More people are becoming fans of using natural remedies to treat diseases.  I am among them.  I have had gout for a long time and am a big fan of using natural treatments for gout.  One of my favorite natural treatments is cherries.  I have used cherries for a few years and it has really made a difference.  My gout attacks have dwindled to almost nothing where before I ate cherries I used to get attacks a couple times a month.  Here are some of the pros and cons of using cherries for gout.

Pros

Anthocyanins-This is what gives a cherry it’s red color.  Studies show this helps to block natural pain receptors, which enables eating cherries to help reduce pain during a gout attack by relieving surrounding muscle and joint pain.  The darker variety the greater the amount of anthocyanins.  Another good example would be grapes.

Potassium-Cherries contain approximately 230mg of potassium per serving.  This is about 10% of the daily recommended amount of potassium.  Why is this important?  This important mineral allows the body to get rid of uric acid, the main cause of gout.

Vitamin C-Cherries have around 7% of the daily serving of vitamin C.  This vitamin is especially important in fighting gout.  English medical studies found getting enough vitamin C cut uric acid levels by almost half.  This study was an amazing breakthrough of hope for gout patients.

Antioxidants- Cherries have quite a few antioxidants.  Antioxidants are beneficial because they help clean up the damage caused by previous and current attacks.  Joint health plays a big part in protecting from future gout attacks as gout tends to attack the weaker joints.

Cons

Short season- Northern Michigan is the number one producer of cherries.  Unfortunately, the season for fresh cherries lasts only 6-10 weeks.  So what can you do the rest of the year?  Fortunately, there is a simple solution.  You can get the same health benefits from eating freeze dried cherries as you can from eating fresh cherries.  This applies to cherry juice as well.  You can eat canned cherries, but canned food usually deteriorates nutritionally over time.  So, while it appears this is a con, it doesn’t have to be.  You can get good freeze dried cherries or cherry juice at most grocery food stores or health food stores.

Tired of taste- This certainly can be a con.  I have drank cherry juice for four to five years now and I admit I get tired of drinking it at times.  If you really get sick of the taste, you can supplement it with cherry tablets.  This might not make the taste so overwhelming.  Either way, you can still use cherries to help you maintain a good gout treatment program.

While there are a few cons to using cherries for gout, the pros outweigh the cons.  Give them a try.  They have worked for me and countless others.  I think they will work for you as well.

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