Get the scoop on tart cherry juice and gout, plus one delicious way to eat more cherries
Nobody wants gout. It's excruciating joint pain, debilitating at times and hard on your kidneys. So, it's only fair that something as delicious as cherries could help right? Tart cherry juice and gout go together like peanut butter and jam. But, even just a handful of cherries a day, shows great potential in helping to deal with gout.
But, what makes cherries so great for gout?
The answer is anthocyanins. And cherries, specifically tart cherries, are chockfull of them. Anthocyanins are the compounds that gives cherries and other berries their beautiful red and purple pigments. Berries like strawberries, blueberries and raspberries are all sources of anthocyanins, but cherries have been found to be particularly high. These anthocynanins are powerful antioxidants with anti-inflammatory properties. Eating a handful of 10-20 cherries a day, or drinking tart cherry juice may help to prevent gout flare ups and reduce uric acid levels.
For example, A study done by the Boston University Medical Centre found that eating at least 10 cherries a day prevented reoccurent attacks in people with diagnosed gout. The results were in impressive, lowering the risk of an attack by 50% in just 48 hours. In 2014 British researchers found that drinking tart cherry juice reduced uric acid levels in the blood while simultaneously increasing anthocyanin compounds. This is great news for gout sufferers, because high uric acid levels are a risk factor for acute attacks. So, today we’re packing cherries in the blender for a delicious guilt-free way to get your daily dose of gout-friendly anthocyanins. Have it for breakfast, or drink it for your afternoon snack. This smoothie is a healthy and delicious way to increase your cherry intake, and get those anthocyanins in.
Very Cherry Smoothie Recipe
Ingredients:
- 1 cup organic pitted cherries, fresh or frozen (use tart cherries for the highest anthocyanin content)
- 1 cup organic strawberries
- 1 organic banana
- 1 1/2 cups almond milk
Directions:
Add all of the ingredients into a blender, and blend at high until smooth. Pour into a glass and enjoy. Tip: You can use fresh or frozen fruit for this recipe. If you’re using all frozen fruit, you can reduce the almond milk to 1/4 -1/2 cup to blend into soft serve sorbet style smoothie bowl. Who says ice cream can’t be eaten for breakfast? Don't forget to put a cherry on top!
