Can Eating Cherries Lower Gout Risk?

If you suffer from gout, you are going to like this information. Gout is a kind of arthritis that occurs when uric acid builds up in blood and causes joint inflammation. Chronic gout is repeated episodes of pain and inflammation which may involve more than one joint. If too much uric acid builds up in the fluid around the joints (synovial fluid), uric acid crystals form. These crystals cause the joint to swell up and can be extremely painful. That’s why the findings of a new study published by the American College of Rheumatology are so promising. The lead author, Dr. Yuqing Zhang, Professor of Medicine and Public Health at Boston University and colleagues, recruited 633 gout patients who were followed online for one year. Participants were asked about the date of gout onset, symptoms, medications, and risk factors. Researchers also asked about cherry and cherry extract intake in the two days prior to a gout attack. A cherry serving was one half cup or 10 to 12 cherries. According to the study, “Cherry intake over a 2-day period was associated with a 35% lower risk of gout attacks compared with no intake.”