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"Have you heard? People with high uric acid can't eat spinach! "When parents wait for their children at the school gate, they always like to talk about the little things at home. When it comes to health issues, everyone's interest is particularly high.
Li Juan stood in the crowd, checking the time with his mobile phone, and listening to the conversation between the two mothers next to him. She is an ordinary accountant, and her daily life is not only work but family. Li's mother was recently diagnosed with hyperuricemia, and the family's eating habits need to be adjusted accordingly.
When the school bell rang and the children poured out of the school gate like bees, Li Juan busily found his little son, holding his hand and preparing to go home. On the way home, Li Juan was still thinking about the words about spinach and uric acid. When she got home, she decided to accompany her mother to the hospital for a follow-up check-up and asked the doctor about it by the way.
When she arrived at the hospital, after Li Juan settled her mother, she found Dr. Zhang, an internist in charge of her mother's condition. "Dr. Zhang, I heard someone at the school gate today saying that people with high uric acid can't eat spinach, is this true?" Li Juan asked.
Dr. Zhang smiled and nodded, "This topic is indeed very hot. Hyperuricemia, often called gout, actually has a lot to do with our eating habits. In short, the food we eat directly affects the level of uric acid in the body. Spinach contains high levels of purines, which are metabolized in the body to produce uric acid. So, there is indeed some truth to it. ”
"Isn't that why you can't eat it?" Li Juan asked. "Not exactly." "Although spinach is high in purines, there are many factors that affect uric acid levels, including general diet and individual physique. Li Juan breathed a sigh of relief after hearing this, but was still a little worried, "Then how should I arrange food for my mother?" ”
Dr. Zhang took out a piece of paper and pen and began to draw a picture to explain, "First of all, you need to have a balanced diet and reduce the intake of purine-rich foods, such as organ meats, red meat, etc. Then try adding more low-purine vegetables and fruits like carrots and cucumbers, which are good and good for the body. As for spinach, it can be eaten occasionally in small quantities and avoid frequent large amounts. ”
Li Juan listened to Dr. Zhang's explanation and wrote down all the main points. She understands that although there is a lot of information on the Internet, she still needs the advice of a professional doctor when facing the health problems of her family. This trip to the hospital not only allowed her to solve the doubts in her heart, but also allowed her to learn more about healthy eating.
When discussing the management of hyperuricemia (gout), the public often only notices high-purine foods such as red meat and seafood, while some seemingly harmless vegetables, such as spinach, often ignore their potential effects on uric acid levels.
However, spinach, as a nutrient-rich vegetable, is not low in purines, which is indeed a problem that cannot be ignored by people who want to control their uric acid levels.
While spinach does contain high amounts of vitamins and minerals such as iron, potassium, and vitamin K, these are all important nutrients that the body needs. For people with hyperuricemia, finding the right balance of nutrients is more important than simply avoiding certain foods. Relying too much on a single food source, such as spinach, can not only lead to overnutrition, but may also increase the metabolic burden in the body.
In addition, the effect of how food is cooked on purine content is often overlooked in conventional dietary recommendations. When you cook spinach, the purines in the spinach mainly dissolve into the water. Therefore, discarding the boiled water can effectively reduce our purine intake. This simple cooking technique is very helpful in controlling uric acid levels.
Each person has a different ability to metabolize purines in food, so even the same food can have different effects on different individuals. Patients with hyperuricemia are advised to adjust their diet under the guidance of a professional physician and tailor their diet plan to their specific situation.
Although spinach is a vegetable with high nutritional value, moderate intake, reasonable mixing, and scientific cooking are the key. Everyone's physique is different, and their lifestyles and eating habits are also different, so developing a personalized diet plan can effectively control uric acid levels and stay away from gout.
When discussing the dietary management of hyperuricemia and gout, in addition to limiting the intake of high-purine foods such as red meat, seafood and certain vegetables, there are also some fruits and vegetables that are often overlooked, which may affect uric acid levels due to the presence of certain ingredients.
For patients with hyperuricemia, certain fruits may require caution due to their higher fructose content. Fructose is thought to increase the production of uric acid in the body, which may cause elevated uric acid levels. For example, fruits such as apples, pears, grapes, and peaches are relatively high in fructose, and patients with hyperuricemia should take care to control the amount when consuming them.
Of course, everyone loves citrus fruits such as oranges, grapefruits, and lemons, mainly because they are rich in vitamin C. Vitamin C has the function of lowering uric acid, but after excessive intake of vitamin C, it may also metabolize in the body to produce additional uric acid, especially when supplementing at high doses.
Therefore, for people who want to control their uric acid levels through diet or supplements, a moderate intake of vitamin C rather than a large amount is key.
Moving on to vegetables, although most vegetables are low-purine foods and are suitable for people with hyperuricemia, certain vegetables such as tomatoes and cauliflower require special attention. Tomatoes contain a certain amount of purine, which is not as high as spinach or meat, but it can still affect uric acid levels if consumed in excess of the daily diet.
In addition, beans and legumes are recommended as good sources of plant protein in many dietary guidelines, but for people with hyperuricemia, certain legumes are also high-purine foods. For example, tofu and mung beans are high in purines, and while they are healthy food choices, they should also be consumed in moderation in the daily diet.
For patients with hyperuricemia, there are a variety of factors to consider when choosing food and beverages. While all purine-containing foods or foods that may increase uric acid production cannot be completely avoided in the diet, uric acid levels can be effectively managed and the risk of gout can be reduced by controlling intake and choosing the right food types.
(The names in the article are pseudonyms) #头条首发大赛#
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Resources
[1] Zhang Shaoshi, Research Progress on the Regulation of Hyperuricemia and Uric Acid Nephropathy by Intestinal Environmental Homeostasis, Journal of Yunnan University for Nationalities (Natural Science Edition), 2024-06-21