High uric acid levels are a precursor or an indicator of a few diseases, the most prominent of them being gout. Some of the other disease that high uric acid levels or hyperuricemia are Lesch-Nyhan syndrome, cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, high fructose intake, and kidney stones. Medically, there are a few treatments that deal with this symptom but the most important part of any treatment is actually combating the main disease itself. This requires an understanding of what uric acid does in the body, and how it is formed in the first place.
Uric acid is a natural by product of the breakdown of red blood cells. Red blood cells are created and destroyed everyday in the body. To give you an idea of the birth rates of red blood cells, the bone marrow creates millions of these cells every second. With a short life span, once these cells are aged, they are sequestered into the spleen where the recycling process begins. Red blood cells are then converted to their bilirubin by product and iron. The iron is stored in the liver and the bilirubin is recycled for use as a digestive medium. One of the by products that stays in the blood is uric acid. This is then excreted through the kidneys. Therefore, uric acid is a product of protein metabolism. If the level of protein intake is unnaturally high as is the case in strictly non-vegetarian diets and if the body is one that also has a high alcohol intake, then a person is a prime candidate for gout. This is a condition where the excess uric acid forms crystals in the load-bearing joints like the knees and feet. Due to the reasons for it happening, it was previously called the “rich man’s disease.” Crystallization in the joints causes pain and arthritis.
Diet
Treating this disease naturally involves taking away all non-plant sources of protein from the diet. This is because studies have not shown plant protein to be as causative a factor as animal protein. Therefore, gout patients are prescribed a vegetarian diet and no fructose intake. One of the most sensible natural cures is to stimulate the kidneys to create urine. This can be done with a simple increase of the amount of low sugar coffee. Apart from this, there are natural diuretics in the form of horseradish and wasabi. Also useful is a conscious intake of no less than six liters of water a day.