Is Cherry Juice Good For Gout?

You gotta love cherries.

Whether you eat them fresh, dried or in juice form, they are both delicious and nutritious.

Bursting with flavour, tart cherry juice is one of nature’s superfoods and may just be a natural remedy for gout relief.

Tart cherries often referred to as sour, dwarf, or Montmorency cherry have gained popularity over the past few years in the treatment of gout.

The fruit of the Prunus cerasus tree, which is indigenous to southwest Asia and Europe, is used to make Montmorency cherry juice, which has been used for a variety of potential health benefits including relief from gout.

Evidence On The Effect Of Tart Cherry Juice For Gout Patients

Gout is a chronic inflammatory disorder that frequently impacts the big toe’s joints. Urate crystals in the joint harm the cartilage and produce unbearable pain.

Here we look at how tart cherry juice can help gout sufferers.

Anti-inflammation effects: Anthocyanins, which are anti-inflammatory compounds found in tart cherry juice, may aid in the relief of gout.

Tart cherries are high in anthocyanins such as cyanidin-3-glucoside and delphinidin-3-glucoside, which have been shown to reduce inflammation and provide relief from gout symptoms.

Cyanidin works by inhibiting the production of uric acid, which is responsible for causing gout flare-ups.

Delphinidin helps to reduce inflammation and aids in relieving pain and swelling associated with gout.

Flavonoids

Additionally, tart cherry juice contains significant amounts of flavonoids, a kind of polyphenol with anti-inflammatory and antioxidant characteristics.

Flavanoids such as quercetin and kaempferol can help to reduce inflammation and provide relief from gout pain.

Quercentin has been shown to reduce uric acid levels in the body, which can help prevent gout flares.

Kaempferol has powerful anti-inflammatory properties that can help reduce the pain and swelling associated with gout.

Vitamin C also helps to neutralize uric acid in the body, which can help prevent gout flare-ups.

And potassium helps to regulate electrolytes and improves circulation, which can help the body to flush out toxins that may cause gout flare-ups.

Together, these ingredients make tart cherry juice one of the foods good for gout.

Reduced Pain: According to studies, tart cherries can help lessen the pain and stiffness caused by conditions like gout and other joint pain illnesses in addition to aiding in physical rehabilitation.

Cherries give pain relief for gout sufferers because they help the excretion of urate and reduce the liver’s ability to produce the uric acid which causes gout.

Numerous urate crystals in gout patients cause the cytokines that promote inflammation to be produced. Cherry combats this issue while providing adequate antioxidant protection for the body and joints.

This is a fantastic non-pharmacological therapeutic option for managing many gout-related issues.

While Cyanidin is the most prevalent phytochemical found in tart cherries, there are other advantageous phytochemicals as well.

Polyphenols

Polyphenols such as ellagic acid, chlorogenic acid, and gallic acid, which are found in tart cherries, can help to reduce inflammation and provide relief from gout symptoms.

Ellagic acid helps to reduce uric acid levels in the body, which can help prevent gout flares.

Chlorogenic acid is a powerful antioxidant that can help reduce inflammation and aid in the relief of gout pain.

Gallic acid helps to prevent the formation of uric acid crystals, which can cause painful gout flare-ups.

Certain compounds in tart cherry juice can reduce pain, such as protocatechuic acid and p-coumaric acid, which both have powerful anti-inflammatory effects.

Protoctehuic acid helps to reduce pain associated with gout and p-coumaric acid helps to increase circulation, which can help the body flush out toxins that may cause gout flares.

These nutrient-dense cherries aid in lowering oxidative stress and inflammation in the body, and they may even assist in lessening the impact of gout on the bones and joints.

Tart Cherry In Gout Clinical Trials

The following results were reported from medical studies on tart cherry juice for gout patients:

• In a study by the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, researchers found that people drinking tart cherry juice twice daily for 28 days had significantly lower levels of uric acid than those who didn’t drink the juice.

• Research by the University of Maryland Medical Center also showed that taking tart cherry extract can help reduce inflammation and pain, making it a viable option for treating gout.

• E-CAM published a review of research in 2019 that found gout attacks were less likely to occur in those who consumed more tart cherry juice.

• A different study conducted by the British Journal of Nutrition found that consumption of tart cherries can help reduce uric acid levels, thus reducing the severity and frequency of gout attacks.

• Zhang et al. claimed that there was a substantial drop in the probability of gout episodes following the consumption of cherries for two days.

A recommended dose of between 300mg to 600mg of tart cherry extract every day for at least 3 months has been found to be the most effective dose for reducing gout symptoms.

Additional Health Benefits Of Tart Cherries

Beyond gout treatment, tart cherry juice may also have the following advantages:

Improved Muscle Recovery: Research has shown that the antioxidants in tart cherry juice reduce muscle soreness and help athletes recover their muscles more quickly. Moreover, taking tart cherry juice or tablets before working out enhances athletic performance and lessens muscular pain.

Lower Blood Pressure: In America, persons over the age of 19 have a high blood pressure rate of nearly 50%, according to the CDC. Juice from tart cherries may help decrease blood pressure, but further study is required.

Better Memory and Brain Health: Tart cherry juice’s antioxidant components may also maintain the health of your brain and guard against deterioration. One study found that drinking around six oz of tart cherry juice every day over 12 weeks improved both short-term and long memory in elderly dementia patients.

Better sleep: According to research, tart cherry juice aids people with insomnia in falling and staying asleep more quickly. This may be because tart cherry juice boosts melatonin synthesis and tryptophan absorption.

Side Effects Of Tart Cherry Juice For Gout

Sugar Levels: Sugar is present in tart cherry juice, and certain brands could even have added sugars. Before including tart cherry juice in your diet, you should talk to your doctor if you have diabetes or any illness that affects blood sugar.

Drug Interactions: Some drugs and tart cherry juice may not work well together. For instance, drugs that lower cholesterol and manage blood pressure. Before consuming a lot of tart cherry juice for gout, those who are on medication should speak with their doctor.

Gastric issues: Tart cherries are generally safe for most people when eaten in typical dietary portions. However, taking excessive volumes of tart cherry juice for gout may cause some stomach pain, and diarrhea which experts ascribe to its high sorbitol level.

Conclusion

Is Cherry Juice Good For Gout?

Yes! Tart cherry juice may assist gout sufferers to decrease their uric acid levels, which lowers their risk of a gout attack.

Cherry juice also has anti-inflammatory properties and pain relief for gout.

Our Goutometer says 10/10.

Being backed up by numerous human clinical trials and with few side effects, tart cherry is given top marks.

Consult your doctor before taking tart cherry juice for gout to be sure it is right for you and won’t conflict with the prescriptions you are already taking.