How to Treat an Increased Amount of Acid in the Body

An excessive amount of acid in the body can be caused by consuming highly acidic foods such as citrus fruits and juices, as well as tomatoes and dairy. Your uric acid levels can also rise after eating purine-rich foods such as fish, animal organs and vegetables such as beans, spinach and cauliflower. By adjusting your diet and making slight lifestyle adjustments you can reduce the amount of acid produced in your body, which lowers your risk of developing acid reflux or gout. Gout is caused by a urate crystals forming around your joints, according to Victor Konshin, author of "Beating Gout: A Sufferer's Guide to Living Pain Free."

Things You'll Need

• Water
• Vitamin supplements

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Instructions

• 1

  Drink more water. Your body requires plenty of water to maintain proper functioning and prevent dehydration, but it also uses water to flush excess acid from your system. Drink 2 to 4 liters of water daily to dilute your urine, according to the Mayo Clinic. This lowers the amount of uric acid in your body and lowers the risk of gout, a type of arthritis that causes sharp, sudden pain, redness and tenderness around your joints.

• 2

  Reduce consumption of acidic foods. Tomatoes, eggs, wine, dairy, corn, gravy, organ meats, citrus fruits and juices are all highly acidic, which increases the level of stomach acid produced during digestion. Replace these highly acidic foods with alkaline foods, as they balance out the pH level in your body. Alkaline foods include most vegetables except for corn and tomatoes, and all fruits except cranberries, prunes and plums, according to Konshin.

• 3

  Avoid or limit purine-rich foods. Purines are organic compounds found in certain foods, which break down into uric acid after digestion. Although purines can be found in most foods, some foods, such as organ meats and specific vegetables, contain high amounts of purines which dramatically increase your uric acid level. According to the Mayo Clinic, you should limit your meat consumption to 4 to 6 ounces daily, and get your daily required protein from low-fat milk rather than animal meat.

• 4

  Avoid alcohol. Alcohol increases your uric acid levels, which can increase gout symptoms and also lowers your lower esophageal sphincter, the muscle responsible for keeping stomach acid from flowing back into your esophagus and cause heartburn and acid reflux.