The best advice we hear about aging gracefully and joyfully is keep moving! Not only is mobility a pleasure in its own right, it can also help maintain range of motion in joints that could otherwise grow stiff. However, painful joints can make it harder to follow this good advice. Some people use simple home remedies like gin-soaked raisins or grape juice and Certo to help them stay active. You might enjoy these stories from other visitors.
Runner Swears by Grape Juice and Certo:
Q. Add me to the list of people who have been helped by Certo mixed with grape juice for arthritis. (Actually, I use generic plant pectin.)
For years I controlled my high cholesterol by watching my diet and exercising. I love to run and I would run even if it were not for the cholesterol.
Several years ago I developed a problem with my knee. X-rays revealed arthritis in both knees. I gradually started back running but the arthritis bothered me in the morning when I went down to the kitchen to fetch morning coffee. This was quite painful and I had to use the handrail. The way up was even worse because I had my hands full with coffee cups.
I contemplated how much longer I would be able to run and even if we would have to move to a single-level dwelling because of the pain. I avoid long-term use of drugs of any kind, choosing instead to change my lifestyle and habits.
When I heard about the grape juice/pectin recipe I tried it. I drank one tablespoon Certo in about 8 ounces of juice daily. Within a couple of weeks there was improvement and after taking a daily dose for months now, the morning joint pain is gone. Instead of contemplating a wheel chair, I’m contemplating my next run. (I also take fish oil to reduce inflammation.)
Concord Grape Juice Fights Inflammation:
A. Grape juice and Certo is a popular remedy for people with sore joints. We have heard from other runners as well as arthritic grandmothers that the combination of plant pectin (found in Certo) and purple grape juice can ease joint pain. There is some research suggesting that Concord grape juice has anti-inflammatory properties (Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis and Vascular Biology, Nov. 2004). Rats given purple grape juice move better and perform better in mazes (Nutrition, March 2006). In addition, middle-aged people who drank Concord grape juice showed a more robust immune response (Journal of Medicinal Food, Jan-Feb. 2011). What’s more, healthy young adults did better on tests and felt more content after drinking purple grape juice (European Journal of Nutrition, Dec. 2017).
Does Pectin Play a Role?
Plant pectin is one source of dietary fiber that seems to have a significant effect on the microbes that inhabit the digestive tract (PLoS One, Feb. 12, 2016). They respond to pectin as well as to certain other types of fiber by reducing inflammation. Maintaining a balanced diet with an appropriate amount of fiber appears to be one way people with rheumatoid arthritis can help control their symptoms (Frontiers in Medicine, May 15, 2018).
Listen to a Testimonial:
A competetive sprinter in his eighties, Bill Weinacht, shared his favorite home remedy for treating arthritis pain. It was Welch’s grape juice and Certo.
Grape Juice and Certo Instead of Gin-Soaked Raisins:
Q. My husband swears by golden raisins soaked in gin for arthritis pain. I don’t like the taste and read about pomegranate juice with Certo in your column. How much Certo should I use to a glass (8 ounces) of pomegranate juice?
A. Pomegranate juice is a recent twist on an old home remedy for arthritis, Certo in grape juice. In a review of medical research, scientists suggest that pomegranate juice might help control inflammatory conditions (Nutrients, Aug. 30, 2017). You could try taking about one tablespoon in 8 ounces of juice a day. If neither pomegranate nor grape juice appeals to you, consider cherry juice. Tart cherry juice reduces inflammatory biomarkers (Food & Function, Oct. 17, 2018).
Another reader noted:
“I read about grape juice and Certo last fall while I was suffering a painful medial column collapse of the right foot that the doctor attributed to psoriatic arthritis. I was going to have surgery in late November, but tried the grape juice and Certo in October. I didn’t tell the doctor, as I didn’t him to admonish me.
“For some mysterious reason, the pain started subsiding, then went away. The doctor was amazed but said surgery should only be done as a last resort. He said if it flares again, we’ll decide then what to do. So I see him next month for a checkup and will mention the juice/Certo.
“I’m not saying that’s what put the arthritis in remission, but something happened as I could hardly walk at the time. So I’ll continue taking it. I take an 8 oz glass of grape juice, with 75% less sugar, which I think is healthier for me, and a tablespoon of Certo.”
We provide more information about raisins in gin as well as Certo in grape juice, along with many other simple inexpensive approaches, in our book, The People’s Pharmacy Quick and Handy Home Remedies.
