, which are also a liquid source, studies have found that consuming two cups (1 cup is 240 ml) of milk a day can reduce the incidence of heart disease by 50%, as long as it is not consumed in excess.

Maintaining a normal weight and waist circumference can also help prevent and improve gout.

Daily tips for preventing and improving gout

In addition to the above-mentioned diet, the treatment guidelines also mention overall adjustments that can help prevent and improve gout:

Maintain a normal weight and waist circumference.

Increase physical activities appropriately.

No restrictions on whole grains.

 It is not advisable to use large amounts of dried mushrooms and seaweed as vegetables and fruits.

Avoid high-fat foods during the acute gout period.

Avoid alcohol and fructose-containing beverages, especially beer.