So much of natural gout treatment requires diet and every gout sufferer has to pay very close attention to what they eat and drink. Imagine how useful a nutrition database on your home computer is; one that you can quickly access, without going to the Internet or 500 page reference books, to look up the nutrients in foods and beverages. And suppose that this comprehensive database is free and easily downloaded? Too good to be true? Not in this case. The USDA National Nutrient database for Windows, Standard Reference, Release SR20 is free and it's easily downloaded. It comes courtesy of the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture and HeatheTech Inc. Its site says that there are Mac and handheld versions too. So if you use a handheld computer it can be used outside your home. It can be searched online for the vitamin, mineral, water, ash, protein, calorie, carbohydrate, fats, fibre (fiber), sugars, caffeine and others, of foods and beverages. To download visit http://www.ars.usda.gov/Services/docs.htm?docid=8964 Scroll down to where the text says "download the database for use on your computer with various software packages." Click on this. On the next page that arrives click on pcs20 exe to download it. There is also an 11 page downloadable guide in Adobe Reader which explains how to download, and how to use the database. Click on "user's guide." If you don't wish to download it, the database can also be viewed online HOW EXACTLY CAN A GOUT SUFFERER USE IT? Apart from the obvious benefit of quickly learning the nutrient values of foods to construct a free gout diet. Here are a few ways. In earlier articles I have written about the success a South African study of the use of three Zone diet rules had in lowering uric acid and against gout attacks in 13 male gout patients. Essentially, at the practical, do-it-yourself level, the Zone diet involves discovering your ideal amount of carbohydrates, protein and fats, and then implementing these amounts in your diet. How to discover and implement them are in the book "Entering the Zone" (aka the Zone diet) with additional tips and techniques in follow-up book "Mastering the Zone," both written by Barry Sears PhD. So too are many of the necessary values in foods. But the values tables in the books do not cover as many foods and beverages as does this "Titanic of nutrition" database. The carbohydrate, protein and fats amount in foods can be easily found in the National Nutrient database. For this diet you also need to distinguish between mono and poly unsaturated fats and saturated fats. The amounts of these in foods are easily discovered in the database Vitamin C has been pretty well researched as a natural gout remedy. It has been found to lower uric acid levels somewhat. In the last study about it in 2005, with 500 mg of Vitamin C daily. Vitamin C is best taken in foods. Use the National Nutrient database to find the natural Vitamin C content of foods You can even discover how cooking, canning and freezing various foods affects the Vitamin C content of them. (It usually falls). Not only can you look up each food you are interested via the database but you can also at this site look up lists (called reports) sorted from highest to lowest and download those lists to your home or office computer. For some investigations, it's a great time saver. These reports require Adobe Reader. This can also be done for alkalizing minerals such as calcium, magnesium, potassium and zinc. And for important antioxidants that gout sufferers need such as Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Selenium and Beta Carotene. pH OF FOODS NUMBERS Alkalizing your body (raising its pH levels above pH 7.0) is an important part of natural gout treatment because the pH theory is that a more alkaline body make uric acid more soluble and better absorbs nutrients in foods. One way to improve your body's pH levels is to ensure adequate levels of potassium, calcium, magnesium and zinc. All are important in alkalization but more calcium may be the most since if your body is acidic (low pH levels below pH 7.0) it may be scavenging calcium from your bones. Why? Blood pH must be at pH 7.365. The body will ensure that it is, even if it has to loot calcium elsewhere to do it. All these minerals amounts in foods and beverage are shown in the National Nutrient database. Which foods are acidic and which are alkaline? Visit http://home.bluegrass.net/~jclark/alkaline_foods.htm to download pH potential of foods tables. PURINE TABLES Over-producers of uric acid (as opposed to under-excretors) may benefit from a low purine gout diet since restricting purines in foods probably means less available to be converted into uric acid. Do you want the purines contents of foods and drinks? Visit http://www.acumedico.com/purine.htm Gotcha! Three very useful free gout resources to use as part of natural gout treatment.
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