A low purine diet means eating foods that do not have many purines in them. Purines are found in some foods. Uric acid comes from the breakdown of purines. The body does not use uric acid so it is usually filtered by the kidneys and taken out in the urine. When uric acid builds up in the body, it can cause pain and swelling known as gout. It may also cause kidney stones. You may need to follow this low purine diet if you have these problems. Gout is often treated with medicines that help the body get rid of extra uric acid. But, eating the right foods can help limit the amount of purines in your body. This will lessen the amount of uric acid in your body.