| ost 90% of gout victims are men over thirty years old. | | | | cherries a day at first to get your gout under control, |
| But women can also suffer from gout, especially if | | | | then 6 to 10 cherries a day after that to keep the gout |
| they take certain medications such as blood pressure | | | | away. |
| drugs. Most women who suffer from gout are 60 | | | | Red and black cherries - fresh, frozen or canned - |
| years or older. | | | | have been used successfully to treat gout. Drinking |
| Gout is a form of arthritis caused by high levels of uric | | | | several tablespoons of black cherry juice daily may |
| acid in the blood, tissues, and urine. The uric acid can | | | | produce the same effect. |
| form crystals which collect in joints such as the big toe. | | | | It's best to eat the cherries or drink the cherry juice |
| In fact, your big toe can become so painful and swollen | | | | between meals. |
| that even the weight of a bedsheet can be agonizing. | | | | So why do cherries work for some people with gout? |
| If gout isn't properly controlled, it can cause kidney | | | | Because gout destroys the collagen that is needed to |
| stones and even more serious kidney disease. Gout is | | | | form connective tissue and cherries stop that |
| also associated with high blood pressure, diabetes, and | | | | destruction. Cherries also neutralize uric acid and have |
| atherosclerosis. | | | | anti-inflammatory properties. |
| You should always consult a doctor for treatment of | | | | There are other changes you can make to your diet, |
| gout. But some of the drugs used for gout - such as | | | | too. |
| allopurinol, colchicine, indomethacin, and prednisone - | | | | For example, eating a cup of strawberries may help to |
| can cause serious side effects. | | | | control gout. |
| So you may want to discuss with your doctor if an | | | | You should also drink plenty of water to help flush the |
| alternative approach might work for you. An approach | | | | uric acid out of your body. Six to eight 8-ounce glasses |
| without the toxic side effects of gout drugs. | | | | a day is probably best. |
| One dietary approach is simply to eat cherries. In the | | | | Losing excess weight may also reduce uric acid levels, |
| 1950s, Dr. Ludwig Blau discovered that he could keep | | | | but it must be done gradually and under a doctor's |
| his gout away by eating a minimum of 6 cherries a | | | | supervision. Severe dieting or fasting can actually |
| day. It helped his crippling gout so much that he was | | | | make your gout worse. |
| actually able to get out of his wheelchair and start | | | | Many people also try to eliminate foods with high |
| walking again. | | | | purine levels from their diets. Some of these foods |
| He discovered his "cherry cure" by accident. One day, | | | | may worsen gout by increasing your level of uric acid. |
| he ate a large bowl of cherries and the next day, his | | | | Some high-purine foods are meats, especially organ |
| foot pain was gone. He found that as long as he ate | | | | meats, gravies, herring, mussels, sardines, fish, and |
| the cherries every day, his gout was controlled. | | | | alcohol. |
| Many other people - some of whom have written to | | | | At least one study suggests that high-purine foods |
| Prevention magazine - have also found relief by | | | | such as beans, peas, mushrooms, spinach and |
| adding cherries to their diets. | | | | cauliflower do not make gout worse. But you should |
| Supposedly, if you already have crippling gout or if you | | | | consult your doctor for the latest information and |
| feel a gout attack coming on, you should eat 15 to 30 | | | | recommendations. |