| So much of natural gout treatment requires diet and | | | | For this diet you also need to distinguish between |
| every gout sufferer has to pay very close attention | | | | mono and poly unsaturated fats and saturated fats. |
| to what they eat and drink. Imagine how useful a | | | | The amounts of these in foods are easily discovered |
| nutrition database on your home computer is; one | | | | in the database |
| that you can quickly access, without going to the | | | | Vitamin C has been pretty well researched as a |
| Internet or 500 page reference books, to look up | | | | natural gout remedy. It has been found to lower uric |
| the nutrients in foods and beverages. And suppose | | | | acid levels somewhat. In the last study about it in |
| that this comprehensive database is free and easily | | | | 2005, with 500 mg of Vitamin C daily. Vitamin C is |
| downloaded? Too good to be true? | | | | best taken in foods. Use the National Nutrient |
| Not in this case. The USDA National Nutrient database | | | | database to find the natural Vitamin C content of |
| for Windows, Standard Reference, Release SR20 is | | | | foods |
| free and it's easily downloaded. It comes courtesy of | | | | You can even discover how cooking, canning and |
| the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture and HeatheTech Inc. | | | | freezing various foods affects the Vitamin C content |
| Its site says that there are Mac and handheld | | | | of them. (It usually falls). Not only can you look up |
| versions too. So if you use a handheld computer it | | | | each food you are interested via the database but |
| can be used outside your home. | | | | you can also at this site look up lists (called reports) |
| It can be searched online for the vitamin, mineral, | | | | sorted from highest to lowest and download those |
| water, ash, protein, calorie, carbohydrate, fats, fibre | | | | lists to your home or office computer. For some |
| (fiber), sugars, caffeine and others, of foods and | | | | investigations, it's a great time saver. These reports |
| beverages. | | | | require Adobe Reader. |
| To download visit Scroll down to where the text | | | | This can also be done for alkalizing minerals such as |
| says "download the database for use on your | | | | calcium, magnesium, potassium and zinc. And for |
| computer with various software packages." Click on | | | | important antioxidants that gout sufferers need such |
| this. On the next page that arrives click on | | | | as Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Selenium and Beta |
| “pcs20 exe” to download it. There is also an | | | | Carotene.pH OF FOODS NUMBERS |
| 11 page downloadable guide in Adobe Reader which | | | | Alkalizing your body (raising its pH levels above pH |
| explains how to download, and how to use the | | | | 7.0) is an important part of natural gout treatment |
| database. Click on "user's guide." | | | | because the pH theory is that a more alkaline body |
| If you don't wish to download it, the database can | | | | make uric acid more soluble and better absorbs |
| also be viewed online | | | | nutrients in foods. One way to improve your body's |
| HOW EXACTLY CAN A GOUT SUFFERER USE IT? | | | | pH levels is to ensure adequate levels of potassium, |
| Apart from the obvious benefit of quickly learning | | | | calcium, magnesium and zinc. All are important in |
| the nutrient values of foods to construct a free gout | | | | alkalization but more calcium may be the most since |
| diet. Here are a few ways. | | | | if your body is acidic (low pH levels below pH 7.0) it |
| In earlier articles I have written about the success a | | | | may be scavenging calcium from your bones. Why? |
| South African study of the use of three Zone diet | | | | Blood pH must be at pH 7.365. The body will ensure |
| rules had in lowering uric acid and against gout | | | | that it is, even if it has to loot calcium elsewhere to |
| attacks in 13 male gout patients. Essentially, at the | | | | do it. All these minerals amounts in foods and |
| practical, do-it-yourself level, the Zone diet involves | | | | beverage are shown in the National Nutrient |
| discovering your ideal amount of carbohydrates, | | | | database. |
| protein and fats, and then implementing these | | | | Which foods are acidic and which are alkaline? Visit |
| amounts in your diet. How to discover and implement | | | | home.bluegrass.net/~jclark/alkaline_foods.htm to |
| them are in the book "Entering the Zone" (aka the | | | | download pH potential of foods tables. |
| Zone diet) with additional tips and techniques in | | | | PURINE TABLES |
| follow-up book "Mastering the Zone," both written by | | | | Over-producers of uric acid (as opposed to |
| Barry Sears PhD. So too are many of the necessary | | | | under-excretors) may benefit from a low purine gout |
| values in foods. But the values tables in the books do | | | | diet since restricting purines in foods probably means |
| not cover as many foods and beverages as does | | | | less available to be converted into uric acid. Do you |
| this "Titanic of nutrition" database. | | | | want the purines contents of foods and drinks? Visit |
| The carbohydrate, protein and fats amount in foods | | | | Gotcha! Three very useful free gout resources to |
| can be easily found in the National Nutrient database. | | | | use as part of natural gout treatment. |