What are purines? Its effects on health

The purines are substances that are found in certain foods, and that once absorbed by our body, tend to leave as a residue the uric acid.

For this reason, when a person has the high uric acid and you need to lower your levels, you must continue to join poor diet in purines, since high values of uric acid can produce a disease classically known as gout, or cause kidney stones.

Basically we could indicate that the uric acid would be the degradation of toxins in our body, which are mainly eliminated through our urine (find out more about how to purify the kidneys).

But high levels of uric acid are harmful to health does not mean that our body does not need uric acid, since its lack causes kidney diseases.

What causes an excessive consumption of purines?

We tend to consume too many purines when we follow a protein diet I we drink many alcoholic beverages. And excessive consumption of purine-rich foods is one of the main risks of high protein diets, which are so dangerous to health if they have not been prepared by a dietitian.

Among the foods richest in purines, the most important shellfish, blue fish, game products and organ meats. And, among the drinks, mainly alcohol.

Of course, if a person must follow a diet low in purines, the most advisable is to maintain a balanced diet, being able to eat a moderate amount of legumes, meat and fish.

The effects of purines on health

It is necessary to be very clear that the purines, when absorbed by our organism, leave as residue the uric acid. So the purines, by themselves, do not tend to cause harmful effects on health.

In any case, following a diet based on foods that are mainly rich in purines can cause acute crisis, which extending over time causes diseases such as drop, or related disorders such as kidney stones.

But for the effects of purines on health they are clearly harmful not only due to excessive consumption in foods rich in purines, but for consumption of alcoholic beverages.

Of course, unlike what can be thought, it is not bad to consume seafood, meats or organ meats, nutritious and healthy foods, but always in moderation and without overdoing it.

The same applies to drinks such as coffee or tea, which although they contain caffeine (a substance, by the way, with a chemical structure quite similar to that of purines), does not transform into uric acid.

How to lower or reduce the purine consumption?

The fundamental thing is to follow a balanced diet, given that a healthy diet based on natural and healthy foods helps us to lower the levels of uric acid in the blood.

Foods such as dairy products, eggs, vegetables, fresh fruits or pasta do not contain purines.

So, the key is to follow a healthy diet, natural, but above all balanced.

What are the foods that do not have purines

If we want to enjoy good health and have optimal levels of uric acid, the most appropriate, in addition to following a balanced diet, is to opt for Purine-free foods, especially if you must follow a poor diet in purines.

The truth is that we can find a wide variety of healthy and natural foods that do not have purines, so that the risk that they can be transformed into uric acid is practically nil.

Here we summarize the main ones:

Milk and its derivatives.
Eggs
Fruits, vegetables and vegetables
Potatoes.
Food paste
Honey.
Drinks like tea and coffee.

Therefore, as we see, although foods with a higher content of purines do not have to become a problem, especially when they are not consumed in excess, they should be avoided by all those who have high levels of uric acid in their blood. . This article is published for informational purposes only. You can not and should not replace the consultation with a Nutritionist. We advise you to consult your trusted Nutritionist.