The incidence of hyperuricemia continues to rise. Although chemical drugs are effective in lowering uric acid levels, their long-term use is associated with significant side effects. Food-derived bioactive peptides have become a new research focus in this field due to their natural origin, high safety and diverse mechanisms of action. This article systematically reviewed recent progress in the study of food-derived uric acid-lowering peptides, covering preparation and screening methods, mechanisms of action, characteristic properties and bioavailability. Enzymatic hydrolysis combined with physical pretreatment and fermentation techniques was becoming increasingly established, while the application of bioinformatics approaches such as molecular docking had significantly improved the efficiency of active peptide discovery. Current understanding had moved beyond the traditional view of simply inhibiting xanthine oxidase;these peptides act through multiple complementary pathways, including reducing uric acid production, promoting renal excretion, exerting antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects and modulating the gut microbiota. Low molecular weight and specific amino acid composition were key structural determinants of activity. Most active peptides exhibited good digestive stability, and the use of stabilized delivery systems provides a viable strategy to enhance their efficacy in vivo.However, several challenges remain, including unclear metabolic pathways in the body, a lack of crystallographic validation of binding modes, insufficient evidence from population studies and bottlenecks in large-scale production.Future research should focus on elucidating the underlying mechanisms, clarifying metabolic processes and optimizing scalable preparation techniques. This article integrates existing research findings and aims to provide a theoretical reference for the development of novel functional foods for uric acid management.