Hi Boox Popular Magazine 2024
A gout is a complex form of arthritis that is accompanied by redness, swelling, tenderness of joints, and severe attacks of pain. The gout attacks can be severe and are usually felt in the toe, ankle, and knee joints. Gout attacks can occur anytime all of a sudden. People with gout complain of waking up in the middle of the night feeling like their toes are on fire.
Some experience severe pain for about 4 hours straight, and even after the severe pain subsides, the lingering discomfort can be felt for days or weeks. As the condition progresses you may experience mobility problems due to the joint pain. Gout could occur due to obesity, following a diet high in uric acid, consuming certain medications, or a family history of gout.
Preventing gout
Gout is caused by the uric acid build up in the joints and gout attacks can keep recurring. You can control the recurrence using prescription medicines. You can follow other preventive measures to reduce the occurrence of gout attacks. Stay hydrated, limit alcohol, opt for low-fat dairy products, and maintain a healthy weight.
Cherries for treating gout
Another natural way to reduce the occurrence of gout attacks by consuming cherries. Cherry is a nutritious fruit that provides relief for people with gout, sore muscles, and insomnia. Refer to this article by Spiro Koulouris if you want to know more about cherry’s benefits for people with gout. He is the author of the popular blog ‘Gout and You’.
After having experienced gout attacks for years, he has come up with an informative and resourceful blog for others going through gout. Go through his blog and reduce the occurrence of your gout episodes.
What do researches tell?
For years people have been consuming cherries to keep gout flares and painful osteoarthritis at bay. This claim no more remains a folk remedy. Researchers started exploring cherries’ potential benefits for gout treatment. It was found that eating 20 cherries helped to reduce the occurrence of gout attacks by half.
Though the current researches give the thumbs up for gout sufferers to turn to cherries as a natural supplement for helping with gout, how exactly berries promote this effect remains unclear. Those who find relief for gout after consuming cherries may also share other characteristics and more extensive research is on the way.
How does cherry help with gout?
The buildup of uric acid, which causes inflammation, can be kept under check using cherries. There is evidence of cherry lowering uric levels in our body, which could likely be the reason for reduced gout attacks.
Cherries contain high anthocyanin levels, which is why people find it beneficial to deal with gout attacks. Cherries may also:
- Posses anti-inflammatory property that reduces inflammation that occurs during gout attacks
- Reduce oxidative stress that is associated with gout
- Counteract the process that causes changes in bones that occur during gout episodes
Cherries contain high levels of antioxidants and nutrients that work together to impart the positive effects. Free radicals are unstable molecules that cause inflammation and damage cells, and antioxidants help in stabilizing these molecules.
How effectively do cherries work against gout attacks?
Boston University Medical Center carried out a study among 633 gout participants. Every one of them has experienced gout attacks in the past year. Their medical reports got reviewed to confirm their diagnosis. The participants had to fill in a questionnaire after their next gout attacks. It included questions about their cherry consumption in the past 48 hours.
Consuming at least 20 cherries a day significantly reduced the occurrence of gout attacks. The participants who had two servings of cherries the past 2 days, were at 50% lesser risk of another gout attack while those who consumed cherry extract the past 2 days were at 40% lesser risk of another gout attack.
How effectively do cherries work against osteoarthritis?
Philadelphia VA Medical Centre researchers observed a group of participants for 6 weeks. The participants had 2 8-ounce bottles of tart cherry juice during the 6 weeks. The results of the study revealed that the participants experienced a decrease in C-reactive protein, which is an indicator of inflammation.
How can you include cherries in your diet?
If you are living with gout apart from resorting to prescription pills, you can seek a natural remedy in the form of:
- Fresh and frozen tart cherries: Montmorency and Balaton cherries possess more anthocyanin antioxidants than the usual varieties of sweet cherries.
- Cherry juice: A healthy choice would be 100%
- Cherry extract: You can find cherry extracts in the form of liquid, tablet, and powder. Avoid the ones that have added sugar and additives.
Many people with gout found it easier to consume cherry extracts. You can find plenty of effective options online in health food stores. Avoid products like pie filling, cherry brandy, or any syrup containing alcohol since it worsens gout symptoms.
Cherry serving recommendation for keeping gout attacks in check
There isn’t a clear serving recommendation, but you can use this for reference.
- Half a cup of cherries/ 20 cherries if you are consuming it in the fruit form
- Drink a glass of cherry juice if you’d prefer juice form
- 2 tablespoons of cherry powder mixed with water
- In the case of cherry, extracts refer to their label for the recommended serving size.
You can also ask your doctor for recommendations. It is up to your doctor to decide the dosage for you. If you consume cherries lower than the recommended amount, you won’t experience any positive effects if you go overboard with the serving, there is no guarantee of added protection against gout.
Cherry isn’t a gout treatment, and it shouldn’t get used as a replacement treatment option. It is important to follow the other treatments your physician has recommended. Cherries work by serving as a complementary treatment to gout. Incorporating cherries in addition to the treatment instructions recommended would help you handle the handle attacks better.
