Whenever we eat food, the aim is for our bodies to absorb nutrients and energy to enable our bodies to function as we carry on with our daily routines. However, not all the food we consume is good; some may potentially cause health problems if taken in excess. They also, may produce excessive substances in our bodies, like for example uric acid. Anything in excess is potentially harmful to our bodies.

Although uric acid is naturally found in our bodies, high levels of uric acid is one of the main causes of diseases such as arthritis, high blood pressure, diabetes, gout, heart disease and stroke. Uric acid helps our bodies to hold onto fats, which are capable to provide the body with more energy than carbohydrates. It also helps to retain sodium from the foods we eat, so as to keep our body cells with enough moisture.

What triggers uric acid over secretion?

The biggest culprit/contributor to excessive uric acid is meat. This is because it contains in excessive amounts, substances known as purines. Purines are found naturally in the food we eat as well as in our bodies. During digestion process, purines are broken down in the body to form uric acid. Under normal circumstances, our body is capable of releasing it through our urine.

However, when too much uric acid is released into the bloodstream, the body may fail to get rid of it fast enough. It will then get deposited in the tissues of the body, including the joints, where it later forms needle-shaped crystals. These crystals are what cause extreme pain and or swelling around the tissues or joints.

All this may not suggest that we should stop eating everything meat but we need to at least reduce our meat intake as well as that of processed foods. The key to good health is really everything in moderation.

Image source: https://comportho.com/tag/gout/

This image shows how uric acid crystals get deposited in the foot joint which leads to gout disease. The crystals cause swelling on the joint or the whole foot and it is painful.