Most people have heard of uric acid because of gout—that painful joint condition often linked to rich foods and too much wine.
But new research is turning that idea on its head.
It turns out that uric acid may actually be one of the most important early warning signs your body gives you—especially when it comes to how well you're handling environmental toxins. And even if you've never had gout, elevated uric acid might be telling you something serious about your health.
What Is Uric Acid—and Why Does It Matter?
Uric acid is a natural waste product your body makes when it breaks down certain substances in food. Normally, your kidneys filter it out and you excrete it through urine. But when uric acid builds up, it can cause inflammation—and that’s where problems start.
Here’s what scientists have recently discovered:
Even slightly high levels of uric acid (still in the “normal” range) are linked to higher risks of:
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Heart disease
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Diabetes
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Kidney stress
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Early death
And here's the shocking part: these risks increase even if you don’t have symptoms of gout.
So What's Causing Uric Acid to Rise?
It's not just food.
Exposure to environmental toxins—especially chemicals like PFAS (sometimes called “forever chemicals”) and old-school pesticides—can push uric acid levels higher.
PFAS are found in many everyday items like:
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Non-stick cookware
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Fast-food wrappers
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Water-resistant clothing
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Firefighting foam
And organochlorine pesticides, although banned in many countries, still linger in soil and food chains.
Studies show a clear dose-dependent link—which means the more of these toxins in your body, the higher your uric acid goes.
Sources:
The Bigger Picture: Uric Acid and Your Health
A major study found that people with higher uric acid levels had a much greater risk of dying early—even if they didn’t have gout or any known health condition.
Those in the highest uric acid group had significantly shorter lifespans than people with lower levels.
Study link:
Uric Acid as a Marker of Mortality and Morbidity in Fabry Disease: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0166290
What’s behind this? Experts like Dr. Joseph Pizzorno believe that uric acid may be an early sign of toxic overload—especially in the kidneys, which work hard to filter out chemicals.
In other words:
Uric acid might be your body’s way of waving a red flag that your detox systems are struggling.
When Should You Be Concerned?
Most labs consider uric acid “normal” if it’s under 7.0, but that may be far too high if you’re trying to stay healthy long-term.
If your uric acid is above 5.0 mg/dL, especially if you feel fatigued, foggy, inflamed, or are dealing with chronic issues—it’s worth digging deeper. It could be a sign that your body is struggling with chemical exposures.
Other Lab Results That Might Mean Something More
Did you know that common lab results—like your white blood cell count or liver enzymes—can also shift when you're carrying a heavy toxic load?
Here are a few to watch:
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Alkaline phosphatase > 90 → may point to pesticide exposure
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Bilirubin > 0.8 → linked to chemicals like PCBs and PFAS
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Homocysteine > 10 despite taking B vitamins → can be affected by heavy metals like lead and arsenic
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Platelet count < 250,000 → solvents and benzene exposure
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White blood cell count < 6,000 → possible impact from pesticide residues
These numbers may still be “in range,” but they could be early clues that your body is struggling with environmental stressors.
So What Can You Do?
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Get your uric acid tested – it’s a simple blood test that’s often part of routine labs.
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Ask for a copy of your lab results – don’t just accept “everything looks fine.”
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Consider testing for toxic exposures – especially if you have multiple symptoms and unexplained lab shifts.
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Support your body’s detox pathways – including liver, kidney, and gut health.
And most importantly—don’t wait for symptoms to get worse before you act. Prevention is always better than treatment.
Want to Learn More? Start Here:
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Uric acid and PFAS connection: https://ehp.niehs.nih.gov/0900940
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Uric acid as a predictor of mortality: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0166290
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Toxins and uric acid link: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11031731/
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Uric acid and pesticide exposure: https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2025.1484663/full
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How PFAS affect kidney and liver health: https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphys.2023.1103141/full
Take the First Step Toward Answers
At O’Keefe Matz Functional Health Clinic, we specialize in getting to the root cause of unexplained symptoms and chronic conditions. Whether you're dealing with fatigue, inflammation, brain fog, or just a feeling that something's “off,” we take the time to investigate what your body is trying to tell you—often starting with the labs you already have.
If you’re concerned about your uric acid or want a deeper look at your overall health, we invite you to schedule a comprehensive functional medicine assessment.
Let’s uncover what’s holding your health back—and create a clear, personalized plan to move forward.
O'Keefe Matz Functional Health Clinic
1053 Ashland Avenue
Saint Paul, MN 55104
Phone: 651-292-8072
