The question, What Foods are high in purines? leads us to the curious question of: what foods are high in purines and pyrimidines?
This is a frequently asked question, but I’m not sure why anyone would ask it. It certainly is not relevant to gout. Let me explain why.
What are Pyrimidines?
Pyrimidines are in a group of substances called nitrogen bases. These bases pair with purines to form DNA and RNA. As such, they are fundamental to life. Pyrimidines bond with purines, but this is nothing to do with gout.
Gout is caused by excess purines that convert to uric acid. It does not matter if these purines come from food we eat, or from the natural regeneration of our bodies. Pyrimidines, like purines, have everything to do with the circle of life. Purines are associated with gout, through uric acid, but pyrimidines have nothing to do with uric acid or gout.
What Foods are High in Purines and Pyrimidines?
As purines and pyrimidines are both part of the cells that make our bodies, and most of what we eat, it stands to reason that all foods that are high in purines are high in pyrimidines. Therefore, the foods high in uric acid table also lists foods high in pyrimidines, but that is not really relevant to gout sufferers.
As I have said, pyrimidines do not affect gout. Purines do not affect gout as much as we are led to believe, or at least the purines in diet do not.
First, vegetable purines do not affect gout much, which is revealed by this study about which foods are high in purines?. To see the real purine threat to gout sufferers we must look at animal purines, therefore, you should look at Purine Rich Foods.
More importantly, most purines and pyrimidines come from our own bodies as part of natural cell turnover. That is why people who lose weight rapidly get high uric acid. Cells breakdown to purines and pyrimidines. The pyrimidines breakdown further to harmless compounds, but purines breakdown to uric acid.
So pyrimidines have no connection with gout, which made it very difficult to find a suitable image for this report.
Leave this pyrimidines explanation to read the What Foods are high in purines report.
Foods High in Purines and Pyrimidines Comments
GoutPal visitor responses and associated research include:
Pyrimidine Rich Foods
Olga asked me if I had a list of pyrimidine rich foods. So I explained that I don’t have such a list. Because, as I’ve explained, pyrimidines are not gout-related. However, I also asked Olga why she needed a list of pyrimidine rich foods. Because I might be able to use my research skills to help her.
So far, I don’t have a response. But if you have concerns about pyrimidine rich foods please let me know. Then I will provide such a list if I can.
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