Cherries - Natural Remedy For Gout Articles | Remedy

By: Richard Bleuze

In recent years, natural remedies for gout have become very popular. The primarily reason for this is that most gout medications have severe side effects, or are not safe to take long term. Natural remedies for gout are safe to take, and usually have no side effects.

The one remedy that everyone seems to agree is very effective-cherries! Eat them fresh or frozen. Also, drink cherry juice daily. You can get pure juice (concentrate) at health food stores.  However, before we discuss cherries for gout prevention, I feel that you should know a little about gout.

Most importantly, gout symptoms occur without warning most commonly in the big toe. Common gout symptoms include swelling, tenderness of the affected area, redness and warmth of the skin over the joint, slight to moderate fever, and gradually increasing pain.

Gout’s main characteristic is increased blood levels of uric acid, with an increase in uric acid production greater than that excreted. It is the high level of uric acid that cause the repeated attacks of acute arthritis known as gout.

That was brief, wasn't it?  Now about cherries in your prevention of gout.

The reason that cherry juice and cherries help prevent and reduce symptoms of gout is because cherries contain flavonoids which help reduce high uric acid levels. High uric acid levels may lead to the development of gout. In addition, when uric acid crystals start to accumulate in the joint, flavonoids prevent substances which cause inflammation from entering the joint.

People have been reporting the beneficial effects of cherries and cherry juice as a natural gout remedy.   All cherries, both sour and sweet, have been reported to be a natural gout remedy. The amount of cherries to eat a day is between ten cherries and up to one half pound. Some people also found taking cherry juice concentrate can help prevent gout.

The relation between gout and cherry juice was studied in a 1950 Texas study of twelve patients who were gout sufferers. When there patients were given about a pound of fresh or canned cherries a day (or the equivalent amount of cherry juice), uric acid levels went down to normal and they did not suffer any more attacks of gout. In addition, these patients reported increased movement in the small joints normally affected by gout such as their fingers and toes when including the cherries in their diet.

Another, more recent, study on the relation between gout and cherry juice was published in the Journal of Natural Products in 1999. This study demonstrated that patients who ate at least twenty cherries per day gave similar pain relief as aspirin and other pain killers because the cherries inhibited compounds that caused inflammation of the joints. They discovered that twenty cherries a day provides between twelve and twenty-five milligrams of active flavonoid compounds. These flavonoids can reduce the free radical damage as well as reduce inflammation in the joints.

In addition to cherries and cherry juice, gout can be helped by consuming other dark red berries such as blueberries, hawthorn berries etc. because these berries also contain the beneficial flavonoids. Flavonoids are what create the dark red color in these berries. To get the most success for preventing gout, one should consume along with lots of water thirty-two ounces cherry juice that is both organic and not from concentrate as soon as the feeling of gout is beginning to start. The following day, consume another thirty-two ounces of cherry juice. You should experience pain relief right away.

Gout can be helped by consuming either cherry juice, or cherries on a daily basis. This natural remedy is much better for your health than taking pain killers and is actually more effective in preventing attacks of gout. The beneficial effects of cherry juice on gout can be backed up both by scientific research as well as hundreds of testimonials by people who have tried it.  Thus, give cherries and cherry juice a try  today.  Afterall, they are much better to snack on than chips!