Gouty arthritis – cherry juice really works

Gout is a consequence of raised uric acidUric acid is a chemical created when the body breaks down substances called purines. Purines are found in some foods and drinks including liver, anchovies,… levels in the blood and increased levels of inflammation. The researchers, from Northumbria University, gave 12 healthy volunteers 30ml or 60mls of Cherry Active, the concentrate of the Montmorency cherry, mixed with 100ml of water, to test how it affected levels of uric acid in their blood and urine.

Blood levels of uric acid came down and urinary excretion of uric acid went up by two and a half times (250%), peaking two hours after the drink. Also, CRP, which is a measure of inflammation, came down.

This shows that the Montmorency cherry juice does rapidly get rid of excess uric acid, which is the cause of gout, and is a natural painkilling anti-inflammatory.

Although the higher dose did raise bioflavonoidsBioflavonoids are sometimes referred to as vitamin P. Flavonoids are widely distributed in plants and are known for their antioxidant activity…. in the blood more than the lower dose it didn’t further promote the excretion of uric acid.

The lead researcher, Dr Howatson explained: “The study shows that uric acid was quickly clearing from the body with lower levels evident following consumption of the Montmorency cherry concentrate. We demonstrated a drop in blood uric acid, an increase in urinary uric acid and a reduction in an inflammation marker in just a few hours.”

“This is an exciting first step to applying this intervention to a clinical population that suffer from gout. While the condition can be managed with pharmacological agents, more and more people are increasingly reluctant to use them because of potential side effects and are keen to use natural interventions.”

“What is especially interesting is that only a relatively small amount of Montmorency cherry concentrate is needed to bring about the positive uric acid-lowering effects.”

So, if you do suffer from gout or arthritis, my advice is to have a shot of Cherry Active every day.

This week we launch our Aches and Pains page with articles, blogs and books all about how to reduce pain naturally. Visit the page here.

P. Bell, Journal of Functional Foods, Volume 11, November 2014, Pages 82–90 authors.elsevier.com/a/1Pn6G6FNx9OD36