What should be avoided with hyperuricemia?

Written by Li Hui Zhi
Endocrinology
Updated on September 26, 2024
00:00
00:00

Foods to avoid for hyperuricemia include those high in purines. Here is a list of foods that are high in purines: 1. Seafood, such as some shellfish, shrimp, crab, and certain fishes. 2. Broths that have been simmered for a long time, as they tend to contain higher levels of purines. 3. Certain mushrooms should be consumed less, such as shiitake and straw mushrooms. 4. Animal organs should be avoided as much as possible. 5. Alcohol, especially strong spirits and beer, should be avoided; instead, it's important to drink plenty of water, ensuring to consume 1500 to 2000 milliliters daily.

Other Voices

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Li Hui Zhi
Endocrinology
55sec home-news-image

What foods should be avoided with hyperuricemia?

Hyperuricemia generally requires a low-purine diet. So, what foods should be avoided? First, seafood and sea fish, as they have a high purine content and should not be consumed. Second, avoid animal organs like chicken and duck kidneys. Third, abstain from alcohol, especially strong spirits and beer, which tend to raise uric acid levels, so it's recommended to avoid them. Fourth, it is advised not to consume long-cooked broths, such as those commonly enjoyed in Guangdong where the broth is simmered for several hours, as these also have high purine content. Fifth, limit intake of some bean products and various mushrooms, as these should also be consumed minimally.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Zhang Jun Jun
Endocrinology
1min 22sec home-news-image

Is hyperuricemia serious?

Hyperuricemia can be divided into several stages, each with varying degrees of severity. Early on, it may be asymptomatic, manifesting either as consistent or fluctuating hyperuricemia. If it progresses to an acute gout phase, it can cause a series of harms to the kidneys, joints, and internal organs. During the chronic gout phase, there is more deposition of urate salts, primarily affecting the kidneys. Initially, it causes gouty nephropathy, leading to edema, hypertension, renal insufficiency, and even acute renal failure. The second scenario involves uric acid-related kidney stone disease, which can lead to a significant number of kidney stones, causing acute renal failure, pyelonephritis, renal abscesses, and more. Additionally, it can cause eyelid lesions, including blepharitis along the eyelid margin, and possibly gouty tophi near the eyelid margin that may rupture, adversely affecting the eyes and vision. It may even lead to retinal hemorrhage, exudation, and edema. Thus, uncontrolled uric acid levels represent a serious health concern.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Li Jing
Rheumatology
1min 17sec home-news-image

Are hyperuricemia and high uric acid the same thing?

Firstly, hyperuricemia and high uric acid levels refer to the same concept, defined as blood uric acid levels greater than 420. This condition is described as asymptomatic hyperuricemia, which does not require special treatment at this stage, but it does necessitate changes in lifestyle habits such as abstaining from alcohol, avoiding eating animal organs, seafood, and high-protein foods, not drinking carbonated beverages, and losing weight if obese, to help control body weight. After changing these lifestyle habits, a recheck of the uric acid levels should be done in two weeks to see if there has been a decrease. If the levels have not decreased at that time, sodium bicarbonate tablets can be used to alkalinize the urine. Additionally, increasing water intake to promote the excretion of uric acid and monitoring the dynamic changes in uric acid levels are needed. Once joint pain occurs, which indicates an acute gout attack, proper uric acid-lowering medication is required. (Please undergo medication under the guidance of a professional physician, and do not self-medicate blindly.)

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Luo Juan
Endocrinology
46sec home-news-image

Can people with hyperuricemia eat wood ear mushrooms?

People with hyperuricemia can eat wood ear mushrooms. As wood ear mushrooms are considered a low-purine food, containing approximately 8.8mg of purines per 100 grams, they can be consumed during hyperuricemia. For hyperuricemia, it is necessary to restrict some high-purine foods, such as animal offal, clams, crabs, oysters, and sardines. Some meats, seafood, peas, and spinach, which also contain a certain amount of purines, can be consumed in moderation. Wood ear mushrooms are a low-purine food and are generally not restricted. Thus, people with hyperuricemia can eat wood ear mushrooms.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Lin Xiang Dong
Endocrinology
33sec home-news-image

Hyperuricemia Typing

Hyperuricemia can usually be divided into two types: primary hyperuricemia and secondary hyperuricemia. The first type, primary hyperuricemia, is mainly due to congenital purine metabolic disorders, leading to excessive production of uric acid in the body, which then causes hyperuricemia. Secondary hyperuricemia is caused by a variety of acute and chronic diseases, such as common chronic renal failure, and hematological tumors, among others.