13. Fish
Fish is a favorite food for most people. It is a great source of nutrients that are required by the body. However, some of the fish such as sardines have a high content of purines. Purines can be hazardous to the kidneys when taken in high amounts.
The sardines have a high content of purine. This later develops into uric acid in the urine and as a result, forms uric acid stones. Therefore, purine-rich foods may cause calcium oxalate stones in your body.
If you are at higher risk of getting uric acid stones, the compounds can harm your body. A high level of purine can increase the amount of uric acid in the urine. This leads to the development of uric acid stones. This condition can be painful and will require immediate medical attention.
According to the study done by the American Urological Association, they linked intake of purine to health problems. When you take a high amount of purine from fish such as sardines it can lead to hyperuricemia and hyperuricosuria in healthy individuals without stones. They went further and associated purine-rich foods with stimulation of calcium oxalate. They explained that this was due to an increasing amount of calcium that was excreted.
The good thing is that sardines are the greatest source of essential omega-3 fatty acids. These acids are important to your well-being. Finding a better source of omega-3 fatty acids can be challenging. They are able to avoid contamination from some compounds such as mercury which is toxic to your body.
If you like sardines, you need to limit eating them to once or twice a week. There are other purine-rich foods available including anchovies, organ meats, bacon, scallops, shrimp and baker’s yeast. These types of foods should be avoided if you stand a higher risk of getting kidney problems.