Uric acid can build up in the blood eventually causing gout and kidney stones. Read this post to learn more about uric acid, how it’s made, and which factors increase its levels in the body. At the end of the post, we also review lifestyle and dietary changes that can help decrease uric acid levels.
What Is Uric Acid?
Uric acid is made in the liver. It is the end-product of the breakdown of purine, which is produced in the digestion of certain proteins and DNA, that gets released into the bloodstream when cells get old and die. Some purines are also derived from food [1, 2].
In normal conditions, the majority of uric acid is removed by the kidneys via urine, while the rest is eliminated in the stool. However, if too much uric acid is produced or not enough is removed, it can build up in the blood [3]. Uric acid can then deposit in the body, causing kidney stones or gout [4, 5].
In addition, research suggests that higher uric acid levels may increase the risk of heart disease and diabetes [6, 3, 7, 8].
On the other hand, scientists have discovered that uric acid is not solely a waste product. In fact, studies suggest that uric acid acts as a natural antioxidant and may be responsible for up to 60% of the antioxidant capacity in the blood. In addition, uric acid may protect the brain by preventing neurodegenerative conditions [9, 10, 11, 12].
That is why balanced uric acid levels are important for overall well-being.
Uric Acid Production
Uric acid (urate) is the last step in the breakdown pathway of purines. Purines are first converted to hypoxanthine, then to xanthine, and finally to uric acid. For these last two steps in conversion, we need the enzyme xanthine oxidase (uricase).
Other mammals have the ability to further break down uric acid, but humans have lost it. Consequently, humans are vulnerable to elevated uric acid levels in the blood [13, 1].
Uric Acid Elimination
Source: [14]
Uric acid is removed via the kidney and the gut: around 70% is removed by the kidneys through urine and around 30% is removed by the gut in the stool [3].
