Battling the effects of Gout and Arthritis

Drinking tart cherry juice can help prevent gout attacks, relieve muscle soreness after exercise, and possibly help with arthritis pain because of its natural anti-inflammatory properties.

Gout expert Naomi Schlesinger, M.D., says the juice seems to reduce the joint inflammation that gout causes. Schlesinger led a study that found patients who took a tablespoon of tart cherry juice concentrate twice a day for four months cut the frequency of their gout attacks in half.

More than a third remained gout attack-free. Other studies have shown that drinking tart cherry juice daily helps runners reduce muscle soreness and reduces inflammation in overweight patients.

Unlike its sweeter cousins, the Bing and black cherry, the tart cherry is bright red and higher in antioxidants.

Gout and Arthritus

For decades arthritis and gout sufferers have regularly consumed tart cherry juice for relief of symptoms. As early as the 1950’s, the science began to support this long-held tradition, linking cherry consumption to less pain associated with gout attacks. 46

More recent studies have supported this finding. One study found that when healthy women ate two servings (280 grams) of cherries after an overnight fast, they showed a 15 percent reduction in uric acid levels, as well as lowered nitric oxide and C-reactive protein levels – all of which is associated with inflammatory diseases like gout.47

Another study supported a lower uric acid level after cherry consumption, finding that after drinking eight ounces of tart cherry juice daily for four weeks, many adults had lower levels of uric acid. 44

The inflammatory benefits have potential to extend to arthritis sufferers too. In a 12-week pilot study conducted by researchers at Baylor Research Institute, a daily dose of tart cherries (as cherry extract) helped reduce osteoarthritis pain by more than 20 percent for the majority of men and women. 48

44. Martin KR, Bopp J, Burrell L, Hook G. The effect of 100% tart cherry juice on serum uric acid levels, biomarkers of inflammation and cardiovascular disease risk factors. FASEB J 2011;25:339.2.
46. Blau LW. Cherry diet control for gout and arthritis. Tex Rep Biol Med. 1950;8:309-311.
47. Jacob RA, Spinozzi GM, Simon VA, Kelly DS, Prior RL, Hess-Pierce B, Kader AA. Consumption of cherries lowers plasma urate in healthy women. J Nutr 2003;133:1826-182948. Cush JJ. Baylor Research Institute, pilot study on tart cherry and osteoarthritis of the knees, 2007.
48. Cush JJ. Baylor Research Institute, pilot study on tart cherry and osteoarthritis of the knees, 2007.

Five easy ways to add Tart Cherries to your routine

Here's five easy way to add delicious Tart Cherries to your everyday routine.

Red Recovery

 The Red Recovery

Increasingly, sports nutritionists are using tart cherries as part of a recovery program to support athletic performance and recovery. Here’s a sample “red recovery” routine designed to minimize inflammation, boost hydration and fuel the body.

The Power of RED

The Health Benefits of Tart Cherries

Gout & Arthritus:

For decades arthritis and gout sufferers have regularly consumed tart cherry juice for relief of symptoms. As early as the 1950’s, the science began to support this long-held tradition, linking cherry consumption to less pain associated with gout attacks.

Cardiovascular & Heart Health:

Tart cherry consumption has been linked to a number of cardiovascular benefits — from overall anti-inflammation to reductions in cholesterol levels, to decreased risk for atherosclerosis and metabolic syndrome — all important heart disease risk factors.

The anthocyanins in tart cherries may also lower blood lipid levels. In an animal study, rats who were fed tart cherry-enriched diets for 90 days demonstrated significantly lower plasma triglyceride and total cholesterol, fasting glucose and insulin, and a plasma marker of oxidative damage.They also had slightly higher high-density lipoproteins (HDL – the "good" cholesterol) and significantly elevated blood antioxidant capacity.

Exercise Recovery & Pain Relief:

The same RED compounds linked to cherries’ arthritis and cardiovascular benefits have now shown promise for athletes and sports recovery to help relieve muscle and joint soreness. Tart cherries could help athletes reduce muscle damage to recover faster from a tough workout, according to a growing body of research

Emerging Benefits:

Researchers continue to uncover new and novel benefits of tart cherries. Some preliminary research has linked tart cherry juice to improvements in sleep and sleep patterns.

In one pilot study, a team of University of Pennsylvania, University of Rochester and VA Center of Canandaigua researchers found that drinking tart cherry juice daily helped reduce the severity of insomnia and time spent awake after going to sleep. The 15 older adults saved about 17 minutes of wake time after going to sleep, on average, when drinking cherry juice daily, compared to when they were drinking the juice drink.57 A second study found that healthy adults experienced improved sleep time and a 5-6 percent increase in overall sleep efficiency after drinking two servings of tart cherry juice for a week, compared to drinking a fruit cocktail. The volunteers also reported less daytime napping time while drinking the tart cherry juice.

For further details and to read the full Red Report, please click here