Why does uric acid still rise after quitting drinking and eating less high-purine foods? This ingredient in food has been overlooked!

Hyperuricemia is a metabolic disease caused by purine metabolism disorder.

Image source: Chestnut Pie

Under normal dietary conditions, if the fasting blood uric acid level is >420μmol/L twice tested on different days, hyperuricemia can be diagnosed.

How can people with hyperuricemia make reasonable dietary adjustments?

People with hyperuricemia should make reasonable dietary adjustments based on a diverse and balanced diet. They should ensure the intake of cereals, potatoes, vegetables and fruits, livestock, poultry, fish, eggs, milk, soybeans and nuts every day, with no less than 12 kinds of food per day and no less than 25 kinds per week.

Reasonably adjust the energy ratio of carbohydrates, proteins and fats in the diet. Egg whites, milk and other foods have low purine content and can be eaten with confidence.

It is advisable to choose carbohydrate foods with a low glycemic index, and the daily intake of whole grain foods should not be less than 30% of the staple food, and the dietary fiber intake should reach 25-30g. Limiting the intake of high-purine foods will help control the level of uric acid in the blood.

Image source: Dingxiang Doctor based on the Dietary Guidelines for Chinese Residents

Different food ingredients have different purine contents and absorption rates . People with hyperuricemia should choose food ingredients scientifically, mainly eat a low-purine diet, and strictly control the purine content in their diet. They should try to avoid high-purine foods such as animal offal, seafood, broth, and alcohol; although the purine content of soybeans is slightly higher than that of lean meat and fish, the purine in plant foods has a low utilization rate in the human body . The purine content of soy products such as tofu and dried bean curd is reduced after processing, so they can be eaten in moderation.

You may have overlooked it!

It also quietly increases your uric acid

In order to prevent or assist in the treatment of hyperuricemia, many people often learn how to control their diet, such as quitting drinking, eating less or no purine-rich foods, etc. to prevent and assist in the treatment of hyperuricemia.

But some people are confused as to why they cannot suppress the increase of uric acid even though they do not drink alcohol, eat less or even do not eat high-purine foods?

The reason is that food ingredients such as fructose have been ignored! In recent years, some scholars have found that fructose can cause hyperuricemia in the human body .

Fructose, also known as D-fructose or levulose, is a type of sugar we often encounter in our daily lives.

It often appears in fruit juice and honey together with sucrose, and is also found in large amounts in fruits such as apples and tomatoes.

Did you know that fructose is the sweetest of all natural sugars? If the sweetness of sucrose is rated at 100, the sweetness of fructose can reach 120!

Unlike other sugars such as fructose and glucose, excessive intake of fructose can damage organs such as the kidneys and liver, resulting in the inability to metabolize uric acid normally and reduced uric acid excretion. It can also, to a certain extent, prompt the body to synthesize more purines and increase the catabolism of nucleosides, causing elevated uric acid levels.

Image source: Dingxiang Doctor

What foods are high in fructose?

1. Soft drinks.

Sweet drinks sold on the market , such as juice, cola, Sprite, apple juice, grape juice and sports drinks , often add a lot of fructose and other sugars to maintain a good taste. The fructose in beverages is mainly obtained through industrial production and ingested into the human body in liquid form. It is quickly absorbed into the blood in a short period of time, which can easily cause a rapid increase in blood uric acid.

2. Desserts.

The pace of life in modern society is fast, and people often choose to eat sweets to seek comfort and regulate their emotions. There are a variety of desserts in the windows, such as cakes, sweet bread, donuts, milk tea and other desserts. Fructose or raw materials containing fructose are often added during the production process, so the fructose content is relatively high.

3. Fruit.

Most fruits contain fructose, but the proportions vary greatly. Grapes, pomegranates, longans, melons, oranges, lychees, mangosteens, rambutans, jackfruits, apples, etc. contain more than 14% fructose, which are high-fructose fruits; mangoes, oranges, grapefruits, etc. contain about 9%-13% fructose; bananas, cherries, strawberries, watermelons, peaches, etc. contain about 8%-10% fructose.

Although fruits contain fructose, the nutrients in fruits such as vitamin C, flavonoids, polyphenols, potassium, dietary fiber, etc. can change the effect of fructose on uric acid . Therefore, there is no significant correlation between fruit intake and gout.

It is recommended to consume 200 to 350 grams of fruit per day, and the amount of high-fructose fruits should be reduced as appropriate. You can choose fresh fruits such as cherries, strawberries, peaches, etc. However, fruit products with high added sugar content, such as juice, canned fruit, dried or candied products, etc. should not be consumed.

4. Honey.

Honey has gradually attracted more and more attention due to its various physiological health and medicinal values. However, honey has a high fructose content, which can increase uric acid production, so honey intake should be limited.

The food ingredient lists of many pre-packaged foods such as yogurt, cold drinks, biscuits, bread, etc. often indicate whether fructose is added . When purchasing food, pay attention to the ingredient list on the food label to avoid purchasing foods containing large amounts of fructose.