Gout is a form of arthritis that causes pain and swelling in the joints. Gout can be caused by certain foods, so it is important to watch what you eat. Gout can be treated with medication and a healthy diet. Gout is caused when your blood levels rise to high levels of uric acid (or urate). Urate is a normal, harmless waste product that forms when purines are broken down by the body. Your kidneys produce two thirds of your urine. Your digestive system produces the other third.
Purines
Purines can be found in the body naturally, but they can also be found in certain foods and certain types alcohol. Sugar-sweetened soft drinks with high levels of fructose can increase uric acid. Some foods can ‘tip the balance’ and raise your uric acids higher than normal. Particularly, eating a lot of heart, herring and sardines, yeast extracts or mussels can increase your uric acid level. A normal balanced diet should not have any effect on your uric acid levels.
Normal metabolism produces Uric acid in the body as Uricase. This enzyme secretion is a digestive enzyme from the kidney that breaks down the purines from the food. In the pathological stage, however, the amount of uric acid is increased due to a decrease in Uricase levels. This happens because the kidney fails to eliminate this uric acid via urine. It experiences hyperuricaemia (saturation of uric acid in the blood).
Uric Acid Level
The increased levels of uric acids in the blood can lead to the formation of sharp, needle-like crystals of Monosodium Urate near joints. Gout is more common in those with goutie parents. Gout is five times more common in the UK than it is in the United States. Some medications can block the body from absorbing uric acid. This can lead to a buildup of uric acid crystals, which can then cause an attack of the gout.
Gout attacks can be triggered by alcohol and certain foods. Gout can also be caused by strokes, heart attacks, or surgery. Too much uric acid can cause gout. Too much uric acid in the blood is usually not dangerous. People with high blood levels of uric acid rarely get gout. However, if the blood uric acids levels are too high, it can cause hard crystals in your joints. An excess of uric acid can cause gout. An increase in uric acids production and inability to clear uric acids from the body can cause excessive uric acid.