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Uric acid, a key player in metabolic health, impacts various health issues from obesity to cardiovascular disease. Dr. Perlmutter and Dr. Means delve into the significance of uric acid levels, emphasizing its ties to metabolic dysfunction and insulin resistance. They highlight how high uric acid levels are linked to numerous health conditions, urging individuals to monitor and control their levels to enhance overall health.
Uric acid unveils an evolutionary mechanism tied to survival during food and water scarcity periods. It triggers signals in the body to store fat and conserve energy, aiding in survival during times of possible deprivation. Dr. Perlmutter elucidates how uric acid production from fructose and stress responses like dehydration act as critical survival strategies, shedding light on the polyol pathway and its role in converting glucose to fructose.
Uric acid's inhibition of nitric oxide functionality affects both vascular health and insulin resistance. The discussion extends to the impact on blood supply, erectile dysfunction risk, and the development of insulin resistance. Dr. Perlmutter highlights the intricate relationship between uric acid levels, nitric oxide, and insulin resistance, emphasizing the importance of understanding these interactions for comprehensive metabolic health.
Fructose metabolism plays a crucial role in the development of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. When fructose is converted into uric acid, it stimulates lipogenesis, leading to fat accumulation in the liver. Inhibition of fructose kinase, an enzyme involved in this metabolic pathway, is being studied as a potential treatment for both non-alcoholic and alcoholic fatty liver diseases. Research shows that blocking fructose metabolism can prevent the progression of fatty liver disease, highlighting the importance of understanding and targeting this pathway.
Elevated levels of uric acid have been linked to increased hunger and risk-taking behavior. Uric acid triggers hyperphagia, a heightened drive for food intake, and blunts satiety signals, influencing our eating behaviors. This survival mechanism, rooted in our evolutionary past, promotes risk-taking to ensure food availability. By controlling pathways influenced by uric acid, such as fructose metabolism, individuals can potentially modulate hunger cues and decision-making processes driven by biological markers.
The elevation of uric acid in the body is a causative mechanism in the development of metabolic diseases and contributes to weight gain and fat production. Uric acid is one of the key links between obesity, diabetes, heart disease, neurologic diseases like dementia, ADHD, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, and more. Dr. David Perlmutter talks with Dr. Casey Means about why we have excess uric acid, what foods cause uric acid production, and what simple steps we can take to lower our uric acid levels to be optimal. Look for multiple new shows per week on A Whole New Level, where we have in-depth conversations about metabolic health and how the Levels startup team builds a wellness movement from the ground up in the health and wellness tech industry.
Sign Up to Get Your Free Ultimate Guide to Glucose: https://levels.link/wnl
They also cover:
🎙 What Dr. David Perlmutter & Dr. Casey Means discuss:
(04:23) - More than just gout
(06:17) - A causative role
(08:54) - The number one cause of death
(16:35) - Evolutionary environmental mismatch
(18:08) - High fructose corn syrup
(23:39) - The dangers of uric acid
(24:49) - Uric acid and dementia
(31:44) - Too much fructose
(42:43) - Erectile dysfunction and cardiovascular risk
(01:04:29) - No need to eat sugar
🔗 Helpful links:
Watch the conversation: https://youtube.com/watch?v=QZ6jPCcFNa8
Find us on YouTube: https://youtube.com/levelshealth?sub_confirmation=1
📲 Connect:
Connect with Dr. Casey Means on Instagram: https://instagram.com/DrCaseysKitchen
Connect with Casey on Twitter: https://instagram.com/DrCaseysKitchen
Connect with David Perlmutter, MD on Instagram: https://instagram.com/davidperlmutter
Connect with David on Twitter: https://twitter.com/DavidPerlmutter
Connect with David on LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/david-perlmutter-md-6a38b930
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