GOUT: My Personal Discoveries - Part II

It has been more than 18 months since my last gout attack. My remedies or practices that seemed to work in preventing gout attack are by the following:-

• Mineral Water
• Baking Soda

How does water (mineral water)  work in reducing uric acid levels?

Just about anyone knows the natural remedy for gout is drinking lots of water everyday. A hydrated body will dilute uric acid and diluted uric acid is more likely to be excreted.  However, you need to go to the toilet quite often and this helps to flush the excess uric acid from the body.

It is hypothesized that mineral water  will help maintain the body's pH at 7.0 or greater. At pH 7.0 and higher (body pH towards neutral or alkaline)  more uric acid is likely to be excreted, At pH 7.0, uric acid is almost three times more soluble and forms stable solutions at concentrations of 16 mg per 100 mL.

Please see Iwata H, Nishio S, Yokoyama M, Matsumoto A, and Takeuchi M., ''Solubility of uric acid and supersaturation of monosodium urate: why is uric acid so highly soluble in urine?" J Urol. 1989, 142(4), 1095-8.

Note:  Gout treatment requires the reduction of uric acid levels to below 420 mmol/L or 7.0 mg/dL  (ranges of 3.4 - 7.0 mg/dL is normal in males).

How does one know that our hydrated body is at pH 7.0 or greater?

Check your urine with a pH indicator paper or use a pH meter.

Alternatively, you can also make your own pH indicator from red cabbage!

Is there another way or ways to raise body pH?

There are other ways to to raise the body pH, a diet of alkaline food (eq dates) can help,  alkaline water, or bicarbonate of soda (baking soda),

Drink a glass of water mixed with a teaspoon of baking soda in the morning, mid afternoon and at night. Dosing for sodium bicarbonate powder to make the urine more alkaline (less acidic).

Please consult your doctor if you have high blood pressure or restricted sodium diet.

Note: Since I have high blood pressure I only used this remedy 18 months ago during my gout attack. My main remedial for prevention of gout attack is water hydration.

Alkalinisation is accomplished by drinking a solution of a teaspoon of baking soda (sodium bicarbonate, NaHCO₃) dissolved in a glass of water.  Each teaspoon of baking soda has ~1.2 g of sodium. However, the dose is usually not more than 4 teaspoonfuls a day. Alkali and fluid intake prove successful in managing uric acid stones.

Please see Marangella M., Uric acid elimination in the urine. Pathophysiological implications. Contrib Nephrol. 2005, 147, 132-48. 

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BUT plain water (mineral water) is Boring?

Mineral water or plain water may not be everyone's choice of drink. How do I drink my water (mineral)? I prefer my water with some flavour! There are plenty of things you can do to your water to make it more interesting and enjoyable, for example carbonated water (fizz), a twist of lemon or lime BUT gout sufferers should avoid carbonated or soda drinks.

I personally like my flavoured mineral water drink by using Cherriwell.

Here are some information claimed by Bioxil, www.bioxil.com (I am not an employee of Bioxil) and one of natural remedy for gout has been Montgomery cherries or its juice. This is the only available form of cherries available in Malaysia

What can Cherriwell do for me?
Cherries contain powerful antioxidants called anthocyanins which provide the fruits its distinctive ruby-red colour. The synergistic blend of potent antioxidant and phytonutrients contribute to Cherriwell’s many benefits.

The benefits of antioxidants in 1 glass of Cherriwell

The unique health benefits of cherries are attributed by the high antioxidant content in the fruit. 
ORAC (Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity) units are used to measure the total antioxidant capacity of foods. The higher the ORAC score of a food, the better its ability in inhibiting free radical activity that cause oxidative damage to our body.





Each 30ml serving of Cherriwell is equivalent to 7000 ORAC* units, which is equivalent to about 100 fresh cherries. 
*as measured by the scientifically validated ORAC method.




SOURCE: ORAC food value per 100g. Research conducted ar Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University in Boston and Brunswick Laboratory in Wareham, Massachusetts.

ORAC Values for Top 12 Fruits in Graphical Form