Too much of a certain food can be harmful, this is no longer specialist knowledge. Products with a high purine content in particular can cost you several years of life.
Foods high in purines can be dangerous
Many people have one or more foods that they would like to eat all day long or that are at least on the menu every day. But as with so many things, the same applies to the consumption of food and drinks: Excessive consumption can lead to diseases such as obesity, diabetes and others.
The Frankfurter Rundschau now reports that you should take a closer look, especially at products with a high purine content. Purines are a group of chemical compounds that are important for the body. The problem: A breakdown product that arises from the absorption of purine is uric acid.
If too much uric acid builds up in your body, it can not only promote illness. An Irish study found that high levels of uric acid reduce a person’s life expectancy by up to 11.7 years. The exact data differs according to gender:
Men with a uric acid concentration above 535 µmol/l reduce their lifespan by up to 11.7 years. Women with a uric acid concentration above 416 µmol/l potentially reduce their lifespan by an average of six years
The data relates to a comparison with people of the same gender with lower uric acid levels. For this purpose, the study evaluated data from around 26,500 people with elevated uric acid levels.
A lot of purine is hidden here
But which foods should you avoid if you don’t want to consume too much purine? In principle, a balanced and varied diet is always recommended. Of course, the focus here should also be on fruits and vegetables. Of course, no one has to go without the occasional burger with fries or pizza.
You should take a closer look at many foods that are often viewed critically for other reasons. The following foods contain lots of purines:
Meat of all kinds (including sausage) Innards Some types of fish (e.g. herring, sardines or anchovies) Shellfish Beer and spirits
If you have planned one or two barbecue parties for the upcoming summer, it makes sense to pack a few more vegetables.
Quelle: Frankfurter Rundschau, „Serum uric acid and mortality thresholds among men and women in the Irish health system: A cohort study“ (2020; ejinme.com)
By Tim Petzerling