The New York Times bestselling author of Grain Brain and Brain Wash offers simple dietary and lifestyle tweaks to help you lose weight, prevent (and reverse) disease, and live a long and healthy life by reducing high uric acid levels--the hidden health risk you didn't know you had.
What do obesity, insulin resistance, diabetes, fatty liver disease, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, stroke, neurological disorders, and premature death have in common? All can be stoked by high uric acid levels.
Our most respected scientific literature is bursting with evidence that elevated uric acid levels lie at the root of many pervasive health conditions, but mainstream medicine for the most part remains unaware of this connection. This is especially alarming because a large number of Americans don't know they are suffering from increased levels, putting them at risk for developing or exacerbating potentially life-threatening illnesses.
Offering an engaging blend of science and practical advice, Drop Acid exposes the deadly truth about uric acid and teaches invaluable strategies to manage its levels, including:
Simple dietary edits focused on reducing fructose and foods high in "purines" that can raise uric acid
Natural hacks that lower levels such as consuming tart cherries, vitamin C, quercetin, and coffee
Identifying common pharmaceuticals that threaten to increase uric acid
Lifestyle interventions, like restorative sleep and exercise
How to easily test your uric acid levels at home--a test routinely performed in your doctor's office during regular check-ups but typically ignored.
Featuring the groundbreaking "LUV" (Lower Uric Values) diet, 35 delicious recipes, self-assessment quizzes, and a 21-day program for dropping levels, Drop Acid empowers readers with the information they need to address this hidden danger and live longer, leaner, and healthier lives.
My Review:
Drop Acid by David Perlmutter is a fascinating look into the effects of diet, specifically excess uric acid has on the human body. The book is full of scientific references but, it is told in a conversational tone that is easy to understand.
The book is told in two parts. The first part gives you all the scientific data that supports the role uric acid plays in human metabolism. The second part is all about how to lower uric acid using the author’s LUV (Lower Uric Values) diet and gives the reader a three-week diet plan as well as outlying the foods to avoid, and the foods that help lower uric acid levels.
I found this book gives the reader a good scientific background of the role of uric acid, told in a way that most readers can understand. And the book gives a good solid way for readers to lower uric acid levels using diet and supplements.
This review is based on the book and the way it is laid out and told. I did not try the LUV diet, so I cannot give a first-hand account of how it works.
I recommend this book to anyone who wants to try to understand the effects of uric acid on the body. I received a complimentary copy of this book. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
About David Perlmutter
Dr. Perlmutter is a Board-Certified Neurologist and five-time New York Times bestselling author. He serves on the Board of Directors and is a Fellow of the American College of Nutrition.
Dr. Perlmutter received his M.D. degree from the University of Miami School of Medicine where he was awarded the Leonard G. Rowntree Research Award. He serves as a member of the Editorial Board for the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease and has published extensively in peer-reviewed scientific journals including Archives of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and The Journal of Applied Nutrition. In addition, he is a frequent lecturer at symposia sponsored by institutions such as the World Bank and IMF, Columbia University, Scripps Institute, New York University, and Harvard University, and serves as an Associate Professor at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine.
His books have been published in 32 languages and include the #1 New York Times bestseller Grain Brain, The Surprising Truth About Wheat, Carbs and Sugar, with over 1 million copies in print. Other New York Times bestsellers include Brain Maker, The Grain Brain Cookbook, The Grain Brain Whole Life Plan, and Brain Wash, co-written with Austin Perlmutter, M.D. He is the editor of The Microbiome and the Brain authored by top experts in the field and published in December 2019 by CRC Press. His latest book, Drop Acid, focuses on the pivotal role of uric acid in metabolic diseases, and will be published in February, 2022.
Dr. Perlmutter has been interviewed on many nationally syndicated television programs including 20/20, Larry King Live, CNN, Fox News, Fox and Friends, The Today Show, Oprah, The CBS Early Show, and CBS This Morning.
Dr. Perlmutter is the recipient of numerous awards, including: the Linus Pauling Award for his innovative approaches to neurological disorders; the National Nutritional Foods Association Clinician of the Year Award, the Humanitarian of the Year Award from the American College of Nutrition, and most recently the 2019 Global Leadership Award from the Integrative Healthcare Symposium.
Very interesting. Uric acid also causes gout and kidney stones. My husband has gout and gets kidney stones. He takes medication to keep the gout under control. Unfortunately, he’s a walking medical anomaly due other things he’s dealing with and he can’t just change his diet (i.e. cut out the red meat) because he needs those foods. I can believe that uric acid is the culprit for a lot of medical issues, though, after seeing how it affects my husband.
That sounds very interesting. Things like this fascinate me. Sometimes they overwhelm me too but still they fascinate me. I was reading this week how processed me are considered a carcinogen by – I think it was – WHO, and I realized I had no idea what they are referring to by processed meats, so I looked it up and it’s deli meats, even things like turkey and chicken, and breakfast meats. I was like, good grief, I eat processed meats every day. And then I was totally overwhelmed. Lol!
Surprising choice until I saw your reference to the Nonfiction Challenge. Good review. The thing that drew my eye is the reference to quercetin. I had not heard of it until recently when I read that a doctor has found that it can be used to treat covid. It acts like hydroxychloroquine to open up the cells so they can absorb zinc. I am requesting the book to see what else quercetin can do and what this doctor’s thesis is in general. It sounds interesting and readable.
This sounds like a thought-provoking read Wendy! I know high uric acid can cause kidney stones, and there I have several family members who suffer with these. Thanks for sharing about this book.
I think I need to read this book. Thanks Wendy, it might help me out a bit.
It’s intriguing for sure.
The only thing I knew about uric acid was that it could be connected to kidney stones.
What an interesting angle to take for dieting. I wonder how effective it is?
Thank you Lydia. I didn’t try the diet, so I don’t know.
Very interesting. Uric acid also causes gout and kidney stones. My husband has gout and gets kidney stones. He takes medication to keep the gout under control. Unfortunately, he’s a walking medical anomaly due other things he’s dealing with and he can’t just change his diet (i.e. cut out the red meat) because he needs those foods. I can believe that uric acid is the culprit for a lot of medical issues, though, after seeing how it affects my husband.
My husband also gets kidney stones, which is why I requested this book.
It’s nice when a scientific book is written so the concepts are easy to grasp. Glad to hear you enjoyed it, Wendy.
Thank you, Rachel. I agree, I don’t like things to be too technical.
That sounds very interesting. Things like this fascinate me. Sometimes they overwhelm me too but still they fascinate me. I was reading this week how processed me are considered a carcinogen by – I think it was – WHO, and I realized I had no idea what they are referring to by processed meats, so I looked it up and it’s deli meats, even things like turkey and chicken, and breakfast meats. I was like, good grief, I eat processed meats every day. And then I was totally overwhelmed. Lol!
I agree with you, Tessa. What we should eat and what we shouldn’t eat seems to change all the time! Remember when eggs were bad for you!
Surprising choice until I saw your reference to the Nonfiction Challenge. Good review. The thing that drew my eye is the reference to quercetin. I had not heard of it until recently when I read that a doctor has found that it can be used to treat covid. It acts like hydroxychloroquine to open up the cells so they can absorb zinc. I am requesting the book to see what else quercetin can do and what this doctor’s thesis is in general. It sounds interesting and readable.
It sure was interesting. Thanks, Linda, I hope you find the information you’re looking for.
Terrific review Wendy!💞📚
Thank you, Kaceey!
This sounds like a thought-provoking read Wendy! I know high uric acid can cause kidney stones, and there I have several family members who suffer with these. Thanks for sharing about this book.
Thank you Jodie, my husband suffers from them too, so I thought it would be a good reference for him.
This sounds interesting 💕
Thank you, Jenny