Did you know that there is a key factor that could be contributing to your poor metabolic health and causing weight gain, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and even dementia? This factor is known as uric acid. While most of us have heard of uric acid only in relation to gout, it turns out that this compound plays a much more significant role in our overall health than we first thought. Recent research has uncovered a strong connection between high uric acid levels in the body and poor metabolic health. Uric Acid: A KEY Cause of Weight Gain, Diabetes, Heart Disease & Dementia

In Scientific America, it discusses the reason our ancestors survived severe winters and food scarcity. It is very favorable for our survival that our bodies become insulin-resistant to make and store body fat if we don’t know when we will eat again. It is advantageous to raise our blood pressure and profuse our organs if we don’t have water and face dehydration.

Having the ability to raise our insulin and blood sugar is a good thing in the right circumstances. It ensured our survival as a species. In the right circumstances, making and storing body fat is good for survival. Our ancestors didn’t know when their next meal would be or if they would eat in the next few days. Would they find water to drink? These metabolic functions in their bodies kept them alive.

The signal that allowed their bodies to make and store body fat, to raise their blood pressure, to increase their blood sugar so they could power their brains. It is the same signal our bodies use today. Uric acid.

The problem today is that we do not face food scarcity. We know when our next meal will be. In fact, we eat way too many meals. Our physiology hasn’t changed. What has changed is our circumstances.

We evolved in a sea of scarcity. Now, we live in a sea of abundance.

Uric acid (UA) is a byproduct of the breakdown of purines in our bodies and plays a significant role in our overall health. It is produced in the liver and intestines, and the kidneys regulate its levels.

Typically, the kidneys filter out excess uric acid and eliminate it through urine. However, when the body produces too much uric acid or the kidneys cannot remove it efficiently, the elevated uric acid levels in the bloodstream eventually leads to hyperuricemia. Then, UA crystals can form and collect in the joints (gout). This causes painful inflammation. It can also lead to kidney stones. Gout may be the least worrying symptom of high UA levels.

Uric acid levels can increase when you eat too many high-purine foods or take medicines like diuretics, aspirin, and niacin. When we consume foods high in purines, such as red meat, organ meats, and seafood, our bodies break down these purines into UA. But far and away, the latest research shows that sugar is the biggest driver of high UA levels.

In 1920, the average uric acid level was 3.5 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL), compared to 6 mg/dL today. This parallels with our increase in the consumption of sugar. Today’s technology to extract high fructose corn syrup has come such a long way that this product is now extremely sweet and cheap to produce. So much so that 60% of all packaged grocery store foods now contain high fructose corn syrup.  Sugar is in over 70% of all items in the average American grocery store. Sugar is addictive, and most food companies, distributors, and grocery stores make their money from this fact.

This high-fructose corn syrup consumption causes high uric acid levels and plays a key role in damaging our cells and overall health conditions. Dr. Perlmutter says we want to keep our uric acid levels below 5.0 mg/dL for optimal health. Anything above 5.5 mg/dL is where the cardiac metabolic issues begin. A uric acid level of 7.0 mg/dL is dangerous.

A study was done by the Annals of Rheumatism in 2018, following 90,000 people over eight years. They found that people with a UA level of 7.0 mg/dL and above had a 16% increased risk of ‘all-cause mortality.’ That means you can die from anything under the sun. They found a 38% increased risk of cardiovascular mortality. And a 32% increased risk of dying of stroke.

38% increased risk factor for cardiovascular disease and, in fact, cardiovascular mortality? If that doesn’t scare you, what will?

The results of a study presented at the Annual European Congress of Rheumatology (EULAR 2018) suggest that gout (uric acid level of 7 or above) is associated with an increased risk of 17-20% of Dementia and Alzheimer’s disease in older patients. There is a very powerful relationship between UA levels and vascular dementia.

These aren’t small numbers. The biggest issue, by far, of all these problems is the fructose in our diets. Dr. Perlmutter suggests a complete stop to fructose and sugar consumption.

Hyperuricemia, or high UA levels in patients, negatively impacts various body organs and systems. UA can cause problems with our metabolism. Studies have shown that elevated levels of UA can contribute to weight gain and the development of insulin resistance. A key factor in the development of diabetes. The role of UA disrupts the function of insulin, leading to high blood sugar levels and an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes in young and old.

A study was undertaken in 2016 (a collaborative study from researchers in both Japan and Turkey) titled “Uric acid in metabolic syndrome: From innocent bystander to a central player.” In the abstract, the following was noted:

“Uric acid, once viewed as an inert metabolic end-product of purine metabolism, has been recently incriminated in a number of chronic disease states, including hypertension, metabolic syndrome, diabetes, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, and chronic kidney disease. Several experimental and clinical studies support a role for uric acid as a contributory causal factor in these conditions. Elevated uric acid may turn out to be one of the more important remediable risk factors for metabolic and cardiovascular diseases.”

Add dementia & insulin resistance to this horrible list. Now, we can see how critical it is to lower UA levels.

UA can also increase weight gain due to its effect on insulin resistance. UA, it turns out, could be the biggest culprit for disease and type 2 diabetes.

If you’re struggling with weight gain or have been diagnosed with diabetes, you must check your UA levels. Managing and reducing UA levels can improve your weight and blood sugar control and reduce the risk of developing all these other metabolic diseases.

50PlusReasons is all about mental health (that includes physical health) and wealth. I was shocked to find out that uric acid is not only causal in problems like diabetes and heart disease, but numerous studies showed that uric acid is also causal in depression.

In 2017, researchers published a systematic review and meta-analysis involving seven studies and 411,745 participants in the International Journal of Psychiatry. A pooled analysis revealed that patients with gout are nearly 20% more likely to experience depression.

This is a striking number. Not only is uric acid a key factor in weight gain (and all the mental issues that it can cause), but it is directly related to depression. Numerous other studies have shown that uric acid causes many other mental health issues.

If uric acid is causal in obesity and type 2 diabetes, then we know that having obesity or diabetes is, in and of itself, a factor in poor mental health. Obese people often have many mental health issues that are not classified as depression but are almost as debilitating and detrimental to enjoying life. The concept that uric acid only causes gout after a late night out must be put to bed once and for all.

Hyperuricemia itself doesn’t usually cause symptoms. Most people don’t know they have it until their uric acid levels are high enough to cause gout or kidney stones. If you have weight problems and high blood pressure, you undoubtedly have insulin resistance and a likelihood of elevated uric acid levels.

Joint pain and swelling are among the most common symptoms of high uric acid levels. Gout often affects the big toe but can also affect other joints such as the ankles, knees, wrists, Achilles heel, and fingers. The pain can be intense and debilitating, making it difficult to move and perform daily activities.

• Intense pain.
• Discoloration or redness.
• Stiffness.
• Swelling.
• Tenderness, even to light touch (like your bedsheet covering it).
• Warmth, or a feeling like the joint is “on fire.”

High uric acid causes the development of kidney stones. Uric acid can form crystals that can build up in the kidneys, leading to the formation of stones.

• Pain in your lower back or side.
• Nausea or vomiting caused by the pain.
• Fever or chills.
• Blood in your pee.
• Pain while you’re urinating.
• Being unable to urinate.
• Feeling the need to urinate more often
• Pee that smells bad or looks cloudy.

In addition to these physical symptoms, high uric acid levels can also have severe consequences for your overall health. As mentioned earlier, high levels of uric acid have been linked to an increased risk of metabolic diseases such as diabetes and heart disease.

If left uncontrolled, these conditions can have long-term health implications and significantly impact your quality of life.

If you’re concerned about your UA levels and want to take control of your health, you can manage and reduce UA for improved well-being in several ways:

• Watch Your Diet: One of the most effective ways to control UA levels is to focus on your diet. As discussed above, cut out all sugar. Cut out all refined carbohydrates (white bread, pizza dough, pasta, pastries, white flour, white rice, sweet desserts, breakfast cereals, etc.). Incorporating foods that help lower UA levels, such as cherries, strawberries, and high-fat dairy products, can also be beneficial. Read the ingredients of everything you buy – read here for help on what to look for in the ingredient labels.

• Stay Hydrated: Drinking plenty of water is essential for flushing out UA from your body. Aim for at least eight large glasses of water per day to promote healthy kidney function and help prevent UA crystals from forming.

• Get your belly fat down: If you start controlling your sugar and refined carbohydrate intake, you will lose your belly fat naturally. The presence of visceral fat is a good predictor of the development of chronic metabolic disease, whether it’s hypertension, heart disease, diabetes, or high UA levels (visceral fat is unseen and surrounds the organs in your belly). Visceral fat cells are biologically active, essentially an endocrine organ that secretes disease-related hormones and other chemicals. Among the chemicals are cytokines that boost the likelihood of heart disease and make the body less sensitive to insulin, which can bring on diabetes. Visceral fat cells also produce a precursor to angiotensin, a protein that causes blood vessels to constrict and blood pressure to rise.

• Limit Alcohol Consumption: Alcohol can increase UA production and decrease its excretion, leading to elevated levels in the body. It’s best to limit or avoid alcohol, especially beer and spirits high in purines, to help manage UA levels.

• Exercise Regularly: Regularly engaging in regular physical activity has numerous health benefits, including helping lower UA levels. Exercise promotes weight loss, improves insulin sensitivity, and enhances overall metabolic function.

• Consider Natural Supplements: Dr Perlmutter suggests Quercetin and Luteolin and good old Vitamin C. Quercetin and Luteolin are bioflavonoids that target the enzyme important in the production of UA called xanthine oxidase. He suggests you can get exceptional results from a diet change and adding these supplements to your intake.

By implementing these strategies, you can actively manage and reduce uric acid levels in your body.

We have explored the key causal role of uric acid and how it can impact our overall health. From weight gain to diabetes, heart disease, depression, diabetes, and even dementia, uric acid has been linked to a range of metabolic diseases.

Understanding and managing uric acid levels in our bodies is crucial for achieving optimal health. Studies suggest that uric acid levels can be controlled relatively easily if we know how. Research keeps coming out showing that diet and lifestyle changes can reverse most damage caused by high uric acid levels if we move quickly enough. You have the power to lower your cardiovascular disease risk and your risk of dementia. You have the power to beat obesity and diabetes.

If uric acid levels can cause all this untold suffering, but there is a straightforward way to solve these issues, wouldn’t you take it? Why increase the risk of all these problems when the solution is as simple as diet and exercise? Stop sugar, stop refined carbohydrates, and go for a walk every afternoon.

It isn’t rocket science and doesn’t cost anything. We can beat this.

If it weren’t for sitting in the doctor’s chair, I would never be writing about UA. My real love is options and how understanding options can make us all wealthier with very little work. Check out the FREE options course below.

You never know; you could be living both healthier and wealthier.