New Research: Cherry Juice Treats Gout More Effectively Than Medication!

Over the last four decades, the incidence of gout has significantly risen, currently affecting millions of Americans.  Gout, an extremely painful inflammatory arthritis, is now the most common form of arthritis in both men and women. It is described as a complex form of arthritis and is said to be more common in women, particularly in menopausal women.

A gout attack may occur out of the blue, typically waking up the person in the middle of the night with a sensation that the big toe is “burning”. The affected joint is quite hot and swollen, and so tender that even the sheet may seem difficult to tolerate.

A recent study suggests that half a cup of cherries daily may lower the risk of gout attacks. Although fresh cherries are not present on the market all year round, there are other alternatives, such as frozen cherries or cherry juice.

The first pilot study exploring the relation between cherry juice and gout was actually a controlled trial study on cherry juice concentrate with pomegranate juice concentrate as a control for preventing gout attacks in those experiencing four attacks on a monthly basis. The cherry group received a tablespoon of cherry juice concentrate two times daily over the course of four months while the control group received a tablespoon of pomegranate juice concentrate two times daily for four months.

The gout attacks in the cherry group decreased from an average five down to two while the flares in the pomegranate group dropped from five to four. In addition, half of the participants from the cherry group who were taking prescribed drugs managed to stop their medications within two months after starting the cherry juice.

The second study regarding this subject was a retrospective investigation which involved 24 patients whose attacks significantly dropped after starting the cherry juice. To be precise, they went from having 7 attacks a year, down to 2. Consequently, it has been concluded that cherry juice concentrate is extremely effective in preventing gout flares.

So, are cherries now ready for use as gout treatment? One commentator “is of the opinion that the current state of evidence remains insufficient to formally recommend cherry fruit or cherry products as a complementary therapeutic remedy for gout.”  Interestingly, this commentator is a paid consultant to 9 drug companies, all of which manufacture gout drugs.  With this being said, what could possibly get wrong by eating half a cup of cherries daily or taking a few tablespoons of cherry juice?

source: http://besthealthyguide.com