Many misunderstandings about uric acid: not only for the elderly, fasting is not enough, and does not mean having gout

Increased uric acid means gout, just abstaining from meat, seafood, and fasting will help control this index. These are incorrect understandings.

Only older people have increased uric acid

According to Times of India, increased uric acid can appear in young people, especially those who are overweight, obese, sedentary or have a diet high in red meat, offal, sugary drinks, and alcohol. In addition to lifestyle, genetic factors, kidney disease, hypertension, diabetes or certain medications can also increase uric acid. Therefore, young people should not be subjective if they have risk factors or abnormal test results.

High uric acid means gout

Gout occurs when urate crystals form and deposit in the joints, causing an inflammatory response. Meanwhile, hyperuricemia only reflects higher than normal levels of uric acid in the blood. A person can have a high index but have never had a gout attack. When suspecting gout, doctors not only rely on uric acid tests but also consider symptoms and medical history.

Just avoid seafood and red meat as uric acid is normal

Red meat and some types of seafood are high in purines, but these are not the only foods that affect uric acid. Organ meats, concentrated bone broths, beer, wine and drinks high in fructose can also increase uric acid production or reduce its ability to be eliminated by the kidneys. Eating scientifically but still having high uric acid may be due to the body producing a lot of urate, poor kidney excretion, genetics, being overweight, illness or certain medications.

Each person should build a balanced diet, limiting foods that increase uric acid instead of eliminating many food groups.

Lower uric acid by fasting

Some people think that eating less reduces uric acid. In fact, prolonged fasting or losing weight too quickly can cause the body to increase tissue breakdown, thereby increasing uric acid production.

When the body falls into a starvation state, the process of creating ketones can hinder the excretion of uric acid through the kidneys. Scientific weight loss should be done slowly, combined with healthy eating and regular exercise.

Without joint pain, there is no need to treat high uric acid

Many people discover that uric acid has increased but because they do not have joint pain, they ignore monitoring. However, prolonged high uric acid can increase the risk of urate crystal formation in joints, kidney stones or affect kidney function in some cases.

Not all cases of increased uric acid require medication, patients should have their risk assessed by a doctor, periodically monitored and appropriate lifestyle adjustments. Being subjective can cause the condition to progress silently for many years, according to WebMD.

Drinking lots of water will bring uric acid back to normal

Drinking enough water helps the kidneys eliminate uric acid well, reducing the risk of kidney stone formation. However, this is only part of the process of controlling uric acid. If the cause is that the body produces too much uric acid or the elimination function is impaired, drinking more water alone will not be enough to bring the index back to the target level. Patients still need to combine diet, control weight, treat underlying diseases and take medication when indicated.