High Uric Acid? Know The Causes And Treatment Options By Celeb Health Coach Luke Coutinho

While many people take medicines to treat uric acid, celebrity nutritionist Luke Coutinho talks about the importance of holistic treatment for the same. He does not recommend people to give up on their medicines all of a sudden. But he strongly believes that a change in lifestyle and dietary habits can be quite helpful in breaking down and flushing out uric acid from your body naturally. Luke talks about how millions of cells in our body are affected. Factors like stress levels, sleep patterns, dietary choices, lifestyle and the medicines you consume have a huge impact on every cell of your body. Therefore, when you fall sick you need to look at it holistically because it is multi-factorial. Also read: Luke Coutinho's Exercises To Burn Fat And Keep Muscles Lean And Firm While Travelling​

What is uric acid?

In his video, Luke talks about what uric acid is. He says that every human body produces uric acid. A chemical substance known as purines is found in the human body tissue. These are found in some foods as well. 30% of your purines come from foods and the rest 70% come from your body's tissues. So when your body breaks down purine in foods or in the tissues, it leaves behind something which is known as uric acid. The kidney acts as a filter for this and flushes out uric acid from the body so that it does not create any problems. Normally, this is how your body is supposed to work. The problem begins when the kidneys are not able to filter and flush out uric acid or your body is producing way too much uric acid.

Luke explains how excess uric acid starts to accumulate in the kidneys. This uric acid starts to crystallize and accumulates in your joints, thereby resulting in a situation known as gout. Gout is a form of arthritis found in your toes, elbows, knees, joints and sometimes in your heels as well. Excessive uric acid in your body is a sign of the fact that your kidneys are not functioning properly. While your pills help you suppress the symptoms, it is important for you to take this signal from your body and take action against the inefficiency of the kidneys. To treat this, you might consider taking medications for gout, which is not quite the solution in the long run. However, some simple lifestyle alterations can be helpful for treating the same.

Also read: Can Dialysis Cure Kidney Problems: All You Should Know About It

The medicines that you take for this condition, on the other hand, may result in some side effects. They can further slow-down the kidney functions and increase uric acid levels in your body. The symptoms of high uric acid are usually arthritis and kidney problems. Some of the kidney problems include the formation of kidney stones accompanied by abdominal pains, back pain and pain in the sides.

What triggers uric acid in the body?

There are a number of factors which trigger the production of excessive uric acid in the body. Some of these factors include:

1. Diuretics

A number of people take diuretics to get rid of water retention. But it is important for you to know that the pills which are handed out to you as candy can actually increase uric acid levels in your body. It slows down your kidneys and prevents them from flushing out excessive uric acid from your body. Luke, however, suggests some lifestyle changes to avoid the use of diuretics.

2. Alcohol

Luke says that some of you might be drinking too much alcohol. It is the slow accumulation of diseases in your body which can have a negative effect on you in the long run. Too much of red wine triggers excessive uric acid production in your body.

Also read: Weight Loss: Here's How Alcohol Is Affecting Your Weight Loss Goals

3. Genetics

Another factor is genetics. If high uric acid has been running in your family, you are likely to have it too.

4. Hypothyroidism

If you have an underactive thyroid gland, you are more likely to have high uric acid levels. This is due to the inability of the endocrine system to produce enough hormones. It slows down your metabolism which affects your kidneys' ability to metabolize uric acid and flush it out of your body.

5. Immune-suppressing drugs

Immune-suppressing drugs are used by people suffering from autoimmune disorders. Most of the people dealing with these disorders do not require drugs at all. Their condition can be treated with the help of some simple lifestyle changes because an autoimmune condition can be treated if you work with the root cause. Simply taking an immune-suppressing drug can trigger high uric acid levels in the body.

Other factors which trigger high uric acid levels in the body are:

1. Overdose of vitamin B3

2. Obesity

3. Purine-rich diet

4. Going on a low-protein diet (only the foods which have high-purine levels should be avoided)

5. Acidosis (highly acidic body)

6. Diabetes

7. High blood pressure

8. Consuming too many fruits at the same time

9. Consumption of packaged fruit juices and aerated drinks

Luke strongly focuses on one factor which is tumolisis. This condition is when tumors break inside your body. This is for cancer patients going through chemotherapy, radiotherapy and conventional medicine. It is extremely important for these patients to know the possible outcomes and side effects of medicines on all the organs of your body. It is extremely important for you to focus on your kidneys and liver which is highly affected by chemo. One must be mindful about what nutrition you put in your body, your organ health and lifestyle habits. This is like creating a safety net for your body while going through chemo so that the side effects of conventional cancer medicines are not too harsh on your body.

Also read: Want To Reduce Cancer Risk? Make Sure Your Vitamin D Levels Are Optimal

Natural remedies to treat high uric acid

Luke focuses on some natural treatments for high uric acid levels in the body. Two of the most effective treatment includes the following:

1. Apple cider vinegar

One to two tablespoons of apple cider vinegar in a big glass of water should be taken 30 minutes before your meals three times a day. This can be quite effective in flushing out uric acid from your body.

Also read: How To Best Use Apple Cider Vinegar For Weight Loss

2. Pure lemon juice

Freshly squeezed lemon juice in a glass of water can be quite helpful in flushing out uric acid from your body.

Oats, grains, jowar, bajra, bananas, seeds, raw vegetables; basically any high fiber food can be quite effective in flushing out uric acid from your body.

Also read: High-fiber diet may slow atherosclerosis

4. Celery seeds

Celery seeds can be quite helpful in flushing out uric acid. A few celery seeds in a glass of water can be quite helpful in removing uric acid from your body.

5. Strawberries and cherries

These two fruits should be eaten regularly as they can rapidly break down uric acid from your body and flush it out in no time.

6. Barley water

Barley water is a natural diuretic. Boil 4 tablespoons of barley water in 6 cups of water, reduced to half. This should be consumed every day. It will get you to urinate even more during the day. This is how a natural diuretic is supposed to work and it does not have any side effects either.

7. Coriander water

For people with autoimmune disorders, barley water may not be the best diuretic. These people can drink coriander water.

Also read: Here's How Much Water You Should Drink Every Day

8. Drink lots of water

In order to flush out excessive uric acid, it is important for you to drink lots of water. Drinking the right amount of water is what your body needs in order to survive and stay free from toxins.

9. Avoid excessive training

Exercising is good for your body, but exercising too much with high uric acid levels can be dangerous for your body. When you engage in rigorous strength training, your tissues break down at a quicker pace, thereby increasing uric acid levels in your body. So give your body a short break and allow it to recover from the loss of tissues.

Also read: Overtraining: 8 Negative Effects Of Overtraining

10. Baking soda

Add half a teaspoon of baking soda to a glass of water to make your body alkaline. It is not recommended on a daily basis but once in a while, when your body becomes highly acidic, try this remedy.

COMMENT