Natural remedies for gout. More ways to discover, measure and boost your pH levels

Natural remedies for gout, which means remedies that avoid drugs, include gout diets. The awkward truth about lowering purine intake is that for most people restricting purines to reduce uric acid levels is not enough. This is mainly because most purines are made in the body.

So you also need to consider the acid/alkaline (alkaline is also called base) balance of your body and if required increase its alkalinity. The acid/alkaline balance measurement is known as the pH ratio or pH level. pH is a short form of the words "power of hydrogen". If you increase your body’s alkalinity you have a better chance of a natural remedy for gout. And it is strongly argued that a more alkaline body is a healthier one. This makes adjustment of your pH level one of the natural remedies for gout.

Your acid/alkaline balance can be self tested so that regular monitoring of progress towards a natural cure for gout is measurable.

Why is an improvement of pH levels one of the natural remedies for gout? Recall that uric acid has to be reduced and removed. Drinking lots of water as part of your gout diet is one way of assisting this process. Water has an approximate acid/alkaline ratio of 7.0. When you drink more water, this helps to raise your pH ratio i.e. it makes your body more alkaline as well as diluting uric acid. Taking baking soda (bicarbonate of soda) in water, if your doctor approves, will raise your pH ratio more than plain water, with the usual proviso that the amount required to do this varies from person to person. So too will alkaline water drops or water filtered through water ionizers. (See the baking soda page).

But what makes uric acid more soluble i.e. what makes it more likely that drinking lots of water will dissolve and remove the uric acid and make your gout diet a successful contributor to your natural gout treatment ?

The answer is that the solubility of uric acid depends to some degree on your body’s pH level. The higher the acid/alkaline ratio i.e. the higher this number on the pH scale, the more alkaline your body, and the more uric acid you should dissolve. The normal urine score is a pH ratio of 5.8-6.8 but it can vary from 4.5 – 9.0. At a pH of 5.0 you will dissolve much less uric acid than at 7.0. Over 7.0 and you should dissolve more.

There’s a third help in improving pH. (First help is lots of water, second help is water plus an alkalizing agent). A natural gout treatment diet includes foods higher in pH, (more alkaline) and it reduces foods with a low pH (more acidic). This will also help to raise your body pH ratio. (See the pH potential of foods further on. Click on the link at the bottom of this page for the pH potential of foods). But remember, just as a highly acidic body can suffer from acidosis, an over alkaline body can suffer from alkalosis, which causes muscle cramps and spasms among other problems. So don't over do it.

Testing your pH levels The first step is to find out your present pH levels. Next, as you use ways to raise pH, measure your progress with these home tests. Acquire some pH or litmus paper and use it to test either your saliva or urine or preferably both. Manufacturers’ instructions for its correct use will be included and make sure you follow these accurately.

When, and how often, do you do these natural remedies for gout tests? Note that pH Levels change after a meal. Some meals are more alkaline, or more acidic, than others depending on what you have eaten.and they vary during the day and night, (for example whilst we sleep our body becomes more acidic). In fact the body pH changes perhaps even minute by minute. So do tests at different times of the day – first thing in the morning is a good time. Look for trend changes over time. The results from a few tests simply don’t cut it.

If your pH level improves (i.e. rises) you’ll know something very useful – it’s likely that you may be removing more uric acid. If it doesn’t, you’ll know you may have make your natural gout remedy foods lower in purines and less acidic, use other or additional alkalizing agents or focus on one of the other natural remedies for gout.

Apart from a more alkaline diet, and the other alkalizing agents already mentioned, other alkalizing agents include minerals such as calcium, potassium, magnesium, zinc and sodium. (See the gout vitanutrients page for more home remedies for gout).

Click here to learn about the pH scale of foods. And, which foods are alkaline, which are acidic?

Click here to go to useful ideas for using pH to assist your remedy

You can also view instructional videos which show you how to install, (not difficult), use and maintain Jupiter ionizers. Most people will not require the services of a plumber to install one.

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If you can take delivery in the U.S. we recommend the pH test kit and dispenser below from Swanson Vitamins. Standard shipping within the U.S.is $4.95 on any size of order. Swanson also ship internationally. For more details about Swanson shipping rates -click "$4.95 shipping", top right corner of the swansonvitamins.com home page.

Swanson pH Balance Testing Tape w/Dispenser Aids your ability to test pH balance Features 15 feet of testing tape A color-coded easy-to-read chart makes it easy + to get a fast accurate reading Testing Tape W/Dispenser 1 Kit Swanson Ph Line