Any of a group of nitrogencontaining compounds synthesized in the body or produced by the digestion of certain proteins. Increased levels of purine can cause hyperuricaemia, which may lead to gout. Foods that have a high purine content include sardines, liver, kidneys, pulses, and poultry.
n. a nitrogen-containing compound with a two-ring molecular structure. Examples of purines are adenine and guanine, which form the *nucleotides of nucleic acids, and uric acid, which is the end-product of purine metabolism.
These are waste products or metabolites of nucleoproteins. They are not recyclable and are broken down further to the primary excretable form, uric acid. High purine presence in a tissue signifies a recent high turnover in nucleoproteins from injury or cell death, which is why some purines, such as allantoin, will stimulate cell regeneration. Many plants contain allantoin, most noticeably Comfrey. Some foods are heavy purine producers and can elevate serum uric acid levels. These include organ meats, seafood, legumes, and such politically correct foods as spirulina, chlorella, and bee pollen. Caffeine and theobromine are purine-based alkaloids and can mildly increase uric acid, but they pale beside algae, pollen, and glandular extracts from the chiropractor.... purines
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