The Magnificent Seven Reasons Why Potassium Citrate is One of the Top Vitamins for Gout

If I made a list of the top five vitamins for gout, potassium citrate would definitely be on it. Because potassium is very alkaline, and because potassium citrate is a well absorbed form of potassium, it has a good reputation as an alkalizer and as one of the best gout vitamins. Alkalization brings many benefits to gout sufferers, including raising body pH levels generally, which has been found to make uric acid more soluble and thus more dissolvable. But more specifically, potassium citrate is good at raising the pH of urine. So why should raising the pH of urine be important for gout sufferers?

And the seven are?

It has been found to lower uric acid, although not always.

It helps to keep uric acid (UA) levels lower, very important in preventing a repeat gout attack.

By raising urine pH the risk of uric acid stones in the kidneys developing is reduced. This risk is high among gout sufferers. About 20% (and perhaps more) of gout patients with acidic urine will develop uric acid kidney stones if they do nothing about the risk.

Potassium citrate has even been shown to dissolve uric acid kidney stones or halt their further development.

And it has dissolved the more common kinds stones in the kidneys made from various sorts of calcium.

It can halt the progression of excess uric acid (hyperuricemia) from developing into those oh-so-troublesome MSU crystals which are the immediate cause of the extraordinarily painful gout attacks.

It can avoid an unwelcome eventual outcome of kidney stones, which is lithotripsy surgery.

The need to know basis

Two facts need to be known. First do you have acidic urine? Acidic urine is a urine pH value of pH 5.0 – pH 5.5. Potassium citrate, usually effectively, alkalizes urine. How alkaline should it be? Accounts differ, but somewhere within a range of pH 6.2 - pH 7.5.

Use pH test strips to discover what your urine pH is. Obtain pH test strips, or pH paper. It's a simple home test but follow the instructions in the manufacturer's instructions leaflet accurately. An incorrect reading may cause you to reach wrong conclusions, that lead to incorrect actions.

The second fact to be learnt is your starting (baseline) level of serum (blood) potassium. This means a blood test arranged by your doctor. And it means repeated potassium tests to discover how well raising potassium is raising urine pH.

Work with a doctor

You MUST work with a doctor. There are many dangers of both high potassium (hyperkalemia) and low potassium (hypokalemia). Whilst you can test your urine pH with pH paper at home, it's also advisable to have your pH readings checked by a medical professional. After a period of this treatment your blood uric acid levels can be checked to discover whether the potassium citrate and pH testing procedure is working to raise urine PH, and the real objective which is to lower uric acid. If it's not, the potassium citrate dose can be adjusted upwards, or perhaps downwards if it is.

Your doctor may want to consider other alkalizers such as potassium-magnesium citrate or potassium-sodium citrate which studies have shown also raise the pH of urine.

The amount of potassium citrate required to raise urine pH is not likely to be found over the counter (OTC) or on those online vitamin websites which sell dietary supplements of potassium citrate. These products contain 99mg per tablet. Almost certainly you will need much more than this to deliver therapeutic benefits, which means prescription potassium citrate. Happily potassium is not expensive.

You may live in a country where this gout vitamin and pH test strips are not available or you have to enquire like a detective to find them. Try ordering them online from abroad - the United States is a good source – after consulting a doctor, if this is the case. Another well absorbed form of potassium is chelated potassium.

Other forms of potassium

And although many studies have examined potassium citrate's effect on urinary pH, it's possible just raising potassium levels from potassium rich foods, and a more alkaline diet, will work to raise urinary pH. A Middle Eastern doctor used figs, which are high in potassium. Potassium is very alkaline, and an alkaline diet is one of the three diets that can help to reduce uric acid levels, or reduce them period.

Popular foods high in potassium are potatoes and bananas, but they need to be considered carefully if you are on a carbohydrate restricted diet.

Other high potassium foods include tomatoes, orange juice, dates, figs, milk (including low fat and dried), plums, plantains, papayas, iceberg lettuce and beans (kidney, lima, navy and baked beans). Watch the salt and sugar content if you use canned foods.

NB. This article contains medical information, not medical advice. If you have gout, or hyperuricemia, always discuss dietary change with a doctor.

John Mepham has spent much time researching gout. His best tip for curing gout naturally? Get to your ideal weight whatever the sacrifices may be. Subscribe to his gout newsletter. All new subscribers receive a free copy of his Vitamin C and Gout report which explains the benefits of vitamin C in natural gout treatment.