What I am about to share with you may be shocking. I know it surprised me!
Uricase, or urate oxidase, is an enzyme which metabolizes uric acid in flesh. Uric acid is a by-product of the metabolic breakdown of purines.
Stay with me…
Purines are found in high concentration in meat and meat products, especially internal organs like liver and kidney. Examples of high-purine sources include sweetbreads, anchovies, sardines, liver, beef kidneys, brains, meat extracts, herring, mackerel, scallops, game meats, beer (yes, beer) and gravy.
A moderate amount of purine is also contained in beef, pork, poultry, other fish and seafood, asparagus, cauliflower, spinach, mushrooms, green peas, lentils, dried peas, beans, oatmeal, wheat bran, wheat germ and hawthorn.
When you ingest purine-containing food and drink, uric acid is produced during digestion. Uricase is needed to metabolize that uric acid.
If uric acid is not metabolized, urate crystals are formed and situations like the following may, over time, occur:
- kidney stones
- gout (a type of arthritis)
- type 2 diabetes
- cardiovascular disease
- metabolic syndrome
So how do you know if you’re deficient in uricase? Well, look in the mirror. Are you human? If yes, then you don’t produce ANY uricase. All humans have a non-functional gene for uricase.
OMG!
Say what? So how does your body manage to breakdown uric acid?
Uric acid passes through the kidneys at a very slow rate causing it to build up in the blood stream. The uric acid it can’t pee out, your body must neutralize with alkalizing minerals, primarily calcium. The result is calcium urate crystals which can, over time, give rise to:
- gout
- arthritis
- rheumatism
- bursitis
- kidney stones
- high blood pressure
- varicose veins & Phlebitis
The top 10 alkalizing calcium-containing foods are:
- sesame seeds – 351 mg per cup, tahini (sesame seed butter – 126 mg per tablespoon)
- chia seeds
- dark leafy greens (collards, kelp, kale, turnip greens, arugula, mustard greens)
- flax seeds – 52 mg per two tablespoons
- quinoa
- blackstrap molasses – 137 mg per tablespoon
- oranges – 52 mg per one medium orange
- beans
- broccoli – 124 mg per two cups
- nuts – (brazil nuts, almonds. almond butter)
- dried herbs
- celery – 81 mg per two cups
- papaya – 73 mg per medium papaya
- sunflower seeds
- okra – 172 mg per one cup
Ramp up those calcium-rich foods and dial down those purine-rich foods to avoid a painful & avoidable health crisis. And don’t look up gout on Google Images. Trust me!
{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
Yes, Carla, i’ll eat the okra now, laura
Good for you Laura!! Have you tried it raw? So yummy. Gotta get the little ones though…thumb size…to really enjoy okra raw.
Great info. Thanks to you for providing a simplified description of the entire process from pan, to plate, to mouth, to stomach.
I cook my own meat- nothing processed- but your description explains why sometimes I notice my fingernails look brittle from depletion of calcium to break up uric acid.
I would be an interesting experiment to forgo meat and see if your fingernails improve.