Gout vs Cherries?

                

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Every disease that is faced by man has a colourful history behind it. Stories such as ?Your brother?s best friend?s cousin beat leukemia by eating a dozen raw eggs a day? or ?A guy in Kentucky woke from a 30-year coma after listening to nothing but William Shatner records for 2 days? litter the rich, social fabric of human history. Is it true or is it all an old wives tale? And if it is true, was this miracle cure just a coincidence or was it actually due to the unorthodox treatment?

One such tale that has been around for decades is the ?connection? between cherries and gout. It is believed that if you dine on these ruby red orbs as soon as you begin to show the painful signs of gout, it will speed healing.

The tale goes as far as to say that if you incorporate cherries as part of your daily fruit intake, you may never even get gout to begin with.

While this medical rumour sounds like it was started by the Worldwide Cherry Federation in an attempt to boost sales, the connection between gout and the cherry can be traced back to 1950 and a doctor who cured himself of gout.

Dr. Ludwig Blau discovered that by eating between six to eight cherries a day, you could stave off the return of gout indefinitely, but was the doctor a quack or was he on to something?

As it turns out, cherries do help battle gout on two different fronts. The first is based on what cherries keep together. The collagen in the body is used to create connective tissue and it?s this tissue that gout damages. Cherries help keep collagen strong and less susceptible to attacks of gout.

Cherries also contain a natural enzyme that helps the body to lower the uric acid levels in the blood. High levels of uric acid cause outbreaks of gout.

If that wasn?t enough, cherries also have unique antioxidant properties that can assist in the body expelling larger amounts of uric acid than normal.

A recent study at the University of California ? Davis bears out Dr. Blau?s findings. The ten women who took part in the study enjoyed a breakfast of 45 cherries and then the testing began.

The study, performed by the Agriculture Research Service with the United States Department of Agriculture showed that the amount of uric acid that was expelled from the body after a breakfast of cherries was significantly higher. Scientists were able to measure the amount of uric acid present in the body before the subjects dined on their cherry-only meal, and then measured it a second time. The findings were matched by blood samples that were also taken.

While not all myths and legends about diseases and cures are accurate, you do find an occasional truth among the old wives tales, and in this case, cherries might not only be the most effective way to treat gout, but they are certainly one of the tastiest!

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Gout Vs Diet

                

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The cause of gout is a high blood level of uric acids which is a waste product. The waste product is a breakdown of purines which are substances naturally found in your body. Purines are also found in several types of food.

The treatment of gout, in times past, included very strict dietary regiments but because of medications that are used to combat gout the regiments are not as harsh as they once were.

There still are some recommended dietary modifications though as they can greatly help your chances of avoiding gout flare-ups. Many medications for gout cause many, potentially serious, side effects so dietary modifications can be a better option than the medications.

Some of the foods that are high in purines and should be avoided are liver, brain, kidney, sweetbread, anchovies, peas, beans, mackerel, mincemeat, scallops, muscles, and herring. Other foods such as poultry, meat, and fish have lesser amounts of purines so it is suggested that they be eaten in moderation.

Other ways that you can lower the risk of gout naturally are:

1. Avoiding alcohol altogether or only drinking it in moderation, perhaps saving yourself for special occasions only. Drinking a lot of alcohol increases the risk of hyperuricemia, as the alcohol gets in the way of the natural removal of uric acids from the body. If you have gout and especially if you are having a gout attack alcohol should be avoided completely.

2. Make sure to drink plenty of fluids to flush the system of uric acids. Aim for around 2 liters of water a day, more if you are exercising or have a physical job.

3. Try to maintain a healthy weight. The more excess weight you are holding the more stress is then put on your joints increasing the possibility of gout.

4. Try to lose excess weight but do not do so by rapid weight loss diets as they can increase uric acid levels in the blood. In weight loss also avoid low-carb diets as they are high in fat and protein. Consuming too much of these types of foods can increase your chances of developing hyperuricemia.

Foods that are low in purines will help in keeping gout at bay. Below is a list of foods which are low in purines.

1. Breakfast ? Cereals and breads, coffee, tea, oatmeal, eggs, fruits, juices, cheese (low fat), milk, and peanut butter.

2. Lunch ? Nuts and peanut butter, pasta macaroni, soups, cream style soups, cheeses (low fat) and broths

3. Dinner ? Pasta, macaroni, eggs, vegetables, breads and cereals, low-fat cheeses and soups.

Other foods and food items low in purines are gelatin, fats and oils (in small amounts), soda, sugar, syrups, and other sweets in moderation.

As with anything, moderation is the key to a low purine diet. Some foods which have a moderate purine level are: beef, lamb, pork, vegetables such as mushrooms, asparagus, cauliflower, spinach, wheat germ, all types of yeast and gravies.

It is ok to have these foods as long is it is in moderation. Even foods that are high in purines can be eaten occasionally unless you have gout or are having an attack of gout.
Lisa McDowell has an interest in Gout. For further information on Gout please visit Gout or Gout Symptoms .