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Uric acid is a compound that can be found in the body. For the most part, we should always have a pretty level amount of this acid in our body. An increase in the amount of uric acid we have could be a sign of trouble. High uric acid levels can cause weight gain. More importantly, they can cause gout and other health problems.
WHERE DOES URIC ACID COME FROM?
The main way that uric acid ends up in the body is the breakdown of purines by various parts of your body. Purines are a compound that is found in many foods. The most common foods for them to be found in is meats and fish. Alcohol also has very high levels of purines.
HOW DO EXCESS LEVELS OF URIC ACID HAPPEN?
Purines can be broken down by the body relatively easy. On the other hand, uric acid isn’t broken down in the body. Instead it is processed through the body into the kidneys then released in your urine. Only so much uric acid can be expelled from your body at one time. So, if your uric acid levels rise in your body, they likely won’t go down on their own.
These levels can build when you start to eat a lot of food that has uric acid in it and you do not stop. It can also happen when certain health changes happen in your life. Medications, medical conditions, and stress all play a role in how well your body processes uric acid.
DOES COCA COLA INCREASE URIC ACID LEVELS?
Most people already know that Coca Cola is bad for you. It contains a lot of sugar. It turns out that the fructose corn syrup that is contained in Coca Cola is linked to an increase in the levels of uric acid in the body. For those who drink at least one soda a day the uric acid levels regularly increase. At two sodas a day, the levels increase even more.
You noticed we said soda? Coca Cola is just one of many sodas to contain high fructose corn syrup. Drinking any of those sodas daily can put you at risk for higher levels of uric acid than normal.
Diet sodas on the other hand are not associated with higher uric acid levels as long as they do not contain high fructose corn syrup. As most diet sodas do not have high fructose corn syrup, most of them do not cause your uric acid levels to rise. However, diet soda has been linked to a number of other health problems.
Sodas were found to be even more dangerous when it comes to uric acid levels when combined with foods or drinks that contain a lot of purines. Mainly with alcohol. The regular consumption of alcohol while being a regular drinker of soda puts you further at risk to develop elevated levels of uric acid.
HOW TO REDUCE URIC ACID LEVELS?
Once your uric acid levels have risen, there are a few steps you can take to reduce them. First, you should cut out all alcohol and soda. That will ensure you don’t have any further excess build up. Instead, you should start drinking more water. Water helps your body to flush out uric acid and return to normal levels.
Increasing vegetables and fruits in your diet. Almost all vegetables and fruits are great for fighting uric acid levels. They contain the right amount of enzymes, vitamins, and other nutrients needed to push uric acid through the system. You will also find they have little to no levels of purines.
Soda is a bad habit to get into. If you haven’t already, don’t start drinking soda regularly. For those that have, it is a good idea to start cutting back. A soda every now and then is okay but you should not be close to having one a day. Learn more on how you can cure your uric acid permanently.
Baloydi Lloydi is the content manager of Asknoypi.