Should You Eat Cherries For Gout?
A gout attack is NOT fun!! It is extremely painful and it's a big pain in the... joint!!
When it comes to diet, we are not all made equally. What is good for one person to ingest is not always good for another! Gout is the perfect example. Foods like spinach and legumes, which are healthy and recommended for most people, are major 'no-no's' for gout sufferers!
So what foods should gout sufferers add to their diet to help them fight their battle against gout? Well there are many, but I'm going to only talk about one: Cherries.
Two Success Stories With Gout And Cherries
Success #1 - My Dad
My dad was the first person to tell me about the benefits of cherries for gout. He suffers the occasional attack but refuses to take any of the doctor prescribed medications. He hates taking pills!
One day, he heard this scientist talking on the radio about how cherries can lower the uric acid levels in your body. So, the next time he had a gout attack, he tried it, AND IT WORKED!! Since then, he eats cherries regularly and his gout has never returned.
Success #2 - My Husband
My husband, however, had a more severe case of gout. He was prone to get it every month! It was horrible! Not only did I have to wait on him 'hand and foot', we also lost money because he couldn't go to work!
Now he takes cherry juice concentrate daily (along with lots and lots of water) and his gout is much better. Last year he only had one gout attack (and that was during our vacation and there was seafood involved!!).
Research Done By ARS
There was a study on the anti-inflammatory impact of fresh cherries done at the US Agricultural Research Service Western Human Nutrition Research Center in Davis, California. The results of this study were published in a 2003 issue of the Journal of Nutrition.
Researchers gave volunteers' 45 fresh bing cherries for breakfast. They closely measured the volunteers' levels of plasma urate (which a precursor of uric acid crystals). The volunteers' plasma urate levels decreased significantly 5 hours after their meal of cherries. The level of urate taken out of their urine increased (it was flushed away!!).
The study also showed that a cherry may also have some anti-inflammatory capabilities. You just can't go wrong with these babies!!
Fresh Cherries, Cherry Juice Concentrate or Cherry Gel Capsules
If you can't stand the taste of fresh cherries (I personally love them!), you can have cherry juice concentrate or cherry gel capsules! It doesn't matter how you take them... just take them! It won't hurt and the benefits can save you days (and even weeks) of pain!
I am a wife who has lived with a gout sufferer for over 10 years. I found a helpful site that easily explains about the symptoms and causes of gout and has a list of resources that can help you prevent future gout attacks.
If you are suffering from gout visit: http://www.well-being-central.com/gout_product_review.html
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