What does pH stand for? Is it personal hygiene? Or proper health? Or possibly hydrated? Well no. It actually stands for the power of hydrogen. But without going deeper into biochemistry, gout sufferers just need to know that raising body pH levels makes the body more alkaline, and lowering them, more acidic.

Raising your body's pH levels is part of natural gout treatment. The theory is, supported by studies, that higher body pH levels (more alkaline) contribute to a reduction in uric acid levels because uric acid (diluted from drinking lots of water) becomes more soluble if the body is more alkaline. The higher the acid/alkaline ratio i.e. the higher the pH number on the pH scale, the more alkaline your body, and the more uric acid you should dissolve.

If you reduce your uric acid levels to below 6.0 mg/dL (men), slightly less in women, it is more likely that the troublesome MSU crystals will dissolve and a gout cure will be achieved.

ACHIEVING A MORE ALKALINE BODY

There are various ways to achieve a more alkaline body but probably the easiest is to drink alkaline (ionized) water which is water with excess oxygen in the form of OH-, not O2. It's described as being lively and much tastier than regular water, and you can cook with it. The manufacturers of a well known ionizer brand say food cooked with alkaline water is tastier.

Another route is via eating more alkaline foods and drinking alkaline beverages. There is a silence on food and beverage product nutrition labels. They do not show the pH values of the product, but foods and beverages have a pH value.

THE pH SCALE

The pH scale ranges from 14 (most alkaline) down to 0 (most acidic). pH of 7 is neutral. It is a logarithmic scale. On this scale, as on pH test strips scales, a single whole number change (whether up or down) means a change of 10 times the previous number. So small number changes on this scale in fact mean very significant differences between the alkalinity and acidity of different foods.

As well as pH 0 food labels, neither the excellent USDA National Nutrient database, nor most cookery books and articles list pH values of foods and beverages. And it's not the word off the lips of celebrity chefs. But you can find the pH of foods and drinks on the Internet. One good list is at http://home.bluegrass.net/~jclark/alkaline_foods.htm which can be downloaded.

USING pH VALUES IN DIET PLANNING

Most natural gout treatment involves a diet. Firstly, to reach your ideal weight if required, as it probably will be for most gout sufferers. Secondly, to assist the uric acid reduction process. The low purine gout diet, and any diet which has a positive effect on insulin resistance, are two useful diets in natural gout treatment. Dieting is hard work but most gout sufferers will not achieve a natural gout cure without diet.

"Miracle" foods for gout, such as cherries, celery and perhaps strawberries, (all have been reported to cure gout in some cases), will not work for everyone, probably only for a small minority. Neither will simple natural gout remedies such as avoiding alcohol, although this did work in one famous case in Japan.

So a gout sufferer aiming for a natural gout cure is on a diet. He/she has to carefully consider everything eaten or drunk and maybe consider the pH of foods too. This is a very tall order. In effect they would be on two diets simultaneously.

So how do you use the pH potential of foods numbers? Firstly learn the extent to which a food or drink is acidic or is alkaline. Any number above pH 7.0 is considered alkaline, and below pH 7.0 acidic. Study for a while the pH tables you have downloaded and get a rough idea of the values of your most eaten foods. For an easy, more exact reference, put up a pH foods chart, or printed downloaded lists, on your kitchen wall as a reminder.

Keep this natural gout treatment simple. Instead of two simultaneous diets, exclude some acidic foods especially if they are ones you consume a lot. But continue with your primary gout diet plan. Only exclude more acidic foods, if your body pH levels are not rising above pH 7.0 after testing with pH test strips for a considerable time and at different times of day. (The body's pH numbers change frequently. perhaps even minute by minute).

Record the time and value of all your pH measurements and ensure you follow the test strip manufacturer's usage instructions exactly. Don't overdo it. 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.

Remember too, that there are other ways of raising pH, notably drinking alkaline (ionized) water. Drinking lots of regular water daily also raises pH. So too do alkalizing minerals such as calcium, potassium, magnesium and zinc. Make your pH rise and your uric acid levels should fall. Ensure that your body is not acidic.

NB. The contents of this article contain medical information not medical advice. Please always discuss remedies with your doctor or other health care professional before implementing any treatment.