Originally published July 15 2005
Cherries ease gout pain
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, NaturalNews Editor
A study shows eating 1.5 cups of cherries a day can help ease pain from gout, a form of arthritis, by causing people to urinate away gout-causing uric acid.
Cherries are packed with nutrients and have been shown to help gout.
Preliminary research suggests they also may help ease pain and aid sleep.
Cherry trees have been treasured and protected throughout the ages by the Greeks, Romans and ancient Chinese.
Sweet varieties, such as Bing cherries, have only 104 calories per cup, and contain 3 grams of fiber.
Sweet cherries are tasty on their own, in fruit salads, or as a topping for pancakes, yogurt or ice cream.
Tart cherries, also known as sour cherries, commonly are used in pies and desserts.
They have slightly less fiber, 2 grams, and are richer in vitamin A precursors, about 1,350 International Units, meeting about one-third of your daily needs.
It's not clear what health benefits, if any, they might have after being bleached, since many of the benefits come from the cherries natural red pigments.
USDA scientists showed that breakfasting on 48 sweet Bing cherries (about 2 cups) caused women to urinate away gout-causing uric acid.
Eating cherries also reduced levels of inflammatory chemicals such as C-reactive protein and nitric oxide, the researchers reported.
Eating Bing cherries spiked people's blood levels of vitamin C, which is surprising because the Bing cherries didn't contain vitamin C, according to the researchers.
One of those pigments, protocatechuic acid, has antioxidant properties similar to commercial preservatives and vitamin E, according to scientists at Michigan State University.
Researchers at MIT found that 0.3 milligrams of melatonin, the amount in cup of tart cherries, is enough to help people sleep better.
Research needs to be done using cherries.
To add cherries to your diet, try my mouthwatering pie and cheesecake recipes.
All content posted on this site is commentary or opinion and is protected under Free Speech. Truth Publishing LLC takes sole responsibility for all content. Truth Publishing sells no hard products and earns no money from the recommendation of products. NaturalNews.com is presented for educational and commentary purposes only and should not be construed as professional advice from any licensed practitioner. Truth Publishing assumes no responsibility for the use or misuse of this material. For the full terms of usage of this material, visit www.NaturalNews.com/terms.shtml