Do you remember the rhyme, “Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes”? It probably wasn’t about arthritis, but now that we’re getting older, we can only imagine it is. And not just arthritis, but gout as well.
Gout is a form of arthritis caused by high levels of uric acid in the body. It typically affects the joints in your feet and toes, but can also affect elbows, knees, and fingers. Probably shoulders too. Your head is alright – for now.
The pain gout causes can be severe. It can leave people unable to put shoes on or even tolerate socks. Some people are even left bedridden during their gout attacks. Chemicals and medicines are not the solutions to gout though, as they bring side effects and could do more harm to the body than good.
Feeling Cherry
Black cherry juice has shown results in lessening the pain associated with gout and other forms of arthritis. It is antioxidant-rich, promotes healthy joints, and decreases inflammation and uric acid levels. Just one cup of black cherry juice daily can reduce uric acid levels by up to 15 percent.
A 2003 issue of The Journal of Nutrition reported that black cherries are a good source of vitamins and powerful antioxidants to help reduce inflammation and support healthy joints, as well as treat gout. Black cherry juice is in the top 4 juices for antioxidant content.
Gout, Get Out
Antioxidants and anti-inflammatories are black cherry’s best friends. They’re always together. And inflammation hates them. Inflammation leads to chronic diseases that affect your brain, heat, and other important organs. When your body experiences inflammation, your cardiovascular system, muscular system, and other tissues and organs contract.
This stresses your entire system, making normal processes harder and exhausting your energy more easily. Arthritis and gout are an extreme swelling of certain parts of your body, and if left untreated only get worse and impair the rest of your body.
Treat Gout
When your body has too much uric acid these crystals form in the joints, which causes the joints to swell. One of the best and healthiest treatments for gout is to drink 8-16 ounces of black cherry juice daily, which lowers the uric acid buildup, relieving gout pain and preventing further attacks, according to a University of Maryland Medical Center study.
How To Make Black Cherry Juice
Ingredients
- 15 Black Cherries
- 2½ cups diced Watermelon
- 3 Plums
- 4 Ice Cubes
Instructions
Rinse cherries and plums. Removes seeds from cherries.
Blanch the plums (boil for 2 minutes, then quickly immerse in cold water for 1 minute) and remove the skin.
Halve the plums and remove their stones.
Blend cherries, plums, and watermelon in a blender until smooth puree.
Strain puree through a sieve, collecting the juice in a bowl. Remove any watermelon seeds.
Add ice cubes to a glass and pour juice over the ice.
Sour Look
Black cherries are notoriously strong-tasting or sour, and if you leave the skin on the plums they will be sour as well. This sour juice may put a contorted look on your face, but it will certainly take away the arthritic pain and burn of gout.
