Dietary advice for plasma uric acid

Hi, 1) To eat or to avoid watermelon for plasma uric acid. 2) levels of plasma uric acid before and after consumption of watermelon. Thank you in advance.
(October 15, 2010)

Uric acid is primarily an acidic substance that is excreted by the kidneys and intestines due to a lack of the hormone known as uricase that is naturally absent in the human body. The production of uric acid is down to the metabolism of purine – which is a muscle protein that enters the body through a person’s dietary intake. Even under normal conditions, there is some amount of natural uric acid present in the blood stream which should be between 2.4 to 6.0 mg/dl for women and between 3.4 to 70 mg/dl for men. As mentioned before, the presence uric acid in the human body is primarily due to the lack of uricase – meaning that any uric acid present will need to be naturally excreted through the urine. However, when renal function is not sufficient, there is usually a much larger percentage than the normal 30% that is excreted through the intestines.


When there is too much uric acid present in the body, it tends to collect at certain joints of the body – crystallizing and leading to the development of a number of conditions such as gout.

The crystallization of the uric acid causes a substantial amount of pain with even the slightest of movements – resulting in the affected individual leading an extremely uncomfortable lifestyle. Uric acid tests are helpful in determining the levels of uric acid in an individual. A plasma uric acid test is a blood test that determines the uric acid concentration in blood plasma while a urine uric acid test determines the concentration of uric acid in urine. A plasma uric acid test is often referred to as a blood uric acid to make a clear distinction between the urine and blood tests for uric acid levels. Your doctor may also suggest a plasma creatinine test, depending on the severity of your symptoms.
One aspect of plasma uric acid that one should always be aware of is the fact that high uric acid content in the body is generally indicative of some kind of kidney failure. When the uric acid crystallizes in the joints, some of the more prominent symptoms include warmth and significant skin tenderness, swelling, redness and warmth. In most cases, the first area of the body to be affected by the condition happens to be the big toe. Because of the fact that men tend to have higher uric acid levels than women, they tend to be more susceptible to the condition.

Since high plasma uric acid levels are primarily influenced by a person’s dietary intake, the main course when it comes to taking evasive action or even treatment will be based primarily around the individual’s diet. The main focus of any treatment options will always be based around the reduction of pain and swelling in the affected joints. If the condition is left untreated, some of the more severe complications that are likely to arise include partial to complete joint destruction which will then further develop into complete kidney failure as well. Because of the fact that the condition is a rather common one, there are also a number of diet plans that have been developed in order to help sufferers deal with the condition. Moreover, these diet plans are also focused on helping an individual lose any excessive weight – which is known to help lower the levels of uric acid in the body.

There are also certain foods to avoid with gout and this list would consist of purine-rich foods. Almost any kind of animal meat, such as pig, poultry or seafood, contains a high number of compounds that will metabolize into uric acid.  However, white meats can be eaten very sparingly once in a while. Alcohol and breads are also known to have very high percentage of contribution to high plasma uric acid content and should be avoided at all costs. One of the most beneficial foods is to consume large amounts of black cherry juice as it helps substantially in reducing the symptoms of gout. To increase the efficiency of the juice, however, it is highly recommended that you consume it in conjunction with one of the many uric acid reduction diets that can be found in a number of sources including the internet as well as your local book store. 

Know more about uric acid foods

There is no reason to avoid watermelon for high plasma uric acid, in fact watermelon fruit and seeds are used as remedy to treat gout (a condition caused due to high uric acid levels). However just to eat loads of watermelon is not the right solution. You can consume one serving of watermelon daily.