Eating Cherries Combats Gout
Gout is caused by the consumption of high purine foods that include meat, fish, and also alcohol. Purines are natural chemical compounds that when digested are broken down into uric acid.
The uric acid accumulates mainly in joints, particularly the big toe, and forms sharp crystals that can be very painful. Though purines are also found in high concentration in plant foods like legumes, scientific studies[1] support that only the purines in meat, fish, and alcohol contribute to the development of gout.
The fiber and other nutrients packaged in plant foods the contain purines protect against the development of gout. Science has also shown that an alkaline diet, a diet high in plant foods, is protective against gout and its consumption results in excretion of purines through urination.
The consumption of particular plant foods have been found particularly useful in reducing uric acid and one such food is cherries. Studies[2] have indicated that just 3 servings of cherries a day over a 2 day period, which is just 16 cherries, reduced the risk of a gout attack by 50%.
These gout attack reducing results were also found with a low purine diet. Adding the consumption of cherries on top of eating a low purine diet reduced the risk of gout even further.
Within hours of consuming cherries uric acid levels in the body dropped significantly.[3] Cherry consumption at the same time increased vitamin C and antioxidant levels in the blood.
An alkaline, plant based, diet was shown to be protective of gout and promoted the excretion of uric acid from the body. There appears to be a specific anti-gout effect of cherries that can increase the efficacy of an alkaline plant-based diet in reducing gout, or you can consume cherries to minimize the risk of gout attack if not consuming an alkaline plant-based diet.
[1] R Siener, A Hesse. The effect of a vegetarian and different omnivorous diets on urinary risk factors for uric acid stone formation. Eur J Nutr. 2003 Dec;42(6):332-7.
[2] Y Zhang, T Neogi, C Chen, C Chaisson, D J Hunter, H K Choi. Cherry consumption and decreased risk of recurrent gout attacks. Arthritis Rheum 2012 64(12):4004 – 4011.
[3] R A Jacob, G M Spinozzi, V A Simon, D S Kelley, R L Prior, B Hess-Pierce, A A Kader. Consumption of cherries lowers plasma urate in healthy women. J Nutr 2003 133(6):1826 – 1829.
