What do obesity, insulin resistance, diabetes, fatty liver disease, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, stroke, and dementia have in common? They are all chronic diseases that together are the leading cause of death in the world today. And they’re largely caused not by genes, but by our environment, lifestyle, and food choices.

This much many of us already know. But today’s guest brings some valuable new information to the table: the role of uric acid. Dr David Perlmutter is a board-certified neurologist and six-time New York Times bestselling author, whose work has won him many high-profile awards. He serves on the Board of Directors and is a Fellow of the American College of Nutrition and is an Associate Professor at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. His latest book, Drop Acid: The Surprising New Science of Uric Acid, focuses on the pivotal role of uric acid in chronic metabolic diseases, claiming that lowering its level in the body holds the key to losing weight, controlling blood sugar, and transforming health.

Many of us (including healthcare professionals) only think about uric acid in relation to a painful condition called gout. But, as David explains in this conversation, even slightly raised uric acid levels can have damaging and widespread implications for our health.

David and I begin by discussing what he calls the ‘evolutionary environmental mismatch’ – how our modern lives are, in many ways, at odds with what serves our biology best. And, of course, one of the key elements that is driving this mismatch is the modern food environment.

Many of us simply think about food as energy or calories but, during this conversation, David and I discuss why we need to start thinking about food as information. Every bite that we eat is giving our body cues and signals. If we give our bodies the right cues, they will thrive. If we give them the wrong cues, they will start to malfunction.

One of the foods that is giving problematic cues to our bodies is fructose. David and I discuss what exactly fructose is, where it lives, and why he is so keen for all of us to reduce the amount we are consuming.

We also talk about the relationship between our fructose intake and uric acid levels, the evolutionary benefit for slightly higher uric acid levels, how increased uric acid can drive fat storage, high blood sugar levels, high blood pressure, and insulin resistance. We also discuss what changes we can make with our food choices to reduce uric acid levels in our body.

David explains how certain food choices can make us more impulsive, less compassionate, and less empathetic and how the right food choices can help us make better decisions and increase our happiness.

David is a gifted communicator and someone who is committed to helping as many people as possible live healthier and happier lives. I hope you enjoy listening.

Watch the video version of the conversation here:

Watch the conversation on YouTube