Gout: Acidity, Oxidation, and Cardiovascular Disease - Part One

Gout is a painful Omen of Cardiovascular Disease. Due to a whole host of Lifestyle Choices, Gout and Cardiovascular Disease share many of the same risk factors. In Part One of this Three Part Series we will be exploring and revealing the effects of high levels of acidity for both Gout and Heart Disease. Gout is easily understood from the standpoint of acidity due to the common characteristic of the presence of too much Uric Acid. All too often Gout is treated from the stand point that if the Uric Acid alone is lowered, then everything will be fine. However Uric Acid is only one of many different Metabolic Acids that are produced by our bodies for a number of different reasons; some of them can become out of control and cause a wide range of problems. Typically the outward evidence of Gout is a Gout Attack; the well-known red, shiny, hot to the touch inflammation of the joints. Feet, ankles, hands and wrists are among the most common. In advanced cases, Tophaceous Gout produces unsightly lumps and nodes of chalky or cottage cheese-looking masses under the skin typically around the joints. Beyond that Renal Complications can develop and Kidney Stones are not uncommon. This is how the overall acidic condition presents itself as Gout. Acidosis creates a much different form of complication in the Cardiovascular System. The term "acid" usually characterizes agents that dissolve and destroy surfaces and substances. An acidic pH does the same thing to the tissues of our bodies. In the same way that we watch acids corrode different things in our exte al environment, it also wears away at the lining of our blood vessels and heart in the same way. The Endothelium lines our entire Cardiovascular System and is only one cell thick. The health of the Endothelial Cells are of paramount importance for our overall health. Inflammation in our body happens in very large and outwardly visible ways but more importantly in very microscopic ways at the cellular level. When the pH of our blood is maintained at between 7.35 and 7.42, that microscopic inflammation is held in check. If it is not, statistically speaking, we are at greater risk of Stokes, Heart Attacks, and generally poor circulation. At this point, the entire system is subject to Atherosclerosis or the build up of plaques causing blockages and clots and more damage to the interior of the vast network of the Circulatory System. The healthy Negative Ions are diminishing and more unstable, destructive Positive Ions multiply the problems in the blood vessels and Heart. Heart beat irregularities and muscle contraction interference can result in fatal consequences. Also due to the over-acidic condition of the blood pH, Arteriosclerosis or the hardening of the arteries will develop and create high blood pressure and the possibility of Aneurysms. Implementing the necessary Lifestyle Changes is the only way to address the Cause of all the Acid Build up. Taking the measures to learn about alkalizing foods and waters is the fastest way to swing the pH into balance and make measurable progress. Eliminating acidifying practices in general is what needs to be done. It is not only what eat and drink that produces an Acidic Inner Environment; Stress, Negative Thinking, Poor Air Quality, Smoking, and Toxic Chemicals like pesticides in our environments also find their way into our bodies and add to the Acid Build up.