Cherry Juice – A Natural Gout Killer
Cherry is a nutritional fruit that contains a number of phytonutrients, vitamins, and minerals with antioxidant values which helps fight against numerous diseases.
There has been two studies conducted separately on the affects of consuming cherries on gout patients.
Study 1: Eating 20+ cherries a day helps reduces gout
1/2 a cup serving of cherries were given individually to a group of 600 gout patients daily. This was found to have reduced the risk of gout by 35%.
Those that consumed 2-3 servings (roughly 20+ cherries) had reduced the risk by 50%.
Eating two servings of cherries after an overnight fast lead to a 15 percent reduction in uric acid, and lower nitric oxide and C-reactive protein levels (which are associated with inflammatory diseases like gout.)2 The researchers noted the study supports “the reputed anti-gout efficacy of cherries” as well as “evidence that compounds in cherries may inhibit inflammatory pathways.”
Study 2: Drinking tart cherry juice twice a day helps reduce gout
A research study conducted by Northumbria University in the U.K. gave 12 healthy participants (average age 26 years) two doses of Montmorency tart cherry juice concentrate: about 1 ounce (30 ml) of the juice concentrate mixed with 100 ml of water (equivalent to 90 whole Montmorency tart cherries) or 2 ounces (60 ml) of juice concentrate mixed with 100 ml of water.
The results supported the researchers’ hypothesis: blood levels of uric acid and C-reactive protein were reduced and urinary uric acid was increased (increased secretion of uric acid by the body) following doses of the tart cherry juice. The magnitude of the change was independent of the dose given; that is, the 30 ml of the juice was just as effective as 60 ml.
Antioxidants Credited for Cherries’ Effect in Gout
The researchers credit anthocyanins — antioxidant pigments found in red and purplish fruits and vegetables, including cherries, purple cabbage, beets, blueberries, raspberries, and purple grapes — for the beneficial effect. Antioxidants stabilize unstable molecules called free radicals, which cause inflammation and damage cells and tissue.
References: Bell et al: Journal of Functional Foods
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1756464614002886