Q. What is uric acid?
Uric acid is a breakdown product of a protein constituent called purines. When purines are broken down they are converted into uric acid. Uric acid can build up in the blood and it can contribute to kidney stones. You can have uric acid kidney stones. Or you could have uric acid combined with something else, like calcium urate. Or you can have gout. If you have high uric acid levels it can deposit as crystals in the joints, and that’s what gout is. And so people that have that problem, we get them on a lower protein diet, especially the animal proteins, get them away from that. And they also often need to watch some other foods, that they eat them only in moderation, like beans. You can get too much purines in beans if you eat too many of those as well. So there’s lists of foods that contain purines. Just look at those if you’re trying to decrease your uric acid. If it’s a problem with kidney stones, just drinking more water is an excellent solution as well.