You are what you eat, and if you suffer from gout your pain may be a reflection of the foods you eat or don't eat. Many people take medication to suppress their gout symptoms and continue to eat foods that provoke gout attacks. Instead of limping to the medicine cabinet for relief, consider trying some of the foods that may alter your body's pH, helping to create an alkaline-forming environment, which may prevent gout attacks. If you choose to use food to treat your gout, consult your health practitioner before doing so.
Acidosis
The body is often in a state of acidosis, or one where the pH is too acidic, which may be the precursor for many diseases. This occurs when the foods you eat break down into chemicals that are acidic in nature, like uric acid. Proteins and animal fats are eventually broken down into uric acid, which is ordinarily eliminated from the body through urination. If there is too much uric acid in the urine, some of it escapes back into the bloodstream and is subsequently deposited in the joints, creating gout. The secret is learning to control the uric acid content of your blood and urine. This can be done to some extent by eating alkaline foods or foods that cause an alkaline-forming state in your body.
Apple Cider Vinegar
Apple cider vinegar is possibly the best food to consume to accomplish the task of creating an alkaline-forming state. It is a mild acid whose properties stimulate digestion and trigger the release of all the digestive juices and pancreatic enzymes, including bicarbonate. Bicarbonate is what is responsible for neutralizing acidic digestive juices and neutralizing them, alkalizing the blood and urine. Down the line, this process prevents uric acid from crystallizing once waste materials reach the kidneys, allowing it to be naturally excreted rather than depositing in your joints as gout.
Baking Soda and Lemon Juice Cocktail
Baking soda is a highly alkaline substance and lemon juice is acidic. When combined, these two agents neutralize one another, forming an almost perfect cocktail with a neutral pH of 7, according to Dr. Robert Young and Shelley Redford Young in "The pH Balance." Consuming a drink like this helps to immediately balance your body's pH and helps to correct the overly acidic characteristics, making you more alkaline for a time. Gout is less likely to develop when you drink this cocktail regularly, and existing gout attacks may be ameliorated rapidly with gout crystals dissolving and being excreted through the kidneys.
The proportions for mixing this drink are important to follow. Use 2 tbsp. lemon juice and 1/2 tsp. baking soda. After they have finished fizzing, add 8 oz. water and drink right away. Baking soda can raise the blood pressure in some people; however, it is less likely that will happen with this drink because the baking soda is neutralized. Even so, contact your health practitioner before using this mixture if you have hypertension and take blood pressure medicine.
Alkaline Foods
Another way to help your body become more alkaline and able to prevent gout attacks is to eat foods that have a slightly alkaline pH. Most raw fruits and vegetables are alkaline naturally. Certain foods are especially noted for their health benefits, including their alkaline-forming properties, such as alfalfa sprouts, berries, cherries, cayenne pepper, garlic, almonds, asparagus, figs, dates and especially melons, which are the most alkaline of all foods and should be eaten on their own, according to Dr. Theodore Baroody in "Alkalize or Die."
Other Considerations
Along with adding alkaline-forming foods to your diet to help you manage your gout, you also may want to avoid certain foods that are reputed to cause or aggravate gout. These foods are shellfish, red meat, organ meats, high-fat dairy products, processed meats, alcohol and fast food, which is high in animal fats. By eliminating these foods from your diet and adding healthier sources of protein and medicinal foods for alkalinity, you may find long-term relief for your gout pain.
References
- University of Maryland Medical Center: Gout
- Drugs.com: Baking Soda
- "The pH Miracle"; Dr. Robert O. Young and Shelley Redford Young; 2003
- "Alkalize or Die"; Dr. Theodore A. Baroody; 1991
- Blood, Sweat, and Buffers: pH Regulation During Exercise
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