While these diets confer these advantages, vegetarian diets are not necessarily purine-free. Plant foods contain some plant foods like soy products, beans, mushrooms, cauliflower, spinach, and some sea vegetables which are of moderate purine content. Eating very large amounts of these will lead to excess uric acid levels, especially in those with a genetic predisposition or underlying kidney disease.
An exemplary case study in the International Journal of Clinical Biochemistry and Research documents this complication. It documented a middle-aged gentleman, after embracing a vegetarian diet that was high in purine-rich foods such as cauliflower, mushrooms, and beans, who was diagnosed with acute gouty arthritis. This took place in the absence of a previous history of gout, diabetes, or other common risk factors. His familial tendency predisposed him to overproduction of uric acid, although. The case reminds us that, despite vegetarianism, the choice of food does count, particularly in those who are at risk of hyperuricemia.
