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The increase in antioxidant capacity of blood seen after the consumption of polyphenol-rich (ORAC-rich) foods is not caused directly by the polyphenols, but most likely results from increased uric acid levels derived from metabolism of flavonoids.
Uric acid displays lactam–lactim tautomerism. [4] Uric acid crystallizes in the lactam form, [5] with computational chemistry also indicating that tautomer to be the most stable. [6] Uric acid is a diprotic acid with pK a1 = 5.4 and pK a2 = 10.3. [7] At physiological pH, urate predominates in solution. [medical citation needed]
Unless high blood levels of uric acid are determined in a clinical laboratory, hyperuricemia may not cause noticeable symptoms in most people. [5] Development of gout – which is a painful, short-term disorder – is the most common consequence of hyperuricemia, which causes deposition of uric acid crystals usually in joints of the extremities, but may also induce formation of kidney stones ...
An evolutionary loss of urate oxidase (uricase), which breaks down uric acid, in humans and higher primates has made this condition common. [5] The triggers for precipitation of uric acid are not well understood. While it may crystallize at normal levels, it is more likely to do so as levels increase.
[1] [20] [23] [24] Flavonoids have negligible antioxidant activity in the body, and the increase in antioxidant capacity of blood seen after consumption of flavonoid-rich foods is not caused directly by flavonoids, but by production of uric acid resulting from flavonoid depolymerization and excretion. [1]
Because xanthine oxidase is a metabolic pathway for uric acid formation, the xanthine oxidase inhibitor allopurinol is used in the treatment of gout. Since xanthine oxidase is involved in the metabolism of 6-mercaptopurine, caution should be taken before administering allopurinol and 6-mercaptopurine, or its prodrug azathioprine, in conjunction.
High levels of purines are known to increase uric acid production and may aggravate or lead to conditions such as gout. [14] Harvard researchers report that omega-3 fatty acids and uridine, two substances in foods such as fish, walnuts, molasses, and sugar beets, prevented depression in rats as effectively as antidepressant drugs.
Uricosurics are often used in the treatment of gout, a disease in which uric acid crystals form deposits in the joints. By decreasing plasma uric acid levels, help dissolve these crystals, while limiting the formation of new ones. However, the increased uric acid levels in urine can contribute to kidney stones.