Q. I would like some info about cherries for a friend who suffers from arthritis and gout.
A. A small study in the Journal of Nutrition (June, 2003) suggested that sweet cherries could lower uric acid levels that cause gout. The researchers also observed that “cherries may inhibit inflammatory pathways.”
Readers have been telling us that sour cherries (fresh, dried, frozen, juice or CherryFlex pills) can ease both gout attacks and arthritis pain. Here is one recent account:
“I tried the cherry juice after reading about it in your column. I now get out of bed without back pain (after less than a month). I have sciatica, along with other back issues, and arthritis in both knees. I can do stairs again.
“On top of that, I asked our vet if I could give it to our dog. He said yes, as the worst it would do is give her the runs, but to give her half a dose. I give her two capsules a day and she is now running again after only two weeks.”
