Gout Cherry Juice Treatment

The relationship between gout and cherry juice has received a great deal of attention in recent months. In the past, the medical community has dismissed cherries and cherry juice for gout as a myth. Now with more scientific data, they seem to have changed their minds about including it as part of an effective gout diet. Why?

Gout

The general understanding of gout is often stated in two ways: It’s the Disease of Kings and it affects your big toe.

Both of these common statements about gout are false; it affects people of every socio-economic level and it can manifest in all the various joints of the extremities, including the big toe.

What Is It?

Gout is defined as one of the most painful forms of rheumatoid arthritis. Excess uric acid crystallizes in one of several joints; the toes, fingers, feet, hands, ankles, wrist, knees, or elbows. The symptoms of gout are extreme heat and redness, and inflammation and swelling.

What Causes It?

The confusion about gout comes from the misunderstanding that the uric acid that crystallizes in the joints is the cause of gout. This is incorrect – the crystallized uric acid in a joint is the cause of gout pain.

As explained in this study from PubMed, gout, or hyperuricemia, is caused by impaired kidney function. The kidneys are responsible for balancing the pH of the body chemistry. Gout is an internal condition of over-acidity. When the symptoms of gouty arthritis have flared up, the body chemistry is out of balance.

Uric acid is produced by the body and functions as a protective antioxidant. It is the by-product of the metabolic breakdown of purines. Purines are a substance that is produced in the cells of the human body and are also part of the cellular structure of all plants and animals.

Some sources of foods, usually proteins, can be higher in purine content than others. If proteins become a frequent and predominant part of the diet, eventually it can contribute to problems with gout.

Cherry Juice

Often prescribed for gout is a “low purine diet”. The biggest advantage of a diet low in purines is that it usually consists of mostly vegetables and fruits. Vegetables and fruits are also “alkaline-forming” foods and generally very high in antioxidants.

This is why cherries and cherry juice specifically is so good for gout. Cherries, and the juice of cherries if minimally processed, are extremely high in the type of antioxidants called flavonoids and anthocyanins. Sometimes called “gout cherry juice”, the juice of tart cherries are especially potent in relieving gout symptoms.

What Kind?

There are two types of cherry juices that are well-known for treating gout; black cherries and tart cherries. Timing gout attacks in sync with the seasons is of course impossible, so being able to take advantage of organically grown cherries to curb a painful gout attack, is rare.

The best way to get the potent anti-inflammatory power of black or tart cherries to work on a severe gout attack, comes by way of juices made with only the juice of the cherries – no additives or added sugars – and from pure concentrates.

Both pure black or tart cherry juices and concentrates are found at quality health food stores.

How Much?

The recommendations vary widely about the effective amounts of cherries, cherry juice concentrate, or pure cherry juice for gout. 32oz of cherry juice seems to be a common dosage for a 24 hour period.

If fresh cherries are available, 8oz daily is the recommendation. Pure cherry juice concentrate is very syrupy and thick, and 2tbsns in 8oz of water every four hours during an attack is known to be very effective.

Powdered cherry extract that has been produced from organic cherries have reportedly brought about excellent results as well.

Why Does It Work?

Cherry juice for gout works well for several reasons. It is extremely “alkalizing” – meaning that it helps to neutralize the over-acidic condition throughout the inner body. They can do that because of several antioxidant vitamins and minerals like vitamin C and potassium. Also, studies have shown flavonoids and anthocyanins to have strong anti-inflammatory properties.

For the same reasons listed above, clinical trials have shown that cherries and cherry juice work for gout by helping to flush the kidneys and by promoting stronger kidney health.

Gout Treatment and Prevention

Gout is easier to prevent than it is to treat. Cherries in whatever form, taken in therapeutic doses on a daily basis can help to keep the body chemistry in a healthier, more alkaline state by providing routine maintenance for assisting the functional abilities of the kidneys.

 ☆ Remember!  Gout cherry juice treatment is widely known as a viable approach for the relief of gout pain for one reason: It works.