A 50-year-old male patient presents to the clinic with acute onset of severe joint pain, swelling, and redness in his left big toe. He describes the pain as excruciating and mentions that it started overnight. On examination, the affected joint is warm to the touch, and there is visible swelling and tenderness. The patient reports a history of consuming a diet rich in red meat and alcohol. What is the major cause of this patient's current disorder?

a) Eating too much protein
b) Overproduction of uric acid
c) Underexcretion of uric acid
d) Defects in the breakdown of uric acid