Your body produces a waste product called uric acid. When you have too much uric acid in your urine, the condition is called hyperuricosuria. Your doctor may recommend following a low-purine eating plan. Purine occurs naturally in many animal and plant foods. Eating too many high-purine foods can cause kidney stones.
To lower your risk of recurring kidney stones, it’s important to eat fewer high-purine foods.
Eat no more than 3 ounces of animal protein (meat) at a single meal. It’s better to eat smaller portions of meat at several meals than one large protein-rich meal. A 3-ounce portion of meat is about the same size as a deck of cards.
Also, eat plenty of healthy foods such as fruits and vegetables and get more protein from eggs, nuts, and seeds instead of meat.
You can also help reduce uric acid in your urine by:
- Drinking plenty of water and other fluids. Urinating more often can help your body get rid of uric acid.
- Avoiding foods high in fat, such as ice cream, fried foods, gravies, and dressings. Fat can hold uric acid in your kidneys, which can lead to kidney stones.
- Avoiding crash diets and low-carbohydrate diets.
- Avoiding alcohol, especially beer and hard liquor, such as whiskey and gin.
| Low Purine (Good)
| Moderate Purine (Limit)
| High Purine (Avoid)
|
|---|---|---|
| Eggs
Beans Cheese Fish egg (roe) Green soybean Fruits Bread, cereal (not whole-grain) | Fish
Seafood Crab Octopus Corned beef Sausage Asparagus Cauliflower Mushroom Spinach | Organ meats (liver, kidneys, sweetbreads, brains)
Game meats Gravies Anchovies Sardines Dried fish Scallops Beer Whiskey Gin |