Many people find that treating gout by taking baking soda regularly reduces the intensity and frequency of gout attacks - sometimes to zero.
To understand why this works you need to consider the causes of gout. In the first place, uric acid levels build up to a level that cannot be held in the blood. Crystallization occurs and uric acid salts are deposited in the joints. There is no specific level when this happens and some people can have high levels of uric acid (hyperuricemia) without developing gout. Therefore, you should not simply focus on uric acid levels, but also on other factors.
Body fluids are a combination of many different compounds. Some are acidic and some alkaline. Acidity or alkalinity is generally measured using a pH scale with values between 0 and 14. On this scale 7 is neutral, anything below 7 is acidic and anything above 7 is alkaline. As the overall pH of body fluids fall, uric acid becomes less soluble, increasing the risk of gout attacks. Conversely, increasing alkalinity lowers the risk of uric acid crystallizing and helps dissolve existing crystals.
Due to the effects of acidity, many people find that treating gout with baking soda dramatically improves their condition. The maximum dose, unless advised otherwise by your doctor, is 4 teaspoons per day. This can be either one teaspoon dissolved in water taken 4 times a day, or 1/2 teaspoon more frequently.
Disadvantages
Although I do not class baking soda as a drug, it can have side effects and interactions with drugs you may be taking. You must not start taking baking soda without consulting your doctor. Significantly, as a salt of sodium (baking soda is also called bicarbonate of soda or sodium bicarbonate) it can raise blood pressure. Possible side effects include
Appetite loss
Breathing slow
Continuing headache
Feet or lower legs swollen
Mood changes
Restlessness or nervousness
Twitching or painful muscles
Unpleasant taste
Urge to urinate frequently
Vomiting or nausea
Weakness or tiredness
Avoiding Unpleasant Taste
A GoutPal reader has suggested the following:
I have used baking soda regularly for my gout for years. Please tell people that you can order empty gel caps online to fill and eat the baking soda in pill form without getting sick. The saltwater taste is what makes most people sick. Godspeed!
There are alternative ways of increasing alkalinity of body fluids as a gout treatment. The main alternative is food. The standard text for checking pH values is the US FDA's "Approximate pH of Foods and Food products" list.
I have reformatted this list elsewhere, but since doing this I have realized that the pH value of food is not especially important. The significant effect of food is how it affects the alkalinity of the body after it has been digested. To learn more about how food affects body pH, see treating gout with an alkalizing diet.
