High fructose corn syrup (HFCS) or otherwise known as corn sugar has been associated with the obesity epidemic in the United States. Laboratory studies suggest the association may not be incidental, but causal, meaning that eating too much of foods or drinking too much of beverages with high levels of high fructose corn syrup may increase the risk of obesity.
There is good news for those who enjoy drinking HFCS-loaded drinks or foods. A new study published online Nov 30, 2011 in the journal Food and Function suggests that consuming green tea leaves may help offset some bad effects from HFCS. And findings of this study also suggest that drinking tea may help weight loss and reduce risk of metabolic syndrome.
Authors Hsiu-Chen Huang and Jen-Kun Lin say in their study report that green tea extract has been found to be able to suppress hyperlipidemia. The current study was intended to examine how tea extracts prepared from green tea (unfermented tea), oolong tea (semi-fermented tea), black and pu-erh teas (fermented teas) modulate fatty acid synthase expression in rats fed on a diet high in fructose. Fructose is found in homeny, table sugar or sucrose, and high fructose corn syrup, many fruits.
For the study, the researchers fed male Winster rats high-fructose diet with or without supplementation of tea extracts for 12 weeks and evaluated the hypolipidemic and hypoleptinemic effect of these four tea leaves.
The study showed that high-fructose diet increased serum triacylglycerols, cholesterol, insulin, and leptin concentrations, compared with those rats that were eating a control diet. Consuming tea leaves for 12 weeks was found to be able to normalize the serum triacylglycerols concentrations.
Specifically, rats fed green tea or pu-erh tea along with the high fructose diet had lower levels in serum thyroglobulin, cholesterol, insulin and leptin levels, compared with rats fed only high fructose diet.
However, oolong tea could not normalize serum cholesterol and insulin concentrations in the rats fed high fructose diet.
Nevertheless, the relative epididymal adipose tissue weight was found lower in all rats fed both high fructose diet and tea leaves than those fed fructose diet alone.
Some molecular evidence explains why tea leaves can help overcome the side effect of high fructose diet.
The researchers found supplementation of green, black, and pu-erh tea leaves significantly decreased hepatic fatty acid synthase mRNA and protein levels, and increased AMPK phosphorylation, which are believed to be beneficial in this case, compared with those of rats fed fructose diet only.
Some people have already observed that drinking tea can help weight loss or fight obesity.
Related posts:
The multiple health benefits of tea
Green tea burns abdominal fat
Green tea supplements beat flu better
A simple and affordable remedy for mild diarrhea
Black tea lowers blood pressure
Source: http://www.foodconsumer.org/newsite/Nutrition/Supplements/tea_sweets_weight_loss_0101120207.html
Welcome to my collection of health articles. Most of them contain little nuggets of health wisdom that we can easily apply to our daily lives. As you can gather, I've been consuming all sorts of supplements over the years, most of them from iherb. They deliver on time (DHL), and prices are good. If you're a first-time buyer, use my code 'pot089' to enjoy up to $10 off.
Friday 27 January 2012
New studies reveal caffeinated coffee protects against Alzheimer's, diabetes, depression and prostate cancer
Recent research suggests that drinking caffeinated coffee daily may protect against developing Alzheimer's disease, diabetes, prostate cancer, depression and more, according to reports from Science Daily. Animal studies at the University of Florida discovered an ingredient in coffee that interacts with caffeine and increases blood levels of granulocyte colony stimulating factor (GCSF), a growth factor that that prevents the production of beta amyloid plaques, which are thought to be the causative factor in Alzheimer's disease. Researchers reported that daily consumption of caffeniated coffee by middle-aged and elderly individuals markedly lessens the risk of developing the disease.
Alzheimer's and coffee
Treatment with caffeinated coffee increases memory capacity in Alzheimer's mice. The animals were treated with drip coffee and at the time of this article, scientists are unsure of the effects of instant coffee on the brain. Similar positive results were not evident in those mice treated with decaffeainated coffee or caffeine in other forms. Although testing was completed on mice, researchers have soon-to-be-released clinical evidence indicating coffee's ability to protect humans against the ravages of Alzheimer's disease.
It appears that four to five cups of caffeinated coffee daily are necessary to produce the increase in GCSF and protect against Alzheimer's. This amount may seem high for the average American coffee drinker, who consumes approximately 1.5 to 2 cups daily. Researchers suggest that using coffee to protect against Alzheimer's should start in early middle-age, between 30-50 years old; however, older people are also likely to benefit from consuming caffeinated coffee daily.
Additional benefits from coffee
Coffee is rich in antioxidants and anti-inflammatory agents, which provide the body with additional ingredients to increase cognitive function to protect the brain; as well as protect against other diseases of aging, such as Type II diabetes, depression, stroke, and Parkinson's. Studies also suggest coffee may help fight against breast, skin and prostate cancer.
Reports in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry discusses the effects of caffeine in coffee regarding the prevention of Type II diabetes. Animal studies were performed on mice, which showed that caffeinated coffee helped control blood sugar levels and insulin sensitivity, lowering the risk of developing the disease. Coffee also triggered other beneficial changes in their bodies, further reducing the risk of diabetes. Researchers believe that it is the caffeine in coffee that acts as an anti-diabetic compound.
Drinking two to three cups of caffeinated coffee daily may also lower the risk of depression in women by 15%, according to research published in the Archives of Internal Medicine -- and those who consume four or more cups daily have shown an even greater reduction in their risk of developing depression. Caffeine affects brain chemicals and is known to release mood-altering transmitters.
Additional studies at the Harvard School of Public Health indicated that men who drink six cups of coffee daily have a 20 to 60 percent decreased risk of developing several forms of prostate cancer. The study was published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, and indicated that even small quantities of coffee consumption can lower the risk of prostate cancer.
Many people are sensitive to the effects of caffeine, becoming nervous, jittery or unable to sleep. As with all good things, moderation is advised. Before introducing caffeinated coffee to your diet or greatly increasing existing quantities, consult a health care practitioner for the sake of your own health safety.
Related posts:
Coffee could reduce skin cancer risk
Coffee keeps the blues away
The potential health benefits of coffee
Coffee lowers liver fibrosis risk
Source: http://www.naturalnews.com/034779_coffee_caffeine_Alzheimers.html#ixzz1keFj6WFm
Alzheimer's and coffee
Treatment with caffeinated coffee increases memory capacity in Alzheimer's mice. The animals were treated with drip coffee and at the time of this article, scientists are unsure of the effects of instant coffee on the brain. Similar positive results were not evident in those mice treated with decaffeainated coffee or caffeine in other forms. Although testing was completed on mice, researchers have soon-to-be-released clinical evidence indicating coffee's ability to protect humans against the ravages of Alzheimer's disease.
It appears that four to five cups of caffeinated coffee daily are necessary to produce the increase in GCSF and protect against Alzheimer's. This amount may seem high for the average American coffee drinker, who consumes approximately 1.5 to 2 cups daily. Researchers suggest that using coffee to protect against Alzheimer's should start in early middle-age, between 30-50 years old; however, older people are also likely to benefit from consuming caffeinated coffee daily.
Additional benefits from coffee
Coffee is rich in antioxidants and anti-inflammatory agents, which provide the body with additional ingredients to increase cognitive function to protect the brain; as well as protect against other diseases of aging, such as Type II diabetes, depression, stroke, and Parkinson's. Studies also suggest coffee may help fight against breast, skin and prostate cancer.
Reports in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry discusses the effects of caffeine in coffee regarding the prevention of Type II diabetes. Animal studies were performed on mice, which showed that caffeinated coffee helped control blood sugar levels and insulin sensitivity, lowering the risk of developing the disease. Coffee also triggered other beneficial changes in their bodies, further reducing the risk of diabetes. Researchers believe that it is the caffeine in coffee that acts as an anti-diabetic compound.
Drinking two to three cups of caffeinated coffee daily may also lower the risk of depression in women by 15%, according to research published in the Archives of Internal Medicine -- and those who consume four or more cups daily have shown an even greater reduction in their risk of developing depression. Caffeine affects brain chemicals and is known to release mood-altering transmitters.
Additional studies at the Harvard School of Public Health indicated that men who drink six cups of coffee daily have a 20 to 60 percent decreased risk of developing several forms of prostate cancer. The study was published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, and indicated that even small quantities of coffee consumption can lower the risk of prostate cancer.
Many people are sensitive to the effects of caffeine, becoming nervous, jittery or unable to sleep. As with all good things, moderation is advised. Before introducing caffeinated coffee to your diet or greatly increasing existing quantities, consult a health care practitioner for the sake of your own health safety.
Related posts:
Coffee could reduce skin cancer risk
Coffee keeps the blues away
The potential health benefits of coffee
Coffee lowers liver fibrosis risk
Source: http://www.naturalnews.com/034779_coffee_caffeine_Alzheimers.html#ixzz1keFj6WFm
Thursday 26 January 2012
'Magic mushrooms' may help cluster headaches, depression
A new imaging study supports a growing body of evidence that the hallucinogen psilocybin, the active ingredient in 'magic mushrooms', may have potential in the treatment of depression, anxiety, and possibly cluster headaches.A study of 30 healthy volunteers showed decreased brain blood flow and venous oxygenation in the cingulate cortex and the medial prefrontal cortex after the participants received intravenous injections of psilocybin.
"We were surprised because we thought that psilocybin was going to increase brain activity in regions like the visual cortex, which would explain the visual changes. But it actually switched off certain areas," coinvestigator David J. Nutt, FMedSci, psychiatrist and professor of neuropsychopharmacology at the Imperial College London, told Medscape Medical News.
"Remarkably, the decreases were localized to important connector hubs in the brain that serve as key junctions for information transfers. Knocking out these key hubs with psilocybin appears to allow information to travel more freely, probably explaining why people's imaginations become more vivid and animated and the world is experienced as unusual," added lead author Robin Carhart-Harris, PhD, also from the Neuropsychopharmacology Unit at Imperial College London.
He noted that these areas of the brain are known to be overactive in patients with depression and that antidepressants, psychotherapy, and even meditation are used to bring the activity in these regions "back to normal."
Dr. Carhart-Harris said that although the study's results are preliminary and that more research is needed before definitive claims can be made about the therapeutic value of psychedelics, "the initial signs are promising."
The study was published online January 23 in Proceedings of the National Academy of Science.
Growing body of evidence
According to the investigators, previous "anecdotal reports" have suggested that psychedelics may be beneficial in reducing symptoms of cluster headaches.
In a recent pilot study published in September 2010 in Archives of General Psychiatry and reported by Medscape Medical News at that time, Charles S. Grob, MD, and colleagues from the University of California, Los Angeles also found that in patients with advanced-stage cancer, psilocybin significantly decreased anxiety compared with placebo. It also decreased the participants' depressive symptoms.
"We were able to establish good safety parameters, and no one sustained any psychological or physiological adverse effects. And we also saw some indication of diminished anxiety and improved mood over various points in time," Dr. Grob told Medscape Medical News.
Other studies examining the effects of psilocybin in the treatment of anxiety for patients with cancer are currently underway at Johns Hopkins University and at New York University.
Researchers from Johns Hopkins also recently found that healthy people given psilocybin often describe their experiences as among the most meaningful of their whole lives, comparable to such things as the birth of their first child or getting married, reported Dr. Carhart-Harris.
"So we wanted to know what is going on in people's brains to produce such profound effects," he said.
Psychedelic state
The current study included 30 healthy adult volunteers who had used "magic mushrooms" in the past but not in the previous 6 weeks. All volunteers participated in 2 site visits at least 14 days apart. In 1 visit, intravenous injections of psilocybin were given; in the other visit, injections of placebo were infused.
Dr. Carhart-Harris explained that intravenous administration of psilocybin was chosen because the onset with that method is "much more rapid" and the duration of effects briefer than when it is administered orally.
Two complementary functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) techniques were used to image brain changes from waking consciousness to a psychedelic state. These were used to measure differences before and after infusions in cerebral blood flow and venous oxygenation.
In the first procedure, 15 of the participants (67% men; mean age, 34.1 years) were scanned using arterial spin labeling perfusion. The other group of 15 volunteers (87% men; mean age, 32 years) underwent blood-oxygen level-dependent (BOLD) fMRIs.
Results showed that in comparison with the participants who received placebo, the participants who underwent arterial spin labeling after receiving psilocybin had significantly decreased blood flow in the subcortical and cortical regions of the brain, especially in the thalamus, anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), and posterior cingulate cortex (PCC).
Participants who underwent BOLD fMRI scans showed significantly decreased signals in the mPFC, ventral PCC, putamen, and subthalamic nuclei after receiving psilocybin compared with placebo.
"Decreased activity in the [ACC/mPFC] was a consistent finding and the magnitude of this decrease predicted the intensity of the subjective effects," report the investigators.
No increases in cerebral blood flow or BOLD signal were found in any brain region.
Research denied
In further "seed-based pharmaco-physiological interaction/functional connectivity analysis," psilocybin use was associated with a significant decrease "in the positive coupling" between the mPFC and PCC regions.
Dr. Carhart-Harris pointed out that these results were found in individuals who had tried psilocybin before.
"This is likely to have biased our results in favor of the positive outcomes. It's also important to emphasize that psychedelic drugs can be harmful if taken in an irresponsible manner, without psychological support."
Nevertheless, he noted that this study, along with others, suggest that people often experience a lifting of mood after taking psilocybin.
"That begs the question: could psilocybin be effective for people with depression? On the back of our biological findings, we have submitted a grant application to support a study that will address this question," said Dr. Carhart-Harris.
"We think that in depression, people are continually overlinking thoughts and ruminations and we think this may help break that link," added Dr. Nutt. "We've also heard case reports that it's been useful in treating obsessive-compulsive disorder, so it would be great if research were to also look at that area too."
"Making these drugs illegal…has denied research and possibly patients' benefits for 40 years, and we need to turn that around," said Dr. Nutt.
Short-term drop
Dr. Carhart-Harris said that it is not clear whether all psychedelics have the same neural mechanism, but he speculated that those psychedelics that have been shown to work through the serotonin system, such as lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) and dimethyltryptamine (DMT), probably do produce similar effects in the brain.
"These investigators were trying to establish what the neurobiological basis might be for the subjective effects and potentially therapeutic value of psilocybin," said Dr. Grob, professor of psychiatry at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center.
"It's a very interesting study using state-of-the-art brain imaging technologies that were not available until recently and finding diminished blood flow in certain areas of the brain, particularly in the [mPFC] and the cingulate cortex," he said.
"They're suggesting that a short-term drop in blood flow in these areas may be a correlate to the subjective effects observed."
Dr. Grob, who was not involved with this research, noted that these findings are different from those reported in a study conducted in the late 1990s by Swiss investigators in which positron emission tomography (PET) was used to evaluate the effects of psilocybin use.
"Using PET, they found some indication in these areas of increased blood flow. So the current investigators are saying their fMRI study may be showing the very initial effect, the short-term effect. But over time it equilibrates, and you then see the increased blood flow."
He added that the finding of a decrease in the hypothalamus was also noteworthy.
"Given that psilocybin and other psychedelics may reduce symptoms of cluster headaches, this is interesting because cluster headaches have been associated with increased hypothalamic cortical blood flow," explained Dr. Grob.
"So perhaps we have new evidence here for the underlying neurobiologic substrate of 2 subjective effects of psilocybin: the improvement of mood, and the alleviation of cluster headaches."
Ongoing stigma
Although Dr. Grob noted that more research is needed, he said that the ongoing stigmatization of psychedelics continues to provide obstacles.
"By the 1960s, psilocybin, LSD, and other drugs had gotten out of the laboratory setting and became particularly appealing to young, adventuresome people who often had no idea how to take these compounds safely. As the situation became seen as a public risk, clinical research with these drugs went dark for several decades," he said.
"Now, I think it's possible for investigators to safely take a fresh look at these compounds to help us understand consciousness and psychopathology, and perhaps to help us develop new and more effective treatment models."
However, he noted that as they are, these compounds could not be used in the clinical setting because they would require specialized training and certification.
"I think over time, and I think it will take a long time to get to that point, if we continue to have some success demonstrating safety and efficacy, then conditions will have to be created where this type of drug could possibly be used by specially trained facilitators," said Dr. Grob.
"Decades have elapsed since these drugs were associated with a culture of upheaval. I think it's important to now explore the potential value they may hold in novel treatment paradigms."
The study authors and Dr. Grob have disclosed no relevant financial relationships.
Source: http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/757387?sssdmh=dm1.753062&src=nldne
"We were surprised because we thought that psilocybin was going to increase brain activity in regions like the visual cortex, which would explain the visual changes. But it actually switched off certain areas," coinvestigator David J. Nutt, FMedSci, psychiatrist and professor of neuropsychopharmacology at the Imperial College London, told Medscape Medical News.
"Remarkably, the decreases were localized to important connector hubs in the brain that serve as key junctions for information transfers. Knocking out these key hubs with psilocybin appears to allow information to travel more freely, probably explaining why people's imaginations become more vivid and animated and the world is experienced as unusual," added lead author Robin Carhart-Harris, PhD, also from the Neuropsychopharmacology Unit at Imperial College London.
He noted that these areas of the brain are known to be overactive in patients with depression and that antidepressants, psychotherapy, and even meditation are used to bring the activity in these regions "back to normal."
Dr. Carhart-Harris said that although the study's results are preliminary and that more research is needed before definitive claims can be made about the therapeutic value of psychedelics, "the initial signs are promising."
The study was published online January 23 in Proceedings of the National Academy of Science.
Growing body of evidence
According to the investigators, previous "anecdotal reports" have suggested that psychedelics may be beneficial in reducing symptoms of cluster headaches.
In a recent pilot study published in September 2010 in Archives of General Psychiatry and reported by Medscape Medical News at that time, Charles S. Grob, MD, and colleagues from the University of California, Los Angeles also found that in patients with advanced-stage cancer, psilocybin significantly decreased anxiety compared with placebo. It also decreased the participants' depressive symptoms.
"We were able to establish good safety parameters, and no one sustained any psychological or physiological adverse effects. And we also saw some indication of diminished anxiety and improved mood over various points in time," Dr. Grob told Medscape Medical News.
Other studies examining the effects of psilocybin in the treatment of anxiety for patients with cancer are currently underway at Johns Hopkins University and at New York University.
Researchers from Johns Hopkins also recently found that healthy people given psilocybin often describe their experiences as among the most meaningful of their whole lives, comparable to such things as the birth of their first child or getting married, reported Dr. Carhart-Harris.
"So we wanted to know what is going on in people's brains to produce such profound effects," he said.
Psychedelic state
The current study included 30 healthy adult volunteers who had used "magic mushrooms" in the past but not in the previous 6 weeks. All volunteers participated in 2 site visits at least 14 days apart. In 1 visit, intravenous injections of psilocybin were given; in the other visit, injections of placebo were infused.
Dr. Carhart-Harris explained that intravenous administration of psilocybin was chosen because the onset with that method is "much more rapid" and the duration of effects briefer than when it is administered orally.
Two complementary functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) techniques were used to image brain changes from waking consciousness to a psychedelic state. These were used to measure differences before and after infusions in cerebral blood flow and venous oxygenation.
In the first procedure, 15 of the participants (67% men; mean age, 34.1 years) were scanned using arterial spin labeling perfusion. The other group of 15 volunteers (87% men; mean age, 32 years) underwent blood-oxygen level-dependent (BOLD) fMRIs.
Results showed that in comparison with the participants who received placebo, the participants who underwent arterial spin labeling after receiving psilocybin had significantly decreased blood flow in the subcortical and cortical regions of the brain, especially in the thalamus, anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), and posterior cingulate cortex (PCC).
Participants who underwent BOLD fMRI scans showed significantly decreased signals in the mPFC, ventral PCC, putamen, and subthalamic nuclei after receiving psilocybin compared with placebo.
"Decreased activity in the [ACC/mPFC] was a consistent finding and the magnitude of this decrease predicted the intensity of the subjective effects," report the investigators.
No increases in cerebral blood flow or BOLD signal were found in any brain region.
Research denied
In further "seed-based pharmaco-physiological interaction/functional connectivity analysis," psilocybin use was associated with a significant decrease "in the positive coupling" between the mPFC and PCC regions.
Dr. Carhart-Harris pointed out that these results were found in individuals who had tried psilocybin before.
"This is likely to have biased our results in favor of the positive outcomes. It's also important to emphasize that psychedelic drugs can be harmful if taken in an irresponsible manner, without psychological support."
Nevertheless, he noted that this study, along with others, suggest that people often experience a lifting of mood after taking psilocybin.
"That begs the question: could psilocybin be effective for people with depression? On the back of our biological findings, we have submitted a grant application to support a study that will address this question," said Dr. Carhart-Harris.
"We think that in depression, people are continually overlinking thoughts and ruminations and we think this may help break that link," added Dr. Nutt. "We've also heard case reports that it's been useful in treating obsessive-compulsive disorder, so it would be great if research were to also look at that area too."
"Making these drugs illegal…has denied research and possibly patients' benefits for 40 years, and we need to turn that around," said Dr. Nutt.
Short-term drop
Dr. Carhart-Harris said that it is not clear whether all psychedelics have the same neural mechanism, but he speculated that those psychedelics that have been shown to work through the serotonin system, such as lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) and dimethyltryptamine (DMT), probably do produce similar effects in the brain.
"These investigators were trying to establish what the neurobiological basis might be for the subjective effects and potentially therapeutic value of psilocybin," said Dr. Grob, professor of psychiatry at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center.
"It's a very interesting study using state-of-the-art brain imaging technologies that were not available until recently and finding diminished blood flow in certain areas of the brain, particularly in the [mPFC] and the cingulate cortex," he said.
"They're suggesting that a short-term drop in blood flow in these areas may be a correlate to the subjective effects observed."
Dr. Grob, who was not involved with this research, noted that these findings are different from those reported in a study conducted in the late 1990s by Swiss investigators in which positron emission tomography (PET) was used to evaluate the effects of psilocybin use.
"Using PET, they found some indication in these areas of increased blood flow. So the current investigators are saying their fMRI study may be showing the very initial effect, the short-term effect. But over time it equilibrates, and you then see the increased blood flow."
He added that the finding of a decrease in the hypothalamus was also noteworthy.
"Given that psilocybin and other psychedelics may reduce symptoms of cluster headaches, this is interesting because cluster headaches have been associated with increased hypothalamic cortical blood flow," explained Dr. Grob.
"So perhaps we have new evidence here for the underlying neurobiologic substrate of 2 subjective effects of psilocybin: the improvement of mood, and the alleviation of cluster headaches."
Ongoing stigma
Although Dr. Grob noted that more research is needed, he said that the ongoing stigmatization of psychedelics continues to provide obstacles.
"By the 1960s, psilocybin, LSD, and other drugs had gotten out of the laboratory setting and became particularly appealing to young, adventuresome people who often had no idea how to take these compounds safely. As the situation became seen as a public risk, clinical research with these drugs went dark for several decades," he said.
"Now, I think it's possible for investigators to safely take a fresh look at these compounds to help us understand consciousness and psychopathology, and perhaps to help us develop new and more effective treatment models."
However, he noted that as they are, these compounds could not be used in the clinical setting because they would require specialized training and certification.
"I think over time, and I think it will take a long time to get to that point, if we continue to have some success demonstrating safety and efficacy, then conditions will have to be created where this type of drug could possibly be used by specially trained facilitators," said Dr. Grob.
"Decades have elapsed since these drugs were associated with a culture of upheaval. I think it's important to now explore the potential value they may hold in novel treatment paradigms."
The study authors and Dr. Grob have disclosed no relevant financial relationships.
Source: http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/757387?sssdmh=dm1.753062&src=nldne
Black tea lowers blood pressure in small trial
Drinking black tea appears to reduce the risk of developing high blood pressure, research shows [1]. Three daily cups, which provided approximately 400 mg/day of polyphenols, reduced systolic and diastolic blood pressure between 2 to 3 mm Hg, according to researchers.
"A large proportion of the general population has blood pressure within the range included in this trial, making results of the trial applicable to individuals at increased risk of hypertension," write Dr Jonathan Hodgson (University of Western Australia, Perth) and colleagues in a research letter published in the January 23, 2012 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine.
Black tea is a common source of flavonoids, which have been suggested to contribute to vascular health. The researchers point out that they have shown that flavonoids augment nitric-oxide status and reduce plasma concentration of endothelin-1, both of which could contribute to reductions in vascular tone and reduced blood pressure.
In their study, the group randomized 95 men and women with a daytime ambulatory systolic blood pressure between 115 and 150 mm Hg to three cups of black tea daily or to placebo that matched the tea in flavor and caffeine content (approximately 96 mg of caffeine per day). There were no significant differences between patient groups at baseline.
Daily consumption of the tea resulted in a significantly lower 24-hour systolic and diastolic blood pressure compared with the control arm. The net-effect difference in systolic blood pressure at three and six months was -2.7 mm Hg and -2.0 mm Hg, respectively (p=0.006 at three months, p=0.05 at six months). Diastolic blood pressure was reduced 2.3 mm Hg and 2.1 mm Hg at three and six months, respectively (p<0.001 at three months, p=0.003 at six months).
"At a population level, the observed differences in BP would be associated with a 10% reduction in the prevalence of hypertension and a 7% to 10% reduction in the risk of cardiovascular disease," write Hodgson and colleagues. "Therefore, given the high prevalence of hypertension worldwide and the importance of hypertension as a risk factor for cardiovascular and total mortality, these findings have important public-health implications."
Related posts:
The multiple health benefits of tea
Green tea burns abdominal fat
Green tea supplements beat flu better
A simple and affordable remedy for mild diarrhea
Black tea lowers blood pressure
Source: http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/757432?sssdmh=dm1.753062&src=nldne
"A large proportion of the general population has blood pressure within the range included in this trial, making results of the trial applicable to individuals at increased risk of hypertension," write Dr Jonathan Hodgson (University of Western Australia, Perth) and colleagues in a research letter published in the January 23, 2012 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine.
Black tea is a common source of flavonoids, which have been suggested to contribute to vascular health. The researchers point out that they have shown that flavonoids augment nitric-oxide status and reduce plasma concentration of endothelin-1, both of which could contribute to reductions in vascular tone and reduced blood pressure.
In their study, the group randomized 95 men and women with a daytime ambulatory systolic blood pressure between 115 and 150 mm Hg to three cups of black tea daily or to placebo that matched the tea in flavor and caffeine content (approximately 96 mg of caffeine per day). There were no significant differences between patient groups at baseline.
Daily consumption of the tea resulted in a significantly lower 24-hour systolic and diastolic blood pressure compared with the control arm. The net-effect difference in systolic blood pressure at three and six months was -2.7 mm Hg and -2.0 mm Hg, respectively (p=0.006 at three months, p=0.05 at six months). Diastolic blood pressure was reduced 2.3 mm Hg and 2.1 mm Hg at three and six months, respectively (p<0.001 at three months, p=0.003 at six months).
"At a population level, the observed differences in BP would be associated with a 10% reduction in the prevalence of hypertension and a 7% to 10% reduction in the risk of cardiovascular disease," write Hodgson and colleagues. "Therefore, given the high prevalence of hypertension worldwide and the importance of hypertension as a risk factor for cardiovascular and total mortality, these findings have important public-health implications."
Related posts:
The multiple health benefits of tea
Green tea burns abdominal fat
Green tea supplements beat flu better
A simple and affordable remedy for mild diarrhea
Black tea lowers blood pressure
Source: http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/757432?sssdmh=dm1.753062&src=nldne
Thursday 19 January 2012
Licorice root effective against oral infections
A new study indicates that dried licorice root is effective against the bacteria which causes tooth decay and gum disease, both of which can lead to tooth loss. Reporting their findings in the American Chemical Society's Journal of Natural Products, researchers say that that two substances in dried licorice root may help prevent and treat tooth decay and gum disease.
Traditional healing, modern science
The dried root of the licorice plant has long been used in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). Practitioners of TCM use dried licorice root for a variety of health concerns: to treat coughs, ulcers, sore throat, arthritis, lupus, liver disorders, food poisoning and diabetes. Licorice is known by herbalists to possess antiviral, antifungal and antibacterial properties. The medicinally used root is not an ingredient in the licorice candy sold in the US which uses the similarly flavored anise oil.
As modern medicine slowly begins to accept that traditional healing traditions have value, many herbal remedies proven by centuries of efficacy have been examined using scientific standards. In a previous study, clinical trials indicated that an injectable form of licorice root was effective against hepatitis C. However, mainstream medicine still has not officially approved licorice root as a treatment for any condition.
Corporate funding for herbal study
The recent study is a striking instance of strange bedfellows. In this case, corporate profits proved to be the champion of traditional herbal wisdom. The lead researcher for the study is Stefan Gafner, PhD, a scientist employed by Tom's of Maine which markets natural personal care products, including toothpaste and dental floss. The company, started on a shoestring in 1970, was purchased by multinational conglomerate Colgate-Palmolive in 2006.
Gafner and his fellow researchers analyzed licorice root to identify the compounds work against bacteria. They found that two compounds, licoricidin and licorisoflavan A, offered the strongest anti-bacterial benefits. Both substances were shown to kill two of the major bacteria that were responsible for promoting gum disease. Licoricidin was also found to kill a third bacteria responsible for gum disease. In their article, the researchers say that these two licorice substances may treat or even prevent the oral infections which lead to tooth loss.
Establishing licorice root's ability to fight oral infections will help many people. Statistics from the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research indicate that nearly 92% of American adults and seniors have had some form of tooth decay in 59% of teens and 42% of children aged 11. More than 80% of adults in the US may have gum disease, often without knowing it. Gum disease, which in extreme cases can result in tooth loss, is also a risk factor in many types of heart and lung disease.
If you plan to use licorice to improve your oral hygiene, remember that natural remedies should be used with informed awareness. Herbal experts recommend that people with high blood pressure or heart disease exercise caution and not take large amounts of licorice over extended periods. Also, the herb is not recommended for pregnant women. Like most herbs, licorice root can interact with some prescription drugs, causing side-effects.
It is good to read about a corporate conglomerate's profit motive put to good use for once, validating the wisdom of traditional herbal healing. It will be interesting to see if Colgate-Palmolive applies the information from this study to the oral hygiene products other than the Tom's of Maine line. Many Colgate-Palmolive products use toxic chemicals including triclosan and fluoride. The conglomerate is still viewed negatively by many environmental activists, both for its marketing of disposable plastic products and for its New Jersey plant's contribution to groundwater pollution. However, the company has made improvements in the past; for instance, declaring a moratorium on animal testing in 1999 following protests by animal rights groups.
Source: http://www.naturalnews.com/034626_licorice_root_oral_infections_herbs.html#ixzz1jsqlkfaf
Traditional healing, modern science
The dried root of the licorice plant has long been used in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). Practitioners of TCM use dried licorice root for a variety of health concerns: to treat coughs, ulcers, sore throat, arthritis, lupus, liver disorders, food poisoning and diabetes. Licorice is known by herbalists to possess antiviral, antifungal and antibacterial properties. The medicinally used root is not an ingredient in the licorice candy sold in the US which uses the similarly flavored anise oil.
As modern medicine slowly begins to accept that traditional healing traditions have value, many herbal remedies proven by centuries of efficacy have been examined using scientific standards. In a previous study, clinical trials indicated that an injectable form of licorice root was effective against hepatitis C. However, mainstream medicine still has not officially approved licorice root as a treatment for any condition.
Corporate funding for herbal study
The recent study is a striking instance of strange bedfellows. In this case, corporate profits proved to be the champion of traditional herbal wisdom. The lead researcher for the study is Stefan Gafner, PhD, a scientist employed by Tom's of Maine which markets natural personal care products, including toothpaste and dental floss. The company, started on a shoestring in 1970, was purchased by multinational conglomerate Colgate-Palmolive in 2006.
Gafner and his fellow researchers analyzed licorice root to identify the compounds work against bacteria. They found that two compounds, licoricidin and licorisoflavan A, offered the strongest anti-bacterial benefits. Both substances were shown to kill two of the major bacteria that were responsible for promoting gum disease. Licoricidin was also found to kill a third bacteria responsible for gum disease. In their article, the researchers say that these two licorice substances may treat or even prevent the oral infections which lead to tooth loss.
Establishing licorice root's ability to fight oral infections will help many people. Statistics from the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research indicate that nearly 92% of American adults and seniors have had some form of tooth decay in 59% of teens and 42% of children aged 11. More than 80% of adults in the US may have gum disease, often without knowing it. Gum disease, which in extreme cases can result in tooth loss, is also a risk factor in many types of heart and lung disease.
If you plan to use licorice to improve your oral hygiene, remember that natural remedies should be used with informed awareness. Herbal experts recommend that people with high blood pressure or heart disease exercise caution and not take large amounts of licorice over extended periods. Also, the herb is not recommended for pregnant women. Like most herbs, licorice root can interact with some prescription drugs, causing side-effects.
It is good to read about a corporate conglomerate's profit motive put to good use for once, validating the wisdom of traditional herbal healing. It will be interesting to see if Colgate-Palmolive applies the information from this study to the oral hygiene products other than the Tom's of Maine line. Many Colgate-Palmolive products use toxic chemicals including triclosan and fluoride. The conglomerate is still viewed negatively by many environmental activists, both for its marketing of disposable plastic products and for its New Jersey plant's contribution to groundwater pollution. However, the company has made improvements in the past; for instance, declaring a moratorium on animal testing in 1999 following protests by animal rights groups.
Source: http://www.naturalnews.com/034626_licorice_root_oral_infections_herbs.html#ixzz1jsqlkfaf
The potential health benefits and drawbacks of coffee
Coffee may taste good and get you going in the morning, but what will it do for your health?
A growing body of research shows that coffee drinkers, compared to nondrinkers, are:
“There is certainly much more good news than bad news, in terms of coffee and health,” says Frank Hu, MD, MPH, PhD, nutrition and epidemiology professor at the Harvard School of Public Health.
But (you knew there would be a “but,” didn’t you?) coffee isn't proven to prevent those conditions.
Researchers don't ask people to drink or skip coffee for the sake of science. Instead, they ask them about their coffee habits. Those studies can't show cause and effect. It's possible that coffee drinkers have other advantages, such as better diets, more exercise, or protective genes.
So there isn't solid proof. But there are signs of potential health perks -- and a few cautions.
If you're like the average American, who downed 416 8-ounce cups of coffee in 2009 (by the World Resources Institute's estimates), you might want to know what all that java is doing for you, or to you.
Here is a condition-by-condition look at the research.
Type 2 diabetes
Hu calls the data on coffee and type 2 diabetes "pretty solid," based on more than 15 published studies.
"The vast majority of those studies have shown a benefit of coffee on the prevention of diabetes. And now there is also evidence that decaffeinated coffee may have the same benefit as regular coffee,” Hu tells WebMD.
In 2005, Hu's team reviewed nine studies on coffee and type 2 diabetes. Of more than 193,000 people, those who said they drank more than six or seven cups daily were 35% less likely to have type 2 diabetes than people who drank fewer than two cups daily. There was a smaller perk -- a 28% lower risk -- for people who drank 4-6 cups a day. The findings held regardless of sex, weight, or geographic location (U.S. or Europe).
More recently, Australian researchers looked at 18 studies of nearly 458,000 people. They found a 7% drop in the odds of having type 2 diabetes for every additional cup of coffee drunk daily. There were similar risk reductions for decaf coffee drinkers and tea drinkers. But the researchers cautioned that data from some of the smaller studies they reviewed may be less reliable. So it's possible that they overestimated the strength of the link between heavy coffee drinking and diabetes.
How might coffee keep diabetes at bay?
“It’s the whole package,” Hu says. He points to antioxidants -- nutrients that help prevent tissue damage caused by molecules called oxygen-free radicals. “We know that coffee has a very strong antioxidant capacity," Hu says.
Coffee also contains minerals such as magnesium and chromium, which help the body use the hormone insulin, which controls blood sugar (glucose). In type 2 diabetes, the body loses its ability to use insulin and regulate blood sugar effectively.
It's probably not the caffeine, though. Based on studies of decaf coffee, “I think we can safely say that the benefits are not likely to be due to caffeine," Hu says.
Hold the caffeine?
The fact that coffee contains good stuff does not necessarily mean that it’s good for us, says James D. Lane, PhD, professor of medical psychology and behavioral medicine at Duke University Medical Center in Durham, N.C.
“It has not really been shown that coffee drinking leads to an increase in antioxidants in the body,” Lane tells WebMD. “We know that there are antioxidants in large quantities in coffee itself, especially when it’s freshly brewed, but we don’t know whether those antioxidants appear in the bloodstream and in the body when the person drinks it. Those studies have not been done.”
Regular coffee, of course, also contains caffeine. Caffeine can raise blood pressure, as well as blood levels of the fight-or-flight chemical epinephrine (also called adrenaline), Lane says.
Heart disease and stroke
Coffee may counter several risk factors for heart attack and stroke.
First, there's the potential effect on type 2 diabetes risk. Type 2 diabetes makes heart disease and stroke more likely.
Besides that, coffee has been linked to lower risks for heart rhythm disturbances (another heart attack and stroke risk factor) in men and women, and lower risk for strokes in women.
In a study of about 130,000 Kaiser Permanente health plan members, people who reported drinking 1-3 cups of coffee per day were 20% less likely to be hospitalized for abnormal heart rhythms (arrhythmias) than nondrinkers, regardless of other risk factors.
And, for women, coffee may mean a lower risk of stroke.
In 2009, a study of 83,700 nurses enrolled in the long-term Nurses' Health Study showed a 20% lower risk of stroke in those who reported drinking two or more cups of coffee daily compared to women who drank less coffee or none at all. That pattern held regardless of whether the women had high blood pressure, high cholesterol levels, and type 2 diabetes.
Parkinson’s and Alzheimer's diseases
“For Parkinson’s disease, the data have always been very consistent: higher consumption of coffee is associated with decreased risk of Parkinson’s,” Hu tells WebMD. That seems to be due to caffeine, though exactly how that works isn't clear, Hu notes.
Coffee has also been linked to lower risk of dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease. A 2009 study from Finland and Sweden showed that, out of 1,400 people followed for about 20 years, those who reported drinking 3-5 cups of coffee daily were 65% less likely to develop dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, compared with nondrinkers or occasional coffee drinkers.
Cancer
The evidence of a cancer protection effect of coffee is weaker than that for type 2 diabetes. But “for liver cancer, I think that the data are very consistent,” Hu says.
“All of the studies have shown that high coffee consumption is associated with decreased risk of liver cirrhosis and liver cancer,” he says. That's a "very interesting finding," Hu says, but again, it's not clear how it might work.
Again, this research shows a possible association, but like most studies on coffee and health, does not show cause and effect.
Pregnancy
In August 2010, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) stated that moderate caffeine drinking -- less than 200 mg per day, or about the amount in 12 ounces of coffee -- doesn't appear to have any major effects on causing miscarriage, premature delivery, or fetal growth.
But the effects of larger caffeine doses are unknown, and other research shows that pregnant women who drink many cups of coffee daily may be at greater risk for miscarriage than non-drinkers or moderate drinkers. Again, it's not clear whether the coffee was responsible for that.
Calories, heartburn, and urine
You won't break your calorie budget on coffee -- until you start adding the trimmings.
According to the web site myfoodapedia.gov -- part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion -- a 6-ounce cup of black coffee contains just 7 calories. Add some half & half and you'll get 46 calories. If you favor a liquid nondairy creamer, that will set you back 48 calories. A teaspoon of sugar will add about 23 calories.
Drink a lot of coffee and you may head to the bathroom more often. Caffeine is a mild diuretic -- that is, it makes you urinate more than you would without it. Decaffeinated coffee has about the same effect on urine production as water.
Both regular and decaffeinated coffee contain acids that can make heartburn worse.
Related posts:
Coffee linked to lower endometrial cancer risk
Coffee could reduce skin cancer risk
Coffee keeps the blues away
Caffeinated coffee protects against Alzheimer's, diabetes, depression and prostate cancers
Coffee lowers liver fibrosis risk
Source: http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/features/coffee-new-health-food
A growing body of research shows that coffee drinkers, compared to nondrinkers, are:
- Less likely to have type 2 diabetes, Parkinson's disease, and dementia
- Have fewer cases of certain cancers, heart rhythm problems, and strokes
“There is certainly much more good news than bad news, in terms of coffee and health,” says Frank Hu, MD, MPH, PhD, nutrition and epidemiology professor at the Harvard School of Public Health.
But (you knew there would be a “but,” didn’t you?) coffee isn't proven to prevent those conditions.
Researchers don't ask people to drink or skip coffee for the sake of science. Instead, they ask them about their coffee habits. Those studies can't show cause and effect. It's possible that coffee drinkers have other advantages, such as better diets, more exercise, or protective genes.
So there isn't solid proof. But there are signs of potential health perks -- and a few cautions.
If you're like the average American, who downed 416 8-ounce cups of coffee in 2009 (by the World Resources Institute's estimates), you might want to know what all that java is doing for you, or to you.
Here is a condition-by-condition look at the research.
Type 2 diabetes
Hu calls the data on coffee and type 2 diabetes "pretty solid," based on more than 15 published studies.
"The vast majority of those studies have shown a benefit of coffee on the prevention of diabetes. And now there is also evidence that decaffeinated coffee may have the same benefit as regular coffee,” Hu tells WebMD.
In 2005, Hu's team reviewed nine studies on coffee and type 2 diabetes. Of more than 193,000 people, those who said they drank more than six or seven cups daily were 35% less likely to have type 2 diabetes than people who drank fewer than two cups daily. There was a smaller perk -- a 28% lower risk -- for people who drank 4-6 cups a day. The findings held regardless of sex, weight, or geographic location (U.S. or Europe).
More recently, Australian researchers looked at 18 studies of nearly 458,000 people. They found a 7% drop in the odds of having type 2 diabetes for every additional cup of coffee drunk daily. There were similar risk reductions for decaf coffee drinkers and tea drinkers. But the researchers cautioned that data from some of the smaller studies they reviewed may be less reliable. So it's possible that they overestimated the strength of the link between heavy coffee drinking and diabetes.
How might coffee keep diabetes at bay?
“It’s the whole package,” Hu says. He points to antioxidants -- nutrients that help prevent tissue damage caused by molecules called oxygen-free radicals. “We know that coffee has a very strong antioxidant capacity," Hu says.
Coffee also contains minerals such as magnesium and chromium, which help the body use the hormone insulin, which controls blood sugar (glucose). In type 2 diabetes, the body loses its ability to use insulin and regulate blood sugar effectively.
It's probably not the caffeine, though. Based on studies of decaf coffee, “I think we can safely say that the benefits are not likely to be due to caffeine," Hu says.
Hold the caffeine?
The fact that coffee contains good stuff does not necessarily mean that it’s good for us, says James D. Lane, PhD, professor of medical psychology and behavioral medicine at Duke University Medical Center in Durham, N.C.
“It has not really been shown that coffee drinking leads to an increase in antioxidants in the body,” Lane tells WebMD. “We know that there are antioxidants in large quantities in coffee itself, especially when it’s freshly brewed, but we don’t know whether those antioxidants appear in the bloodstream and in the body when the person drinks it. Those studies have not been done.”
Regular coffee, of course, also contains caffeine. Caffeine can raise blood pressure, as well as blood levels of the fight-or-flight chemical epinephrine (also called adrenaline), Lane says.
Heart disease and stroke
Coffee may counter several risk factors for heart attack and stroke.
First, there's the potential effect on type 2 diabetes risk. Type 2 diabetes makes heart disease and stroke more likely.
Besides that, coffee has been linked to lower risks for heart rhythm disturbances (another heart attack and stroke risk factor) in men and women, and lower risk for strokes in women.
In a study of about 130,000 Kaiser Permanente health plan members, people who reported drinking 1-3 cups of coffee per day were 20% less likely to be hospitalized for abnormal heart rhythms (arrhythmias) than nondrinkers, regardless of other risk factors.
And, for women, coffee may mean a lower risk of stroke.
In 2009, a study of 83,700 nurses enrolled in the long-term Nurses' Health Study showed a 20% lower risk of stroke in those who reported drinking two or more cups of coffee daily compared to women who drank less coffee or none at all. That pattern held regardless of whether the women had high blood pressure, high cholesterol levels, and type 2 diabetes.
Parkinson’s and Alzheimer's diseases
“For Parkinson’s disease, the data have always been very consistent: higher consumption of coffee is associated with decreased risk of Parkinson’s,” Hu tells WebMD. That seems to be due to caffeine, though exactly how that works isn't clear, Hu notes.
Coffee has also been linked to lower risk of dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease. A 2009 study from Finland and Sweden showed that, out of 1,400 people followed for about 20 years, those who reported drinking 3-5 cups of coffee daily were 65% less likely to develop dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, compared with nondrinkers or occasional coffee drinkers.
Cancer
The evidence of a cancer protection effect of coffee is weaker than that for type 2 diabetes. But “for liver cancer, I think that the data are very consistent,” Hu says.
“All of the studies have shown that high coffee consumption is associated with decreased risk of liver cirrhosis and liver cancer,” he says. That's a "very interesting finding," Hu says, but again, it's not clear how it might work.
Again, this research shows a possible association, but like most studies on coffee and health, does not show cause and effect.
Pregnancy
In August 2010, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) stated that moderate caffeine drinking -- less than 200 mg per day, or about the amount in 12 ounces of coffee -- doesn't appear to have any major effects on causing miscarriage, premature delivery, or fetal growth.
But the effects of larger caffeine doses are unknown, and other research shows that pregnant women who drink many cups of coffee daily may be at greater risk for miscarriage than non-drinkers or moderate drinkers. Again, it's not clear whether the coffee was responsible for that.
Calories, heartburn, and urine
You won't break your calorie budget on coffee -- until you start adding the trimmings.
According to the web site myfoodapedia.gov -- part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion -- a 6-ounce cup of black coffee contains just 7 calories. Add some half & half and you'll get 46 calories. If you favor a liquid nondairy creamer, that will set you back 48 calories. A teaspoon of sugar will add about 23 calories.
Drink a lot of coffee and you may head to the bathroom more often. Caffeine is a mild diuretic -- that is, it makes you urinate more than you would without it. Decaffeinated coffee has about the same effect on urine production as water.
Both regular and decaffeinated coffee contain acids that can make heartburn worse.
Related posts:
Coffee linked to lower endometrial cancer risk
Coffee could reduce skin cancer risk
Coffee keeps the blues away
Caffeinated coffee protects against Alzheimer's, diabetes, depression and prostate cancers
Coffee lowers liver fibrosis risk
Source: http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/features/coffee-new-health-food
Processed meat could raise pancreatic cancer risk
Some possible bad news for all the bacon lovers out there.
A new review in the British Journal of Cancer suggests a link between processed meats -- like bacon and sausages -- and an increased pancreatic cancer risk.
In particular, eating an extra 50 grams a day of processed meat -- or about a sausage -- is enough to raise pancreatic cancer risk by 19 percent, BBC News reported, while an extra 100 grams of processed meat a day could raise the cancer risk by 38 percent.
"The authors of this study have suggested that one of the reasons could be that some of the chemicals that are used to preserve processed meat are turned in our bodies into some really harmful chemicals which can affect our DNA and increase the chance of cancer," Jessica Harris, health information manager at Cancer Research UK, told Sky News.
BBC News pointed out that the overall risk of pancreatic cancer is relatively low, though. However, other research has signaled a link between processed meat and other kinds of cancers, including colorectal cancer.
The review by Karolinska Institute researchers included an analysis of data from 11 different studies, which overall included 6,643 pancreatic cancer cases, the Guardian reported.
"Pancreatic cancer has poor survival rates," study researcher Susanna Larsson told the Guardian. "So as well as diagnosing it early, it's important to understand what can increase the risk of this disease."
Last year, Harvard researchers found that people who eat a 3.5-ounce serving of processed meat a day -- about two slices of bacon, or a hot dog -- have a 51 percent increased risk of Type 2 diabetes.
And people who eat one 100-gram serving of red, unprocessed meat -- the size of a deck of cards -- a day have a 19 percent increased risk of Type 2 diabetes, according to the study, which was published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
Related posts:
Time to go easy on sausages
Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/01/13/processed-meat-pancreatic-cancer-bacon-sausage_n_1204620.html
A new review in the British Journal of Cancer suggests a link between processed meats -- like bacon and sausages -- and an increased pancreatic cancer risk.
In particular, eating an extra 50 grams a day of processed meat -- or about a sausage -- is enough to raise pancreatic cancer risk by 19 percent, BBC News reported, while an extra 100 grams of processed meat a day could raise the cancer risk by 38 percent.
"The authors of this study have suggested that one of the reasons could be that some of the chemicals that are used to preserve processed meat are turned in our bodies into some really harmful chemicals which can affect our DNA and increase the chance of cancer," Jessica Harris, health information manager at Cancer Research UK, told Sky News.
BBC News pointed out that the overall risk of pancreatic cancer is relatively low, though. However, other research has signaled a link between processed meat and other kinds of cancers, including colorectal cancer.
The review by Karolinska Institute researchers included an analysis of data from 11 different studies, which overall included 6,643 pancreatic cancer cases, the Guardian reported.
"Pancreatic cancer has poor survival rates," study researcher Susanna Larsson told the Guardian. "So as well as diagnosing it early, it's important to understand what can increase the risk of this disease."
Last year, Harvard researchers found that people who eat a 3.5-ounce serving of processed meat a day -- about two slices of bacon, or a hot dog -- have a 51 percent increased risk of Type 2 diabetes.
And people who eat one 100-gram serving of red, unprocessed meat -- the size of a deck of cards -- a day have a 19 percent increased risk of Type 2 diabetes, according to the study, which was published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
Related posts:
Time to go easy on sausages
Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/01/13/processed-meat-pancreatic-cancer-bacon-sausage_n_1204620.html
Tuesday 17 January 2012
7 ingredients that should be banned from your bathroom
The following ingredients usually appear in the products we use daily — shampoo, sunscreen and the like — and general scientific consensus concludes that they’re best avoided:
Parabens are a synthetic preservative and antimicrobial agent commonly found in personal-care products with high water content: shampoo, conditioner, lotion, cleansers and body wash. They also turn up in solid products like deodorant. They appear as methyl-, ethyl-, butyl- or propylparaben. Studies have found that parabens mimic estrogen in the body and disrupt normal hormone function, and they have been found in breast-tumor biopsies.
Growing awareness about parabens has inspired a number of manufacturers to banish them in favor of safer preservatives, while some have simply accepted a shorter shelf life as the price of doing healthy business. You can often find personal-care products labeled “paraben free,” which will save you a little squinting in the product aisle. Signers of the Compact for Safe Cosmetics have committed to avoiding their use; you can find the list of these companies at www.safecosmetics.org.
Phthalates are plasticizers that stabilize scent in perfume and color in cosmetics; they also keep nail polish from chipping. You won’t find them listed on most labels, though they can be present in almost every conceivable personal-care item hidden in the ingredient “fragrance.” (Company formulas are legally protected as proprietary information.) Multiple studies have linked phthalates to depression of normal thyroid function and birth defects, mostly affecting the genital development of young boys and sperm counts in adult men.
Two kinds of phthalates commonly found in cosmetics were banned in the EU with its recent cosmetic safety directive, forcing international companies to reformulate their products for the European market. A number of nail polish manufacturers have removed the “toxic trio” — dibutyl phthalate, toluene (a solvent and neurotoxin) and formaldehyde — from their nail polish formulas. Still, it’s smart to view nail polish and products with caution, especially if you’re pregnant. Water-based polishes are the most benign option.
Nanoparticles consist of ultra-tiny particles of common ingredients and are used in everything from sports clothing to car tires. They’re often found in sunscreen, to make it transparent instead of white, and in anti-aging products to help them penetrate deeper skin layers; they can be listed on labels as “microfine particles.” These “penetration enhancers” are worrisome in the company of phthalates and parabens. And, because they’re a new and quite powerful technology, environmental-health experts are also concerned about their impact on the environment once they’re washed into rivers and lakes. While the particles alone have not been implicated in health issues, many experts recommend waiting to use them until more studies have been completed.
Sodium Lauryl/Laureth Sulfate (SLS) is a synthetic detergent and foaming agent connected to skin and eye irritation. It’s also linked to the byproduct 1-4 dioxane, a suspected carcinogenic contaminant produced by the ethoxylation process, used to make some ingredients less harsh. (Sodium lauryl sulfate is converted to sodium laureth sulfate, for example.) Ethoxylation is one reason why so many “gentler” products — those with a natural slant or made especially for kids — have turned up surprisingly high levels of toxins.
According to researchers at the Organic Consumers Association, who conducted tests for 1-4 dioxane on hundreds of products from 16 major brands in 2008, only 23 products were found to be free of 1-4 dioxane contamination. Many companies have quit using ethoxylated ingredients like sodium lauryl sulfate to avoid 1-4 dioxane contamination as well as allergic reactions, and the standard for the Whole Foods Premium Body Care Seal doesn’t allow it. Look for “-eth” at the end of other ingredient names to detect this process.
Synthetic fragrances can contain as many as 200 ingredients that manufacturers are not required to disclose. A common allergen, “fragrance” on an ingredient label is a reliable indicator that the product contains phthalates, unless it’s clearly indicated that the fragrance contains no synthetics. Higher-potency fragrances are the likeliest suspects for high concentrations of phthalates. Sophie Uliano, natural-beauty expert and author of Gorgeously Green: 8 Simple Steps to an Earth-Friendly Life (HarperCollins, 2008), points out that “fragrance-free” or “unscented” products aren’t always a dependable alternative, since manufacturers sometimes use masking fragrances in place of identifiable scents. Look for products that explicitly say “no synthetic fragrances” or “natural essential oil fragrance only,” or try to buy from companies that have signed the Compact for Safe Cosmetics.
Diethanolamine (DEA) and Triethanolamine (TEA) are emulsifiers and foaming agents typically found in shampoo and body wash. They can produce allergic reaction as well as, ironically enough, hair and skin dryness. They belong to the category of “nitrosamines” that Uliano cautions against, which studies have shown can be carcinogenic.
Diazolidinyl and Imidazolidinyl Urea are frequently used synthetic preservatives that can cause contact dermatitis and are suspected formaldehyde releasers. They appear in sunscreen, lotion, shampoo — the same places you’ll find parabens.
The number of personal-care ingredients with unknown or suspected health effects is quite long; you can find a comprehensive list at www.cosmeticsdatabase.com.
Get SLS-free toiletries here: http://www.iherb.com/Search?kw=sls?rcode=POT089
Source: http://www.care2.com/greenliving/7-ingredients-to-ban-from-your-bathroom.html#ixzz1jgZDZoZJ
Parabens are a synthetic preservative and antimicrobial agent commonly found in personal-care products with high water content: shampoo, conditioner, lotion, cleansers and body wash. They also turn up in solid products like deodorant. They appear as methyl-, ethyl-, butyl- or propylparaben. Studies have found that parabens mimic estrogen in the body and disrupt normal hormone function, and they have been found in breast-tumor biopsies.
Growing awareness about parabens has inspired a number of manufacturers to banish them in favor of safer preservatives, while some have simply accepted a shorter shelf life as the price of doing healthy business. You can often find personal-care products labeled “paraben free,” which will save you a little squinting in the product aisle. Signers of the Compact for Safe Cosmetics have committed to avoiding their use; you can find the list of these companies at www.safecosmetics.org.
Phthalates are plasticizers that stabilize scent in perfume and color in cosmetics; they also keep nail polish from chipping. You won’t find them listed on most labels, though they can be present in almost every conceivable personal-care item hidden in the ingredient “fragrance.” (Company formulas are legally protected as proprietary information.) Multiple studies have linked phthalates to depression of normal thyroid function and birth defects, mostly affecting the genital development of young boys and sperm counts in adult men.
Two kinds of phthalates commonly found in cosmetics were banned in the EU with its recent cosmetic safety directive, forcing international companies to reformulate their products for the European market. A number of nail polish manufacturers have removed the “toxic trio” — dibutyl phthalate, toluene (a solvent and neurotoxin) and formaldehyde — from their nail polish formulas. Still, it’s smart to view nail polish and products with caution, especially if you’re pregnant. Water-based polishes are the most benign option.
Nanoparticles consist of ultra-tiny particles of common ingredients and are used in everything from sports clothing to car tires. They’re often found in sunscreen, to make it transparent instead of white, and in anti-aging products to help them penetrate deeper skin layers; they can be listed on labels as “microfine particles.” These “penetration enhancers” are worrisome in the company of phthalates and parabens. And, because they’re a new and quite powerful technology, environmental-health experts are also concerned about their impact on the environment once they’re washed into rivers and lakes. While the particles alone have not been implicated in health issues, many experts recommend waiting to use them until more studies have been completed.
Sodium Lauryl/Laureth Sulfate (SLS) is a synthetic detergent and foaming agent connected to skin and eye irritation. It’s also linked to the byproduct 1-4 dioxane, a suspected carcinogenic contaminant produced by the ethoxylation process, used to make some ingredients less harsh. (Sodium lauryl sulfate is converted to sodium laureth sulfate, for example.) Ethoxylation is one reason why so many “gentler” products — those with a natural slant or made especially for kids — have turned up surprisingly high levels of toxins.
According to researchers at the Organic Consumers Association, who conducted tests for 1-4 dioxane on hundreds of products from 16 major brands in 2008, only 23 products were found to be free of 1-4 dioxane contamination. Many companies have quit using ethoxylated ingredients like sodium lauryl sulfate to avoid 1-4 dioxane contamination as well as allergic reactions, and the standard for the Whole Foods Premium Body Care Seal doesn’t allow it. Look for “-eth” at the end of other ingredient names to detect this process.
Synthetic fragrances can contain as many as 200 ingredients that manufacturers are not required to disclose. A common allergen, “fragrance” on an ingredient label is a reliable indicator that the product contains phthalates, unless it’s clearly indicated that the fragrance contains no synthetics. Higher-potency fragrances are the likeliest suspects for high concentrations of phthalates. Sophie Uliano, natural-beauty expert and author of Gorgeously Green: 8 Simple Steps to an Earth-Friendly Life (HarperCollins, 2008), points out that “fragrance-free” or “unscented” products aren’t always a dependable alternative, since manufacturers sometimes use masking fragrances in place of identifiable scents. Look for products that explicitly say “no synthetic fragrances” or “natural essential oil fragrance only,” or try to buy from companies that have signed the Compact for Safe Cosmetics.
Diethanolamine (DEA) and Triethanolamine (TEA) are emulsifiers and foaming agents typically found in shampoo and body wash. They can produce allergic reaction as well as, ironically enough, hair and skin dryness. They belong to the category of “nitrosamines” that Uliano cautions against, which studies have shown can be carcinogenic.
Diazolidinyl and Imidazolidinyl Urea are frequently used synthetic preservatives that can cause contact dermatitis and are suspected formaldehyde releasers. They appear in sunscreen, lotion, shampoo — the same places you’ll find parabens.
The number of personal-care ingredients with unknown or suspected health effects is quite long; you can find a comprehensive list at www.cosmeticsdatabase.com.
Get SLS-free toiletries here: http://www.iherb.com/Search?kw=sls?rcode=POT089
Source: http://www.care2.com/greenliving/7-ingredients-to-ban-from-your-bathroom.html#ixzz1jgZDZoZJ
Monday 16 January 2012
Miracle cure for gout and arthritis pain? Six cherries a day
I bet the big drug companies wish they had invented cherries -- they've proven to be the most powerful medicine in the world for eliminating gout and reducing the pain and inflammation of arthritis. Cherries are such powerful medicine for gout and arthritis, in fact, the FDA went out of its way to try to muzzle cherry growers, preventing them from linking to scientific studies on cherries as a way to censor the information you're about to read here.
If the public finds out the truth about cherries, after all, they won't need arthritis drugs anymore (and Big Pharma will lose billions in profits). As you'll see in the collection of quotes about cherries, gout and arthritis (below), cherries are extremely safe, effective and fast-acting for eliminating swelling and pain. Eating just a few cherries a day keeps uric acid levels in check, preventing any recurrence of gout.
What's a good source for cherries? In addition to buying local organic cherries at natural grocers near you, you can also get cherry concentrates and cherry extracts from a variety of companies. As it turns out, even cooked cherry juice does the trick just as well as raw cherries!
If you suffer from gout or arthritis, you owe it to yourself to try the therapeutic use of cherries.
The FDA, of course, says cherries aren't medicine. The FDA is lying to you! (And they know it.) Cherries ARE medicine, and it's medicine that's safer, more effective and far more affordable than Big Pharma's toxic patented chemicals. Cherries are medicine that grows on trees.
The entire pharmaceutical cartel hopes you never find out the truth about cherries. They're depending on your ignorance to keep their profits flowing. Don't let 'em sucker you into taking expensive, dangerous medications when cherries might be all you really need! Try cherries (or cherry concentrate products) first, for at least 30 days. And when your pain vanishes, you can send a thank-you email to Mother Nature for providing this natural medicine to the world.
Read the quotes below to learn astonishing facts about cherries and gout...
Authors' Quotes on Cherries and GoutBelow, you'll find selected quotes from noted authors on the subject of Cherries and Gout. Feel free to quote these in your own work provided you give proper credit to both the original author quoted here and this NaturalNews page.
No attacks of gouty arthritis occurred on a nonrestricted diet in all cases, as a result of eating about one-half pound of fresh or canned cherries per day. One doctor said: A patient of mine had heard about cherries for gout. He was, in fact, a sufferer of gout himself. He decided to give the cherry therapy a try. After following this patient's progress over the past two months, I can only say the results have been nothing less than spectacular. The patient has ceased taking the prescribed medication for his gout and has an unlimited diet. This alone should make any gout sufferer take notice.
- Rapid Healing Foods by Ben Davis
- Available on Amazon.com
He described how he had cured his crippling gout, which had confined him to a wheelchair, by eating six to eight cherries every day. Continuing to eat cherries, he claimed, kept painful gout away. He also cited twelve others who had cured their gout by eating cherries or drinking cherry juice. Soon afterward Prevention Magazine added to the mystery and mystique by publishing Dr. Blau's advice to use cherries as gout medicine.
- Miracle Cures: Dramatic New Scientific Discoveries Revealing the Healing Powers of Herbs, Vitamins, and Other Natural Remedies by Jean Carper
- Available on Amazon.com
For those with gout, life is just a bowl of cherries. Really, substances in cherries called anthocyanocides, are very effective at lowering uric acid levels, says Walter Crinnion, N.D., a naturopathic doctor and director of Healing Naturally in Kirkland, Washington. How many cherries should you eat? According to traditional healing lore and very preliminary research, eating anywhere from 1/2 cup to 1 pound (about 70) of cherries a day may help people with gout, says Laurie Aesoph, N.D., a naturopathic doctor in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
- Alternative Cures: The Most Effective Natural Home Remedies for 160 Health Problems by Bill Gottlieb
- Available on Amazon.com
One morning he read a news item about the use of cherries for gout, and since there were some sour cherries in the freezer, he began eating a dessert dish of them at lunch and dinner. The swelling in his knee went down, and the stiffness was gone in three days. He continued eating two dishes of the cherries daily and has had no further attacks of gout in over a year.
- Miracle Medicine Herbs (Reward Books) by Richard Melvin Lucas
- Available on Amazon.com
In a 1950 study, 12 patients with gout ingested one-half pound of cherries per day (or an equivalent amount of cherry juice), with no other dietary restrictions. In all 12 cases, serum uric-acid levels fell to normal, and the patients had no further attacks of gout. Cherry juice appeared to be as effective as whole cherries. While most of the results were obtained with black cherries, sweet yellow and red sour cherries were also effective. We have been impressed by the effectiveness of cherry juice as a treatment for acute gout.
- Natural Medicine, Optimal Wellness: The Patient's Guide to Health and Healing by Jonathan V. Wright, M.D. and Alan R. Gaby, M.D.
- Available on Amazon.com
Physicians prescribed cherries for epilepsy. In the 1920s in the United States, physicians touted black cherries to cure kidney stones and gall bladder ailments, and red cherries to remove phlegm. In 1950 Ludwig Blau, Ph.D., writing in Texas Reports on Biology and Medicine, claimed that he cured his crippling gout that confined him to a wheelchair by eating six to eight cherries each day. As long as he ate cherries, he avowed, the gout stayed away.
- The Food Pharmacy: Dramatic New Evidence That Food Is Your Best Medicine by Jean Carper
- Available on Amazon.com
According to research from Michigan State University, if gout attacks, chew on some cherries. Dr. Muralee Nair, lead author of the study, suggests eating about 20 or so cherries a day to reduce the swelling and ache of a sudden gout attack. "Daily consumption of cherries," Nair says, "has the potential to reduce pain related to inflammation, arthritis, and gout." Some researchers think cherries might work as well as drugs, without the side effects.
- Eat and Heal (Foods That Can Prevent or Cure Many Common Ailments) by the Editors of FC&A Medical Publishing
- Available on Amazon.com
I continued eating the sour cherries during their season and had relief the entire time. When I stopped eating them, the pain returned. I usually freeze cherries every year for pies, but instead of making pies, I resumed eating my frozen cherries. Doctors, family and lay people as well all laughed at me, but I still maintain that cherries were my cure for arthritis. Since that time if I ever get an attack I head for the freezer and my cherries. Mrs. M.G. reports: "After hearing about them, I began eating red, sour cherries for my gout".
- Miracle Medicine Foods by Rex Adams
- Available on Amazon.com
Bing and Royal Ann cherries are both sweet, but Bings have deeply colored juice, whereas the juice of the other variety is colorless. Sour cherries - the ones most favored for pies, tarts and turnovers are similarly divided: morellos have colored juice and amarelles colorless liquid. The very popular tart cherry, Montmorency, is light to dark red with red juice. Sweet cherries are available from May through August, while sour cherries go from late June to mid-August. Nothing works better for gout than either raw sweet cherries (15 per day), cherry juice concentrate (1 tbsp).
- Heinerman's Encyclopedia of Fruits, Vegetables and Herbs by John Heinerman
- Available on Amazon.com
By accident one day I heard about cherries for gout. I had gout, so after hearing this, I immediately bought several cans of cherries. I ate them for about a week, and all the swelling and stiffness disappeared! It was a miracle! "As long as I eat cherries, there is no pain. Exercise, walking, bicycling and no pain. I will eat cherries the rest of my life, they are fantastic!"
- Miracle Medicine Foods by Rex Adams
- Available on Amazon.com
The report says that "no attacks of gouty arthritis have occurred on a nonrestricted diet in all 12 cases, as a result of eating about one-half pound of fresh or canned cherries per day." This amazing fruit, often used in ice cream, cake, candy and desserts, may relieve your arthritis! Dr. Blau tells of astonishing cures by eating cherries-canned, sour, black, Royal Anne, or fresh black Bing cherries. One arthritis patient just drank the juice and the curative powers were equally effective.
- Miracle Medicine Foods by Rex Adams
- Available on Amazon.com
One item I can guarantee you'll see on the recommended list of just about any integrative medicine approach to gout is this, eat more cherries, more on that in a moment. Gout, also known as metabolic arthritis, is a painful, largely inherited disorder in which the body can't properly metabolize uric acid. Usually the bloodstream contains a small amount of the stuff, but in gout there's a lot of it.
- The Most Effective Natural Cures on Earth: The Surprising, Unbiased Truth about What Treatments Work and Why by Jonny Bowden, Ph.D., C.N.S.
- Available on Amazon.com
According to a 1950 study of 12 people with gout, eating one-half pound of cherries or drinking an equivalent amount of cherry juice prevented attacks of gout. Black, sweet yellow, and red sour cherries were all effective. Since that study, there have been many anecdotal reports of cherry juice as an effective treatment for the pain and inflammation of gout. The active ingredient in cherry juice remains unknown. Lifestyle changes that may be helpful, people who are overweight or have high blood pressure are at greater risk of developing gout.
- The Natural Pharmacy: Complete A-Z Reference to Natural Treatments for Common Health Conditions by Alan R. Gaby, M.D., Jonathan V. Wright, M.D., Forrest Batz, Pharm.D. Rick Chester, RPh., N.D., DipLAc. George Constantine, R.Ph., Ph.D. Linnea D. Thompson, Pharm.D., N.D.
- Available on Amazon.com
Cherries, hawthorn berries, blueberries, and other dark red or blue berries are rich sources of compounds that favorably affect collagen metabolism and reduce inflammation of joints. Bioflavonoids found in black cherries have been used to reduce uric acid levels and decrease tissue destruction associated with gout. Gout patients should eliminate alcohol intake, which both increases uric acid production and reduces uric acid excretion in the kidneys.
- Alternative Medicine the Definitive Guide, Second Edition by Larry Trivieri, Jr.
- Available on Amazon.com
You can even find dried cherries, which are similar to raisins. Cherries boast not only great taste but also potential health benefits. With flavonoids, fiber, potassium, and traces of vitamins A and C, cherries have plenty of lookouts to guard your health. They're known to fight inflammation and, possibly, cancer. Try some cherries, and when someone asks if you're enjoying a delicious and healthy food, you won't have to tell a lie. You can easily say "yes."
- Eat and Heal (Foods That Can Prevent or Cure Many Common Ailments) by the Editors of FC&A Medical Publishing
- Available on Amazon.com
According to a 1950 study of twelve individuals with gout, eating one-half pound of cherries or the equivalent amount of cherry juice prevented attacks of gout. Black, sweet yellow, and red sour cherries were all effective. Since that study, there have been many anecdotal reports of cherry juice as an effective treatment of the pain and inflammation of gout. The active ingredient in cherry juice remains unknown. Individuals with gout should not consume nutritional yeast or brewer's yeast, as they can raise uric acid levels.
- The Natural Pharmacy: Complete Home Reference to Natural Medicine by Schuyler W. Lininger, Jr. DC
- Available on Amazon.com
History & Folklore Dioscorides, a lst-century AD physician, claimed that cherries relieve gas. The 16th-century herbalist John Gerard recorded the French custom of hanging cherries in houses to ward off fever. Medicinal Actions & Uses In European herbal medicine, cherry stems have long been used for their diuretic and astringent properties. They have been prescribed for cystitis, nephritis, urinary retention, and for arthritic problems, notably gout. Cherries can be a helpful part of an overall regimen treating arthritic problems. Cherries' high sugar content makes them mildly laxative.
- Miracle Medicine Herbs (Reward Books) by Richard Melvin Lucas
- Available on Amazon.com
A Michigan State University study found that 20 tart cherries were at least as effective as other painkilling remedies, including aspirin, ibuprofen, and other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). That's why cherries are a popular folk remedy for arthritis and gout. Like many fruits and vegetables, Dried cherries make a cherries also have fiber and potas-great snack.
- Unleash the Inner Healing Power of Foods by The Editors of FC&A
- Available on Amazon.com
Cherries are especially recommended; the patient should consume 1/2 pound of fresh or canned cherries a day. Exercise regularly and maintain a healthy body weight. Lose weight if overweight. Cherries are particularly effective in lowering uric acid levels and preventing attacks of gout. cherries, hawthorn berries, blueberries, and other dark red-blue berries are rich sources of constituents called anthocyanidins and proanthocyanidins.
- Medical Herbalism: The Science Principles and Practices Of Herbal Medicine by David Hoffman, FNIMH, AHG
- Available on Amazon.com
Cheer for cherries and berries, not all good things are off limits to people with gout. In studies, cherries (especially black cherries), blueberries, and strawberries have proven their ability to reduce levels of uric acid in studies. Black cherry juice is probably the most effective. Use it in pure juice form and drink \ to \ cup per day. shard-like crystals, this is a remedy tailor-made for people with gout. Typical dosage: 600 to 800 milligrams per day of product standardized to 1.5 percent harpagoside. Caution: Do not use if you have gastric or duodenal ulcers.
- The Herbal Drugstore by Linda B. White, M.D.
- Available on Amazon.com
Sweet cherries are a warming food that increases vital energy and tone the spleen-pancreas, liver, and kidneys. Also astringent, they treat involuntary seminal emission. Cherries remove excess body acids and blood stagnation and, when eaten regularly, are therefore therapeutic for gout, paralysis, numbness in the extremities, and rheumatic pain in the lower half of the body. Sweet cherries reduce vata and kapha and can be used in moderation by pitta. Cherries are an excellent source of iron and contain some phosphorus, potassium, and calcium, as well as vitamin A.
- The New Whole Foods Encyclopedia: A Comprehensive Resource for Healthy Eating by Rebecca Wood
- Available on Amazon.com
Consuming the equivalent of one-half pound of fresh cherries per day has been shown to be very effective in lowering uric acid levels and preventing attacks of gout. Cherries, hawthorn berries, blueberries, and other dark red-blue berries are rich sources of anthocyanidin and proanthocyanidin. These flavonoid molecules give the fruits their deep red-blue color, and are remarkable in their ability to prevent collagen destruction. Flavonoid-rich grape seed and hawthorn extracts are the best herbal recommendations for gout.
- The Healing Power of Herbs: The Enlightened Person's Guide to the Wonders of Medicinal Plants by Michael T. Murray, N.D.
- Available on Amazon.com
Many people with gout swear that eating cherries helps quickly resolve attacks. Only one study, though, published in 1950, found that eating about a half-pound of fresh or canned Royal Ann or black Bing cherries a day helps lower uric acid levels. But it's worth a try. "Cherries, hawthorn berries, blueberries and other dark red-blue berries are rich sources of anthocyanidins and procyanidins," Dr. Pizzorno explains.
- Prevention's Healing With Vitamins : The Most Effective Vitamin and Mineral Treatments for Everyday Health Problems and Serious Disease by The Editors of Prevention Magazine Health Books
- Available on Amazon.com
Blood-sugar balance-blood study of twelve people with gout found that eating one-half pound of fresh or canned cherries or drinking a full quart of cherry juice prevented gout attacks. In all twelve people, uric acid levels returned to normal, and the gout attacks ceased.
- Prescription for Natural Cures: A Self-Care Guide for Treating Health Problems with Natural Remedies Including Diet and Nutrition, Nutritional Supplements, Bodywork, and More by James F. Balch, M.D. and Mark Stengler, N.D.
- Available on Amazon.com
"Old country doctors would tell patients to eat black cherries to stop having gout attacks, and the remedy usually worked," he says. Auricular Therapy: Instant Natural Pain Relief for a gout Attack Lend an ear if you want fast relief from gout. "I don't know of any noninvasive remedy that works as quickly or as well for the pain of gout as ear acupuncture, or auricular therapy," says Jay M. Holder, M.D., D.C., Ph.D., a chiropractor and addiction specialist in Miami and Miami Beach. In Chinese medicine, a healthy person's life-energy, or chi, flows along subtle lines called meridians.
- Alternative Cures: The Most Effective Natural Home Remedies for 160 Health Problems by Bill Gottlieb
- Available on Amazon.com
The red in raspberries and cherries, the blue in blueberries, and the orange in peppers all contain powerful plant chemicals that have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and frequently anticancer activity. The secret to the benefits of cherries and cherry juice are compounds called anthocyanins. These are the particular pigments in cherries that give them their bright red color and are considered to be the key to helping the body relieve inflammation. It's believed that the anthocyanins in the cherries cause the decrease in uric acid and the relief from the pain of gout.
- The Most Effective Natural Cures on Earth: The Surprising, Unbiased Truth about What Treatments Work and Why by Jonny Bowden, Ph.D., C.N.S.
- Available on Amazon.com
Cherries' anthocyanidins have been shown to inhibit the activity of xanthine oxidase, the enzyme involved in the production of uric acid. Clinical studies have shown that consuming the equivalent of Vi pound of fresh cherries per day is very effective in lowering uric acid levels and preventing attacks of gout. The cherry season is brief, slightly more than three months long. Bing cherries usually appear at the end of May, peak in June and July, and are available through August, while Lamberts and other sweet, dark cherries arrive in mid-August.
- The Encyclopedia of Healing Foods by Michael Murray, N.D. and Joseph Pizzorno, N.D.
- Available on Amazon.com
Boon from berries - help in another form comes from bioflavonoid molecules, which are found in cherries, blueberries, and other fruits. In the 1950s, researchers discovered that cherries could decrease uric acid levels and prevent a gout attack. You'd have to eat a lot of cherries, a half-pound a day to make a dent in gout. For the same results, you can take a bioflavonoid supplement or 2,000 milligrams of berry extract a day, says Dr. Maes. The best are those that have a combination of all the bioflavonoids or the extracts of several different berries, he says.
- Nature's Medicines : From Asthma to Weight Gain, from Colds to High Cholesterol -- The Most Powerful All-Natural Cures by Gale Maleskey
- Available on Amazon.com
It seems that there may well be, and that alternative is to eat cherries. Yes, plain cherries-sour or sweet. They can all do the trick, and it doesn't matter much if they're fresh, canned or frozen. The cherries-for-gout story seems to start with Ludwig W. Blau, Ph.D., whose big toe at one time gave him so much torment that he was confined to a wheelchair. One day, quite by accident, he polished off a whole bowl of cherries, and the next morning the pain in his foot was practically gone.
- The Practical Encyclopedia of Natural Healing by Mark Bricklin
- Available on Amazon.com
Celery and cherries appear to be very effective in lowering uric acid levels and preventing attacks of gout. Celery contains the compound 3-n-butylpthalide, while cherries are a rich source of flavonoids. Both of these compounds are beneficial in gout via several mechanisms, including the ability to inhibit the formation of uric acid by inhibiting the enzyme xanthine oxidase. The pain of an acute attack of gout is absolutely excruciating. In this situation, heroic measures are clearly appropriate.
- The Encyclopedia of Healing Foods by Michael Murray, N.D. and Joseph Pizzorno, N.D.
- Available on Amazon.com
It is reported that you can use sweet or sour cherries and they can be fresh, frozen, or even canned to achieve Dr. Blau's results. Cherries (and blueberries and other dark red or blue berries) are rich sources of substances that have a powerful ability to prevent collagen destruction. It is certainly worth a try. About a half-pound of cherries daily for a week could give you some positive results.
- Natural Prescriptions: Dr. Giller's Natural Treatments & Vitamin Therapies For Over 100 Common Ailments by Robert M. Giller, M.D.
- Available on Amazon.com
Eat more blueberries and cherries, because they're rich in substances that counteract purines, which cause gout, says Julian Whitaker, M.D., founder and president of the Whitaker Wellness Center in Newport Beach, California. He says that some gout patients report finding relief by eating from a handful to up to l pound of cherries each day. He also advises people with gout to avoid anchovies, asparagus, mushrooms and organ meats such as liver and kidney, since they're high in purines.
- New Choices in Natural Healing: Over 1,800 of the Best Self-Help Remedies from the World of Alternative Medicine by Bill Gottlieb
- Available on Amazon.com
They may also help reduce uric acid levels, according to some research. Cherries and strawberries are popular folk remedies for gout. Go easy on vitamin C and niacin. Large doses of vitamin C and niacin can raise uric acid levels. The typical multivitamin/mineral supplement doesn't contain enough of either nutrient to trigger a gout attack. But don't take more than 2,000 milligrams of vitamin C a day, and limit niacin supplementation to 35 milligrams a day.
- The Green Pharmacy Anti-Aging Prescriptions: Herbs, Foods, and Natural Formulas to Keep You Young by James A. Duke, Ph.D.
- Available on Amazon.com
Eat cherries or take cherry extract. Eating half a pound (225 grams) of canned or fresh cherries a day has been shown to be a very effective means of preventing gout attacks. When fresh cherries are out of season, use cherry extracts or concentrates in tablet or tincture form, available from many health-food stores. It is likely that cherries inhibit compounds that cause inflammation. This reduces inflammation after uric acid builds up in a joint. To flush uric acid from the body, drink no less than eight glasses of water daily.
- Prescription for Herbal Healing: An Easy-to-Use A-Z Reference to Hundreds of Common Disorders and Their Herbal Remedies by Phyllis A. Balch, CNC
- Available on Amazon.com
Many people claim to stave off gout attacks by eating eight ounces a day of canned or fresh cherries. I have one friend, for instance, who claims to have great luck in staving off gout when he eats black cherries. This therapy has never been scientifically demonstrated to work, but since so many people swear by it, I think it's probably worth trying. (One caveat, though: Buying this many cherries might be even more expensive than my allopurinol.) I'm going to give my Cherry Cocktail a try.
- The Green Pharmacy: New Discoveries in Herbal Remedies for Common Diseases and Conditions from the World's Foremost Authority on Healing Herbs by James A. Duke, Ph.D.
- Available on Amazon.com
For maximum benefit, nutritionists recommend organically grown cherries that are bottled or canned without the addition of sugar and chemicals, available from manufacturers of health food store products. Additional case studies, one woman reported that her husband obtained complete relief from gout in his toe and that the pain in his back and shoulders had eased within two days of eating sweet cherries. Another gout sufferer drank cherry juice daily for one week and reported that the pain in his knee, which had tormented him almost beyond endurance, was gone.
- Miracle Medicine Herbs (Reward Books) by Richard Melvin Lucas
- Available on Amazon.com
Popular thought holds that black cherries, especially in the form of black cherry juice concentrate, are far better than red cherries. But all of this is modern folk medicine in the making. BRAD'S MIRACLE No More Pain, No More Drugs gout was ruining his life, and Brad McAdams, a forty-four-year-old draftsman in an oil refinery in Corpus Christi, Texas, was worried. Diagnosed about seven years earlier, the gout had become so painful primarily in his knees, but also in his ankles, that he could barely walk. "It really hurt to move. There would be times when I just couldn't get out of bed."
- Miracle Cures: Dramatic New Scientific Discoveries Revealing the Healing Powers of Herbs, Vitamins, and Other Natural Remedies by Jean Carper
- Available on Amazon.com
Blau published the information on the use of cherries for gout so that "it might offer a merciful means of relief to hundreds of thousands of American victims who suffer the agonizingly painful torture that drives many to thoughts of suicide. Later Evidence Eight years after Dr. Blau's report was published, an article in the Food Field Reporter 5 cited new evidence that gouty arthritis, gout, and similar ailments may be relieved by drinking canned cherry juice. It was reported that the cherry juice was taken by a number of residents of Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin, who participated in the study.
- Miracle Medicine Herbs (Reward Books) by Richard Melvin Lucas
- Available on Amazon.com
Black, sweet yellow, and red sour cherries were all effective. Gout Super Prescription #1 Homeopathic Colchicum, take a 30C potency every waking two hours for two days. This homeopathic remedy is specific for gout pains that are worse with any motion. Super Prescription #2 Celery seed extract, take 450 mg two to three times daily to treat and prevent gout. Celery seed extract has anti-inflammatory effects and may reduce uric acid levels. Super Prescription #3 Nettle root (Urtica dioica), encourages the elimination of uric acid from the kidneys.
- Prescription for Natural Cures: A Self-Care Guide for Treating Health Problems with Natural Remedies Including Diet and Nutrition, Nutritional Supplements, Bodywork, and More by James F. Balch, M.D. and Mark Stengler, N.D.
- Available on Amazon.com
We have been writing about the value of cherries (fresh, dried, or frozen cherries; cherry juice; and even cherry extract capsules) against gout for many years. This is another one of those remedies about which the old wives were way out in front of the scientists. In 2003, investigators at the University of California at Davis conducted a little study on 10 healthy women between 22 and 40 years of age. They measured the urate level and other inflammatory markers in blood samples before and after a dose of bing cherries (280 grams).
- Best Choices From the People's Pharmacy by Joe Graedon, M.S. and Teresa Graedon, Ph.D.
- Available on Amazon.com
Cherry juice is another way to get the gout-relieving benefits of cherries. In my book The 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth, I shared one of my favorite desserts: frozen cherries. (You can get them in almost any grocery.) I take them directly from the freezer, put them in a bowl, and mix them with raw milk or yogurt, which promptly freezes on the cold cherries, forming a kind of cherry-flavored sherbet. Top with slivered almonds and enjoy!
- The Most Effective Natural Cures on Earth: The Surprising, Unbiased Truth about What Treatments Work and Why by Jonny Bowden, Ph.D., C.N.S.
- Available on Amazon.com
If he forgot to take the cherries, while traveling, it took only a few days for the stabbing pain in his big toe to return with a vengeance. More than 20 years after Dr. Blau wrote up his experiences in a medical journal (his research at that time revealed that there were 12 other case histories of people whose gout or arthritis had been helped by eating cherries or drinking cherry juice), he told us that he was still eating six to eight cherries every day and was still in good health.
- The Practical Encyclopedia of Natural Healing by Mark Bricklin
- Available on Amazon.com
Cherries are a well-known remedy for gout, arthritis, and rheumatism. They also help overcome numbness in the limbs and paralysis as a result of rheumatism. Part of their action in rheumatic disorders occurs from their ability to eliminate excess body acids. Cherries are most beneficial for treating disorders accompanied by coldness, such as when the person feels perennially cold. Richly supplied in iron, cherries are often used to improve the blood and treat anemia.
- Healing with Whole Foods: Asian Traditions and Modern Nutrition by Paul Pitchford
- Available on Amazon.com
Just three dried cherries a day could end your gout pain. It may sound like a miracle, but this delicious, vitamin-packed fruit is proven to relieve arthritis pain even better than aspirin, ibuprofen and other drugs with no stomach upset or other side effects. The secret lies in anthocyanins. These natural compounds not only give cherries their luscious red color, they also stop your body from making prostaglandins, the hormone-like substances that cause pain and inflammation.
- Unleash the Inner Healing Power of Foods by The Editors of FC&A
- Available on Amazon.com
Nutritionally minded health-care professionals and other healers have known for eons that cherries help relieve the pain of gout, but now we have a scientific explanation for why. Compounds in cherries lower levels of uric acid in the blood. Less uric acid, fewer disposal problems, fewer crystals, less pain. A study at the University of California-Davis showed that consuming two servings' worth of cherries daily (280 g total) after an overnight fast significantly lowered the blood uric acid of women by as much as 15 percent.
- The Most Effective Natural Cures on Earth: The Surprising, Unbiased Truth about What Treatments Work and Why by Jonny Bowden, Ph.D., C.N.S.
- Available on Amazon.com
Consuming one-half pound of fresh or canned cherries per day has been shown to be very effective in lowering uric acid levels and preventing attacks of gout. Cherries, hawthorn berries, blueberries, and other dark red-blue berries are rich sources of anthocyanidins and proanthocyanidins. These compounds are flavonoid molecules, which give these fruits their deep red-blue color, and are remarkable in their ability to prevent collagen destruction.
- Textbook of Natural Medicine 2nd Edition Volume 2 by Michael T. Murray, ND
- Available on Amazon.com
Finally, cherries are particularly useful in the treatment of gout. Gout is a type of arthritis associated with an abnormally high concentration of uric acid in the blood. Uric acid is produced in the liver and enters the bloodstream. Under certain circumstances, the body produces too much uric acid or excretes too little. As uric acid concentrations increase, needlelike crystals of a salt called monosodium urate form. In time, these crystals accumulate in the joints, causing the inflammation and pain typical of gout.
- The Encyclopedia of Healing Foods by Michael Murray, N.D. and Joseph Pizzorno, N.D.
- Available on Amazon.com
Relieve gout, prevent a variety of cancers. Reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke with their hard little pits and rich, shirt-staining colors, cherries take a bit more work to eat than many fruits. But research suggests that cherries, which contain a compound called perillyl alcohol, are worth the bother and then some. "Perillyl alcohol is about the best thing we've ever seen for curing mammary cancer in laboratory animals," says Michael Gould, Ph.D., professor of human oncology at the University of Wisconsin Medical School in Madison.
- Prevention's New Foods for Healing: Capture the Powerful Cures of More Than 100 Common Foods by Prevention Magazine
- Available on Amazon.com
Juicing about four handfuls of pitted cherries with 1/2 cup of strawberries can help neutralize excess uric acid and may help prevent gout attacks, says Cherie Calbom, M.S., a certified nutritionist in Kirkland, Washington, and co-author of Juicing for Life. She says people prone to gout attacks should drink this juice every day as a preventive. Work the kidney reflexes on both feet, recommends St. Petersburg, Florida, reflexologist Dwight Byers, author of Better Health with Foot Reflexology.
- New Choices in Natural Healing: Over 1,800 of the Best Self-Help Remedies from the World of Alternative Medicine by Bill Gottlieb
- Available on Amazon.com
Enjoy cherries and cherry juice often. Cherries are an old nutritional remedy known to help reduce uric-acid levels. Drink at least eight 8-ounce glasses of pure water daily to help flush toxins from your body. Take a good multivitamin and mineral supplement daily, but read the label first to be sure it contains no more than 5,000 international units of vitamin A and that the form of vitamin B3 it contains is niacinamide rather than niacin. In amounts greater than this, vitamin A can worsen gout.
- Smart Medicine for Healthier Living : Practical A-Z Reference to Natural and Conventional Treatments for Adults by Janet Zand, LAc, OMD, Allan N. Spreed, MD, CNC, James B. LaValle, RPh, ND
- Available on Amazon.com
The secret to the benefits of cherry juice are compounds called anthocyanins, which are the pigments that give cherries their bright red color and are also believed to be the key to helping the body relieve inflammation. As an added bonus, these same anthocyanins may significantly reduce your risk for colon cancer, the third leading cancer in America. Doctors and scientists believe that it's the anthocyanins in the cherries that cause the decrease in blood urates and the relief from gout pain. Anthocyanins act like natural COX-2 inhibitors.
- The 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth: The Surprising, Unbiased Truth About What You Should Eat and Why by Jonny Bowden, Ph.D., C.N.S.
- Available on Amazon.com
Eating large quantities of cherries, from one-half pound and up daily, has been found to bring relief to sufferers of gout, a disease that is characterized by an excess of uric acid in the blood and attacks of arthritis. Preparation: When being eaten for medicinal purposes it is best to take the cherries uncooked, freshly picked when possible, and very ripe. Also, cherry juice is a very healthful drink, cherry concentrate being available in all health food stores. A favorite of everyone is cherry pie, especially when homemade and right from the oven.
- Encyclopedia of Fruits, Vegetables, Nuts and Seeds for Healthful Living by Dr. Joseph M. Kadans, N.D.
- Available on Amazon.com
Eating around twenty cherries a day may help with reducing headaches, according to researchers from Michigan State University. Men who drank tart cherry juice after performing weight-training exercises had less muscle pain and strength loss. (Women may also benefit but this particular study looked exclusively at men.) Gout, Arthrithis, Inflammatory Pain: Black or Bing cherries have both antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, specifically a substance called cyanidin, which may shut down the pain caused by uric acid crystals.
- 101 Foods That Could Save Your Life! by David W. Grotto, RD, LDN
- Available on Amazon.com
Liberal consumption of celery, cherries, and blueberries. A low-purine diet has long been the mainstay of dietary therapy for gout. Foods with high purine levels should be omitted entirely. These include organ meats, yeast (brewer's and baker's), herring, sardines, mackerel, and anchovies. Intake of foods with moderate levels of protein should be reduced to one serving every two to three days as well. These include dried legumes, spinach, asparagus, fish, poultry, and mushrooms. Low-purine foods may be eaten in small amounts.
- The Encyclopedia of Healing Foods by Michael Murray, N.D. and Joseph Pizzorno, N.D.
- Available on Amazon.com
Hawthorn berries, like cherries, are particularly effective in the treatment of gout, as their flavonoid components are able to reduce uric acid levels as well as reduce tissue destruction. Crataegus extracts are effective in reducing blood pressure, angina attacks, and serum cholesterol levels, preventing the deposition of cholesterol in arterial walls and improving cardiac function. Hawthorn extracts are widely used in Europe for their antihypertensive and cardiotonic activity.
- Textbook of Natural Medicine 2nd Edition Volume 1 by Michael T. Murray, ND
- Available on Amazon.com
Another reader shared this experience: "I used tart cherries to cure a gout attack and it worked." The real news is that the pain from osteoarthritis of the hip joint diminished also. I've been able to reduce my use of Celebrex from 400 milligrams per day to 200 milligrams per day and still have less pain. Celebrex (celecoxib) is not only expensive (400 milligrams costs more than $4 per pill), it also has potential side effects. You will find this kind of story sprinkled throughout this book. We can think of no better way to share the wisdom of our readers than to let you read their stories.
- Best Choices From the People's Pharmacy by Joe Graedon, M.S. and Teresa Graedon, Ph.D.
- Available on Amazon.com
One can lower uric acid levels by eating cherries, blueberries, or other dark red or blue berries every day. Folic acid, part of the B-complex family of nutrients, inhibits the production of uric acid, and vitamin C is valuable because it expedites excretion of uric acid. Other forms of prevention include eating a low-fat, high-fiber diet and watching one's weight, because obesity aggravates gout symptoms. Avoid these foods, which trigger attacks: organ meats, sardines, anchovies, dried peas, lentils, and other legumes.
- The complete Book of Water Healing - Using the Earth's most essential resource to cure illness, promote health, and soothe and restore body, mind, and spirit by Dian Dincin Buchman, Ph.D.
- Available on Amazon.com
The easiest herbal way to control uric acid production may be to eat cherries, drink green tea, and watch your diet. Herbal strategies to enhance excretion of uric acid promoting excretion of uric acid through urination is a bit more problematic. You cannot simply use any diuretic, you would have to use one that expels the uric acid. Thiazide diuretics, for example, commonly used to control high blood pressure, can increase gout risk and uric acid blood levels if prescribed in high doses. The minidoses of aspirin used to prevent heart attacks can slow uric acid excretion by 15%.
- The One Earth Herbal Sourcebook: Everything You Need to Know About Chinese, Western, and Ayurvedic Herbal Treatments by Alan Keith Tillotson, Ph.D., A.H.G., D.Ay.
- Available on Amazon.com
The body uses collagen to form connective tissue, which is damaged by gout. For some people, he writes, eating a half-pound of cherries (about 34) daily for a week will help relieve the symptoms. Donna Weihofen, R.D., a clinical dietitian at the University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinics in Madison. "Just eliminate those foods highest in purines," Weihofen says. "It will enhance the effects of the drugs and perhaps prevent some of the severe symptoms."
- Prevention's New Foods for Healing: Capture the Powerful Cures of More Than 100 Common Foods by Prevention Magazine
- Available on Amazon.com
Herbal strategies to inhibit production of uric acid anecdotal reports indicate that eating large amounts of flavonoid-rich cherries (up to Vi pound per day) can be beneficial for gout. Several patients in the past have come in and told me this works for them. This makes sense, because numerous naturally occurring flavonoids have been tested that inhibit the effects of xanthine oxidase. These include those found in bupleurum root, green tea, capillaris root, tangerine peel, perilla leaf (zi su ye or P. frutescens), and kudzu. Quercetin has also been shown to do this.
- The One Earth Herbal Sourcebook: Everything You Need to Know About Chinese, Western, and Ayurvedic Herbal Treatments by Alan Keith Tillotson, Ph.D., A.H.G., D.Ay.
- Available on Amazon.com
In the Ukraine cornelian cherries are a frequent ingredient in bottled soft drinks, conserves, wines, and liqueurs. In folk medicine the fruit is used to combat gout, anemia, skin diseases, painful joints, and disrupted metabolism. Fruit, leaves, or bark have been employed for gastrointestinal disorders and tuberculosis. Russian scientists have reported that the fruit contains components that leach radioactivity from the body. Sugar content ranges from 4 to 12 percent, and the acidity ranges from 1 to 4 percent.
- Whole Foods Companion: A Guide For Adventurous Cooks, Curious Shoppers, and lovers of natural foods by Dianne Onstad
- Available on Amazon.com
Cherries are a good "spring cleaner" to stimulate and cleanse the digestive system, the darker ones being all the more valuable to the system as they contain a greater quantity of magnesium, iron, and silicon. They are a well-known remedy for gout, arthritis, and rheumatism; part of their action in rheumatic disorders occurs from their ability to eliminate excess body acids.
- Whole Foods Companion: A Guide For Adventurous Cooks, Curious Shoppers, and lovers of natural foods by Dianne Onstad
- Available on Amazon.com
Berries, especially cherries, strawberries, and blueberries, neutralize uric acid. Eat fresh berries as snacks or for dessert, and drink a glass of cherry juice every day. Flaxseeds are a highly concentrated source of essential fatty acids, the "good" fats that reduce inflammation. Add flaxseeds to juices, salads, or fruit plates, or use the oil as a salad dressing. One of the most important foods you can eat to prevent gout is fish. Eat fish such as salmon, cod, halibut, and sardines, as they reduce inflammation.
- Prescription for Natural Cures: A Self-Care Guide for Treating Health Problems with Natural Remedies Including Diet and Nutrition, Nutritional Supplements, Bodywork, and More by James F. Balch, M.D. and Mark Stengler, N.D.
- Available on Amazon.com
Black cherry juice is excellent for gout, and prevents tooth decay by stopping plaque formation. Cherries benefit the glandular system, remove toxic waste from tissues, and aid the functions of the gallbladder and liver. The ellagic acid content has cancer-preventing properties. The parts eaten are the skin and the flesh.
- Prescription for Dietary Wellness: Using Foods to Heal by Phyllis A. Balch, CNC
- Available on Amazon.com
Consuming one-half pound of fresh or canned cherries per day has been found effective in lowering uric acid levels and preventing attacks of gout.
- Encyclopedia of Natural Medicine, Revised Second Edition by Michael T. Murray, N.D., Joseph E. Pizzorno, N.D.
- Available on Amazon.com
Related posts:
Tart cherries for arthritis and joint pain
Get cherry supplements here: http://www.iherb.com/Cherry-Fruit-Black-Wild?rcode=POT089
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If the public finds out the truth about cherries, after all, they won't need arthritis drugs anymore (and Big Pharma will lose billions in profits). As you'll see in the collection of quotes about cherries, gout and arthritis (below), cherries are extremely safe, effective and fast-acting for eliminating swelling and pain. Eating just a few cherries a day keeps uric acid levels in check, preventing any recurrence of gout.
What's a good source for cherries? In addition to buying local organic cherries at natural grocers near you, you can also get cherry concentrates and cherry extracts from a variety of companies. As it turns out, even cooked cherry juice does the trick just as well as raw cherries!
If you suffer from gout or arthritis, you owe it to yourself to try the therapeutic use of cherries.
The FDA, of course, says cherries aren't medicine. The FDA is lying to you! (And they know it.) Cherries ARE medicine, and it's medicine that's safer, more effective and far more affordable than Big Pharma's toxic patented chemicals. Cherries are medicine that grows on trees.
The entire pharmaceutical cartel hopes you never find out the truth about cherries. They're depending on your ignorance to keep their profits flowing. Don't let 'em sucker you into taking expensive, dangerous medications when cherries might be all you really need! Try cherries (or cherry concentrate products) first, for at least 30 days. And when your pain vanishes, you can send a thank-you email to Mother Nature for providing this natural medicine to the world.
Read the quotes below to learn astonishing facts about cherries and gout...
Authors' Quotes on Cherries and GoutBelow, you'll find selected quotes from noted authors on the subject of Cherries and Gout. Feel free to quote these in your own work provided you give proper credit to both the original author quoted here and this NaturalNews page.
No attacks of gouty arthritis occurred on a nonrestricted diet in all cases, as a result of eating about one-half pound of fresh or canned cherries per day. One doctor said: A patient of mine had heard about cherries for gout. He was, in fact, a sufferer of gout himself. He decided to give the cherry therapy a try. After following this patient's progress over the past two months, I can only say the results have been nothing less than spectacular. The patient has ceased taking the prescribed medication for his gout and has an unlimited diet. This alone should make any gout sufferer take notice.
- Rapid Healing Foods by Ben Davis
- Available on Amazon.com
He described how he had cured his crippling gout, which had confined him to a wheelchair, by eating six to eight cherries every day. Continuing to eat cherries, he claimed, kept painful gout away. He also cited twelve others who had cured their gout by eating cherries or drinking cherry juice. Soon afterward Prevention Magazine added to the mystery and mystique by publishing Dr. Blau's advice to use cherries as gout medicine.
- Miracle Cures: Dramatic New Scientific Discoveries Revealing the Healing Powers of Herbs, Vitamins, and Other Natural Remedies by Jean Carper
- Available on Amazon.com
For those with gout, life is just a bowl of cherries. Really, substances in cherries called anthocyanocides, are very effective at lowering uric acid levels, says Walter Crinnion, N.D., a naturopathic doctor and director of Healing Naturally in Kirkland, Washington. How many cherries should you eat? According to traditional healing lore and very preliminary research, eating anywhere from 1/2 cup to 1 pound (about 70) of cherries a day may help people with gout, says Laurie Aesoph, N.D., a naturopathic doctor in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
- Alternative Cures: The Most Effective Natural Home Remedies for 160 Health Problems by Bill Gottlieb
- Available on Amazon.com
One morning he read a news item about the use of cherries for gout, and since there were some sour cherries in the freezer, he began eating a dessert dish of them at lunch and dinner. The swelling in his knee went down, and the stiffness was gone in three days. He continued eating two dishes of the cherries daily and has had no further attacks of gout in over a year.
- Miracle Medicine Herbs (Reward Books) by Richard Melvin Lucas
- Available on Amazon.com
In a 1950 study, 12 patients with gout ingested one-half pound of cherries per day (or an equivalent amount of cherry juice), with no other dietary restrictions. In all 12 cases, serum uric-acid levels fell to normal, and the patients had no further attacks of gout. Cherry juice appeared to be as effective as whole cherries. While most of the results were obtained with black cherries, sweet yellow and red sour cherries were also effective. We have been impressed by the effectiveness of cherry juice as a treatment for acute gout.
- Natural Medicine, Optimal Wellness: The Patient's Guide to Health and Healing by Jonathan V. Wright, M.D. and Alan R. Gaby, M.D.
- Available on Amazon.com
Physicians prescribed cherries for epilepsy. In the 1920s in the United States, physicians touted black cherries to cure kidney stones and gall bladder ailments, and red cherries to remove phlegm. In 1950 Ludwig Blau, Ph.D., writing in Texas Reports on Biology and Medicine, claimed that he cured his crippling gout that confined him to a wheelchair by eating six to eight cherries each day. As long as he ate cherries, he avowed, the gout stayed away.
- The Food Pharmacy: Dramatic New Evidence That Food Is Your Best Medicine by Jean Carper
- Available on Amazon.com
According to research from Michigan State University, if gout attacks, chew on some cherries. Dr. Muralee Nair, lead author of the study, suggests eating about 20 or so cherries a day to reduce the swelling and ache of a sudden gout attack. "Daily consumption of cherries," Nair says, "has the potential to reduce pain related to inflammation, arthritis, and gout." Some researchers think cherries might work as well as drugs, without the side effects.
- Eat and Heal (Foods That Can Prevent or Cure Many Common Ailments) by the Editors of FC&A Medical Publishing
- Available on Amazon.com
I continued eating the sour cherries during their season and had relief the entire time. When I stopped eating them, the pain returned. I usually freeze cherries every year for pies, but instead of making pies, I resumed eating my frozen cherries. Doctors, family and lay people as well all laughed at me, but I still maintain that cherries were my cure for arthritis. Since that time if I ever get an attack I head for the freezer and my cherries. Mrs. M.G. reports: "After hearing about them, I began eating red, sour cherries for my gout".
- Miracle Medicine Foods by Rex Adams
- Available on Amazon.com
Bing and Royal Ann cherries are both sweet, but Bings have deeply colored juice, whereas the juice of the other variety is colorless. Sour cherries - the ones most favored for pies, tarts and turnovers are similarly divided: morellos have colored juice and amarelles colorless liquid. The very popular tart cherry, Montmorency, is light to dark red with red juice. Sweet cherries are available from May through August, while sour cherries go from late June to mid-August. Nothing works better for gout than either raw sweet cherries (15 per day), cherry juice concentrate (1 tbsp).
- Heinerman's Encyclopedia of Fruits, Vegetables and Herbs by John Heinerman
- Available on Amazon.com
By accident one day I heard about cherries for gout. I had gout, so after hearing this, I immediately bought several cans of cherries. I ate them for about a week, and all the swelling and stiffness disappeared! It was a miracle! "As long as I eat cherries, there is no pain. Exercise, walking, bicycling and no pain. I will eat cherries the rest of my life, they are fantastic!"
- Miracle Medicine Foods by Rex Adams
- Available on Amazon.com
The report says that "no attacks of gouty arthritis have occurred on a nonrestricted diet in all 12 cases, as a result of eating about one-half pound of fresh or canned cherries per day." This amazing fruit, often used in ice cream, cake, candy and desserts, may relieve your arthritis! Dr. Blau tells of astonishing cures by eating cherries-canned, sour, black, Royal Anne, or fresh black Bing cherries. One arthritis patient just drank the juice and the curative powers were equally effective.
- Miracle Medicine Foods by Rex Adams
- Available on Amazon.com
One item I can guarantee you'll see on the recommended list of just about any integrative medicine approach to gout is this, eat more cherries, more on that in a moment. Gout, also known as metabolic arthritis, is a painful, largely inherited disorder in which the body can't properly metabolize uric acid. Usually the bloodstream contains a small amount of the stuff, but in gout there's a lot of it.
- The Most Effective Natural Cures on Earth: The Surprising, Unbiased Truth about What Treatments Work and Why by Jonny Bowden, Ph.D., C.N.S.
- Available on Amazon.com
According to a 1950 study of 12 people with gout, eating one-half pound of cherries or drinking an equivalent amount of cherry juice prevented attacks of gout. Black, sweet yellow, and red sour cherries were all effective. Since that study, there have been many anecdotal reports of cherry juice as an effective treatment for the pain and inflammation of gout. The active ingredient in cherry juice remains unknown. Lifestyle changes that may be helpful, people who are overweight or have high blood pressure are at greater risk of developing gout.
- The Natural Pharmacy: Complete A-Z Reference to Natural Treatments for Common Health Conditions by Alan R. Gaby, M.D., Jonathan V. Wright, M.D., Forrest Batz, Pharm.D. Rick Chester, RPh., N.D., DipLAc. George Constantine, R.Ph., Ph.D. Linnea D. Thompson, Pharm.D., N.D.
- Available on Amazon.com
Cherries, hawthorn berries, blueberries, and other dark red or blue berries are rich sources of compounds that favorably affect collagen metabolism and reduce inflammation of joints. Bioflavonoids found in black cherries have been used to reduce uric acid levels and decrease tissue destruction associated with gout. Gout patients should eliminate alcohol intake, which both increases uric acid production and reduces uric acid excretion in the kidneys.
- Alternative Medicine the Definitive Guide, Second Edition by Larry Trivieri, Jr.
- Available on Amazon.com
You can even find dried cherries, which are similar to raisins. Cherries boast not only great taste but also potential health benefits. With flavonoids, fiber, potassium, and traces of vitamins A and C, cherries have plenty of lookouts to guard your health. They're known to fight inflammation and, possibly, cancer. Try some cherries, and when someone asks if you're enjoying a delicious and healthy food, you won't have to tell a lie. You can easily say "yes."
- Eat and Heal (Foods That Can Prevent or Cure Many Common Ailments) by the Editors of FC&A Medical Publishing
- Available on Amazon.com
According to a 1950 study of twelve individuals with gout, eating one-half pound of cherries or the equivalent amount of cherry juice prevented attacks of gout. Black, sweet yellow, and red sour cherries were all effective. Since that study, there have been many anecdotal reports of cherry juice as an effective treatment of the pain and inflammation of gout. The active ingredient in cherry juice remains unknown. Individuals with gout should not consume nutritional yeast or brewer's yeast, as they can raise uric acid levels.
- The Natural Pharmacy: Complete Home Reference to Natural Medicine by Schuyler W. Lininger, Jr. DC
- Available on Amazon.com
History & Folklore Dioscorides, a lst-century AD physician, claimed that cherries relieve gas. The 16th-century herbalist John Gerard recorded the French custom of hanging cherries in houses to ward off fever. Medicinal Actions & Uses In European herbal medicine, cherry stems have long been used for their diuretic and astringent properties. They have been prescribed for cystitis, nephritis, urinary retention, and for arthritic problems, notably gout. Cherries can be a helpful part of an overall regimen treating arthritic problems. Cherries' high sugar content makes them mildly laxative.
- Miracle Medicine Herbs (Reward Books) by Richard Melvin Lucas
- Available on Amazon.com
A Michigan State University study found that 20 tart cherries were at least as effective as other painkilling remedies, including aspirin, ibuprofen, and other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). That's why cherries are a popular folk remedy for arthritis and gout. Like many fruits and vegetables, Dried cherries make a cherries also have fiber and potas-great snack.
- Unleash the Inner Healing Power of Foods by The Editors of FC&A
- Available on Amazon.com
Cherries are especially recommended; the patient should consume 1/2 pound of fresh or canned cherries a day. Exercise regularly and maintain a healthy body weight. Lose weight if overweight. Cherries are particularly effective in lowering uric acid levels and preventing attacks of gout. cherries, hawthorn berries, blueberries, and other dark red-blue berries are rich sources of constituents called anthocyanidins and proanthocyanidins.
- Medical Herbalism: The Science Principles and Practices Of Herbal Medicine by David Hoffman, FNIMH, AHG
- Available on Amazon.com
Cheer for cherries and berries, not all good things are off limits to people with gout. In studies, cherries (especially black cherries), blueberries, and strawberries have proven their ability to reduce levels of uric acid in studies. Black cherry juice is probably the most effective. Use it in pure juice form and drink \ to \ cup per day. shard-like crystals, this is a remedy tailor-made for people with gout. Typical dosage: 600 to 800 milligrams per day of product standardized to 1.5 percent harpagoside. Caution: Do not use if you have gastric or duodenal ulcers.
- The Herbal Drugstore by Linda B. White, M.D.
- Available on Amazon.com
Sweet cherries are a warming food that increases vital energy and tone the spleen-pancreas, liver, and kidneys. Also astringent, they treat involuntary seminal emission. Cherries remove excess body acids and blood stagnation and, when eaten regularly, are therefore therapeutic for gout, paralysis, numbness in the extremities, and rheumatic pain in the lower half of the body. Sweet cherries reduce vata and kapha and can be used in moderation by pitta. Cherries are an excellent source of iron and contain some phosphorus, potassium, and calcium, as well as vitamin A.
- The New Whole Foods Encyclopedia: A Comprehensive Resource for Healthy Eating by Rebecca Wood
- Available on Amazon.com
Consuming the equivalent of one-half pound of fresh cherries per day has been shown to be very effective in lowering uric acid levels and preventing attacks of gout. Cherries, hawthorn berries, blueberries, and other dark red-blue berries are rich sources of anthocyanidin and proanthocyanidin. These flavonoid molecules give the fruits their deep red-blue color, and are remarkable in their ability to prevent collagen destruction. Flavonoid-rich grape seed and hawthorn extracts are the best herbal recommendations for gout.
- The Healing Power of Herbs: The Enlightened Person's Guide to the Wonders of Medicinal Plants by Michael T. Murray, N.D.
- Available on Amazon.com
Many people with gout swear that eating cherries helps quickly resolve attacks. Only one study, though, published in 1950, found that eating about a half-pound of fresh or canned Royal Ann or black Bing cherries a day helps lower uric acid levels. But it's worth a try. "Cherries, hawthorn berries, blueberries and other dark red-blue berries are rich sources of anthocyanidins and procyanidins," Dr. Pizzorno explains.
- Prevention's Healing With Vitamins : The Most Effective Vitamin and Mineral Treatments for Everyday Health Problems and Serious Disease by The Editors of Prevention Magazine Health Books
- Available on Amazon.com
Blood-sugar balance-blood study of twelve people with gout found that eating one-half pound of fresh or canned cherries or drinking a full quart of cherry juice prevented gout attacks. In all twelve people, uric acid levels returned to normal, and the gout attacks ceased.
- Prescription for Natural Cures: A Self-Care Guide for Treating Health Problems with Natural Remedies Including Diet and Nutrition, Nutritional Supplements, Bodywork, and More by James F. Balch, M.D. and Mark Stengler, N.D.
- Available on Amazon.com
"Old country doctors would tell patients to eat black cherries to stop having gout attacks, and the remedy usually worked," he says. Auricular Therapy: Instant Natural Pain Relief for a gout Attack Lend an ear if you want fast relief from gout. "I don't know of any noninvasive remedy that works as quickly or as well for the pain of gout as ear acupuncture, or auricular therapy," says Jay M. Holder, M.D., D.C., Ph.D., a chiropractor and addiction specialist in Miami and Miami Beach. In Chinese medicine, a healthy person's life-energy, or chi, flows along subtle lines called meridians.
- Alternative Cures: The Most Effective Natural Home Remedies for 160 Health Problems by Bill Gottlieb
- Available on Amazon.com
The red in raspberries and cherries, the blue in blueberries, and the orange in peppers all contain powerful plant chemicals that have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and frequently anticancer activity. The secret to the benefits of cherries and cherry juice are compounds called anthocyanins. These are the particular pigments in cherries that give them their bright red color and are considered to be the key to helping the body relieve inflammation. It's believed that the anthocyanins in the cherries cause the decrease in uric acid and the relief from the pain of gout.
- The Most Effective Natural Cures on Earth: The Surprising, Unbiased Truth about What Treatments Work and Why by Jonny Bowden, Ph.D., C.N.S.
- Available on Amazon.com
Cherries' anthocyanidins have been shown to inhibit the activity of xanthine oxidase, the enzyme involved in the production of uric acid. Clinical studies have shown that consuming the equivalent of Vi pound of fresh cherries per day is very effective in lowering uric acid levels and preventing attacks of gout. The cherry season is brief, slightly more than three months long. Bing cherries usually appear at the end of May, peak in June and July, and are available through August, while Lamberts and other sweet, dark cherries arrive in mid-August.
- The Encyclopedia of Healing Foods by Michael Murray, N.D. and Joseph Pizzorno, N.D.
- Available on Amazon.com
Boon from berries - help in another form comes from bioflavonoid molecules, which are found in cherries, blueberries, and other fruits. In the 1950s, researchers discovered that cherries could decrease uric acid levels and prevent a gout attack. You'd have to eat a lot of cherries, a half-pound a day to make a dent in gout. For the same results, you can take a bioflavonoid supplement or 2,000 milligrams of berry extract a day, says Dr. Maes. The best are those that have a combination of all the bioflavonoids or the extracts of several different berries, he says.
- Nature's Medicines : From Asthma to Weight Gain, from Colds to High Cholesterol -- The Most Powerful All-Natural Cures by Gale Maleskey
- Available on Amazon.com
It seems that there may well be, and that alternative is to eat cherries. Yes, plain cherries-sour or sweet. They can all do the trick, and it doesn't matter much if they're fresh, canned or frozen. The cherries-for-gout story seems to start with Ludwig W. Blau, Ph.D., whose big toe at one time gave him so much torment that he was confined to a wheelchair. One day, quite by accident, he polished off a whole bowl of cherries, and the next morning the pain in his foot was practically gone.
- The Practical Encyclopedia of Natural Healing by Mark Bricklin
- Available on Amazon.com
Celery and cherries appear to be very effective in lowering uric acid levels and preventing attacks of gout. Celery contains the compound 3-n-butylpthalide, while cherries are a rich source of flavonoids. Both of these compounds are beneficial in gout via several mechanisms, including the ability to inhibit the formation of uric acid by inhibiting the enzyme xanthine oxidase. The pain of an acute attack of gout is absolutely excruciating. In this situation, heroic measures are clearly appropriate.
- The Encyclopedia of Healing Foods by Michael Murray, N.D. and Joseph Pizzorno, N.D.
- Available on Amazon.com
It is reported that you can use sweet or sour cherries and they can be fresh, frozen, or even canned to achieve Dr. Blau's results. Cherries (and blueberries and other dark red or blue berries) are rich sources of substances that have a powerful ability to prevent collagen destruction. It is certainly worth a try. About a half-pound of cherries daily for a week could give you some positive results.
- Natural Prescriptions: Dr. Giller's Natural Treatments & Vitamin Therapies For Over 100 Common Ailments by Robert M. Giller, M.D.
- Available on Amazon.com
Eat more blueberries and cherries, because they're rich in substances that counteract purines, which cause gout, says Julian Whitaker, M.D., founder and president of the Whitaker Wellness Center in Newport Beach, California. He says that some gout patients report finding relief by eating from a handful to up to l pound of cherries each day. He also advises people with gout to avoid anchovies, asparagus, mushrooms and organ meats such as liver and kidney, since they're high in purines.
- New Choices in Natural Healing: Over 1,800 of the Best Self-Help Remedies from the World of Alternative Medicine by Bill Gottlieb
- Available on Amazon.com
They may also help reduce uric acid levels, according to some research. Cherries and strawberries are popular folk remedies for gout. Go easy on vitamin C and niacin. Large doses of vitamin C and niacin can raise uric acid levels. The typical multivitamin/mineral supplement doesn't contain enough of either nutrient to trigger a gout attack. But don't take more than 2,000 milligrams of vitamin C a day, and limit niacin supplementation to 35 milligrams a day.
- The Green Pharmacy Anti-Aging Prescriptions: Herbs, Foods, and Natural Formulas to Keep You Young by James A. Duke, Ph.D.
- Available on Amazon.com
Eat cherries or take cherry extract. Eating half a pound (225 grams) of canned or fresh cherries a day has been shown to be a very effective means of preventing gout attacks. When fresh cherries are out of season, use cherry extracts or concentrates in tablet or tincture form, available from many health-food stores. It is likely that cherries inhibit compounds that cause inflammation. This reduces inflammation after uric acid builds up in a joint. To flush uric acid from the body, drink no less than eight glasses of water daily.
- Prescription for Herbal Healing: An Easy-to-Use A-Z Reference to Hundreds of Common Disorders and Their Herbal Remedies by Phyllis A. Balch, CNC
- Available on Amazon.com
Many people claim to stave off gout attacks by eating eight ounces a day of canned or fresh cherries. I have one friend, for instance, who claims to have great luck in staving off gout when he eats black cherries. This therapy has never been scientifically demonstrated to work, but since so many people swear by it, I think it's probably worth trying. (One caveat, though: Buying this many cherries might be even more expensive than my allopurinol.) I'm going to give my Cherry Cocktail a try.
- The Green Pharmacy: New Discoveries in Herbal Remedies for Common Diseases and Conditions from the World's Foremost Authority on Healing Herbs by James A. Duke, Ph.D.
- Available on Amazon.com
For maximum benefit, nutritionists recommend organically grown cherries that are bottled or canned without the addition of sugar and chemicals, available from manufacturers of health food store products. Additional case studies, one woman reported that her husband obtained complete relief from gout in his toe and that the pain in his back and shoulders had eased within two days of eating sweet cherries. Another gout sufferer drank cherry juice daily for one week and reported that the pain in his knee, which had tormented him almost beyond endurance, was gone.
- Miracle Medicine Herbs (Reward Books) by Richard Melvin Lucas
- Available on Amazon.com
Popular thought holds that black cherries, especially in the form of black cherry juice concentrate, are far better than red cherries. But all of this is modern folk medicine in the making. BRAD'S MIRACLE No More Pain, No More Drugs gout was ruining his life, and Brad McAdams, a forty-four-year-old draftsman in an oil refinery in Corpus Christi, Texas, was worried. Diagnosed about seven years earlier, the gout had become so painful primarily in his knees, but also in his ankles, that he could barely walk. "It really hurt to move. There would be times when I just couldn't get out of bed."
- Miracle Cures: Dramatic New Scientific Discoveries Revealing the Healing Powers of Herbs, Vitamins, and Other Natural Remedies by Jean Carper
- Available on Amazon.com
Blau published the information on the use of cherries for gout so that "it might offer a merciful means of relief to hundreds of thousands of American victims who suffer the agonizingly painful torture that drives many to thoughts of suicide. Later Evidence Eight years after Dr. Blau's report was published, an article in the Food Field Reporter 5 cited new evidence that gouty arthritis, gout, and similar ailments may be relieved by drinking canned cherry juice. It was reported that the cherry juice was taken by a number of residents of Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin, who participated in the study.
- Miracle Medicine Herbs (Reward Books) by Richard Melvin Lucas
- Available on Amazon.com
Black, sweet yellow, and red sour cherries were all effective. Gout Super Prescription #1 Homeopathic Colchicum, take a 30C potency every waking two hours for two days. This homeopathic remedy is specific for gout pains that are worse with any motion. Super Prescription #2 Celery seed extract, take 450 mg two to three times daily to treat and prevent gout. Celery seed extract has anti-inflammatory effects and may reduce uric acid levels. Super Prescription #3 Nettle root (Urtica dioica), encourages the elimination of uric acid from the kidneys.
- Prescription for Natural Cures: A Self-Care Guide for Treating Health Problems with Natural Remedies Including Diet and Nutrition, Nutritional Supplements, Bodywork, and More by James F. Balch, M.D. and Mark Stengler, N.D.
- Available on Amazon.com
We have been writing about the value of cherries (fresh, dried, or frozen cherries; cherry juice; and even cherry extract capsules) against gout for many years. This is another one of those remedies about which the old wives were way out in front of the scientists. In 2003, investigators at the University of California at Davis conducted a little study on 10 healthy women between 22 and 40 years of age. They measured the urate level and other inflammatory markers in blood samples before and after a dose of bing cherries (280 grams).
- Best Choices From the People's Pharmacy by Joe Graedon, M.S. and Teresa Graedon, Ph.D.
- Available on Amazon.com
Cherry juice is another way to get the gout-relieving benefits of cherries. In my book The 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth, I shared one of my favorite desserts: frozen cherries. (You can get them in almost any grocery.) I take them directly from the freezer, put them in a bowl, and mix them with raw milk or yogurt, which promptly freezes on the cold cherries, forming a kind of cherry-flavored sherbet. Top with slivered almonds and enjoy!
- The Most Effective Natural Cures on Earth: The Surprising, Unbiased Truth about What Treatments Work and Why by Jonny Bowden, Ph.D., C.N.S.
- Available on Amazon.com
If he forgot to take the cherries, while traveling, it took only a few days for the stabbing pain in his big toe to return with a vengeance. More than 20 years after Dr. Blau wrote up his experiences in a medical journal (his research at that time revealed that there were 12 other case histories of people whose gout or arthritis had been helped by eating cherries or drinking cherry juice), he told us that he was still eating six to eight cherries every day and was still in good health.
- The Practical Encyclopedia of Natural Healing by Mark Bricklin
- Available on Amazon.com
Cherries are a well-known remedy for gout, arthritis, and rheumatism. They also help overcome numbness in the limbs and paralysis as a result of rheumatism. Part of their action in rheumatic disorders occurs from their ability to eliminate excess body acids. Cherries are most beneficial for treating disorders accompanied by coldness, such as when the person feels perennially cold. Richly supplied in iron, cherries are often used to improve the blood and treat anemia.
- Healing with Whole Foods: Asian Traditions and Modern Nutrition by Paul Pitchford
- Available on Amazon.com
Just three dried cherries a day could end your gout pain. It may sound like a miracle, but this delicious, vitamin-packed fruit is proven to relieve arthritis pain even better than aspirin, ibuprofen and other drugs with no stomach upset or other side effects. The secret lies in anthocyanins. These natural compounds not only give cherries their luscious red color, they also stop your body from making prostaglandins, the hormone-like substances that cause pain and inflammation.
- Unleash the Inner Healing Power of Foods by The Editors of FC&A
- Available on Amazon.com
Nutritionally minded health-care professionals and other healers have known for eons that cherries help relieve the pain of gout, but now we have a scientific explanation for why. Compounds in cherries lower levels of uric acid in the blood. Less uric acid, fewer disposal problems, fewer crystals, less pain. A study at the University of California-Davis showed that consuming two servings' worth of cherries daily (280 g total) after an overnight fast significantly lowered the blood uric acid of women by as much as 15 percent.
- The Most Effective Natural Cures on Earth: The Surprising, Unbiased Truth about What Treatments Work and Why by Jonny Bowden, Ph.D., C.N.S.
- Available on Amazon.com
Consuming one-half pound of fresh or canned cherries per day has been shown to be very effective in lowering uric acid levels and preventing attacks of gout. Cherries, hawthorn berries, blueberries, and other dark red-blue berries are rich sources of anthocyanidins and proanthocyanidins. These compounds are flavonoid molecules, which give these fruits their deep red-blue color, and are remarkable in their ability to prevent collagen destruction.
- Textbook of Natural Medicine 2nd Edition Volume 2 by Michael T. Murray, ND
- Available on Amazon.com
Finally, cherries are particularly useful in the treatment of gout. Gout is a type of arthritis associated with an abnormally high concentration of uric acid in the blood. Uric acid is produced in the liver and enters the bloodstream. Under certain circumstances, the body produces too much uric acid or excretes too little. As uric acid concentrations increase, needlelike crystals of a salt called monosodium urate form. In time, these crystals accumulate in the joints, causing the inflammation and pain typical of gout.
- The Encyclopedia of Healing Foods by Michael Murray, N.D. and Joseph Pizzorno, N.D.
- Available on Amazon.com
Relieve gout, prevent a variety of cancers. Reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke with their hard little pits and rich, shirt-staining colors, cherries take a bit more work to eat than many fruits. But research suggests that cherries, which contain a compound called perillyl alcohol, are worth the bother and then some. "Perillyl alcohol is about the best thing we've ever seen for curing mammary cancer in laboratory animals," says Michael Gould, Ph.D., professor of human oncology at the University of Wisconsin Medical School in Madison.
- Prevention's New Foods for Healing: Capture the Powerful Cures of More Than 100 Common Foods by Prevention Magazine
- Available on Amazon.com
Juicing about four handfuls of pitted cherries with 1/2 cup of strawberries can help neutralize excess uric acid and may help prevent gout attacks, says Cherie Calbom, M.S., a certified nutritionist in Kirkland, Washington, and co-author of Juicing for Life. She says people prone to gout attacks should drink this juice every day as a preventive. Work the kidney reflexes on both feet, recommends St. Petersburg, Florida, reflexologist Dwight Byers, author of Better Health with Foot Reflexology.
- New Choices in Natural Healing: Over 1,800 of the Best Self-Help Remedies from the World of Alternative Medicine by Bill Gottlieb
- Available on Amazon.com
Enjoy cherries and cherry juice often. Cherries are an old nutritional remedy known to help reduce uric-acid levels. Drink at least eight 8-ounce glasses of pure water daily to help flush toxins from your body. Take a good multivitamin and mineral supplement daily, but read the label first to be sure it contains no more than 5,000 international units of vitamin A and that the form of vitamin B3 it contains is niacinamide rather than niacin. In amounts greater than this, vitamin A can worsen gout.
- Smart Medicine for Healthier Living : Practical A-Z Reference to Natural and Conventional Treatments for Adults by Janet Zand, LAc, OMD, Allan N. Spreed, MD, CNC, James B. LaValle, RPh, ND
- Available on Amazon.com
The secret to the benefits of cherry juice are compounds called anthocyanins, which are the pigments that give cherries their bright red color and are also believed to be the key to helping the body relieve inflammation. As an added bonus, these same anthocyanins may significantly reduce your risk for colon cancer, the third leading cancer in America. Doctors and scientists believe that it's the anthocyanins in the cherries that cause the decrease in blood urates and the relief from gout pain. Anthocyanins act like natural COX-2 inhibitors.
- The 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth: The Surprising, Unbiased Truth About What You Should Eat and Why by Jonny Bowden, Ph.D., C.N.S.
- Available on Amazon.com
Eating large quantities of cherries, from one-half pound and up daily, has been found to bring relief to sufferers of gout, a disease that is characterized by an excess of uric acid in the blood and attacks of arthritis. Preparation: When being eaten for medicinal purposes it is best to take the cherries uncooked, freshly picked when possible, and very ripe. Also, cherry juice is a very healthful drink, cherry concentrate being available in all health food stores. A favorite of everyone is cherry pie, especially when homemade and right from the oven.
- Encyclopedia of Fruits, Vegetables, Nuts and Seeds for Healthful Living by Dr. Joseph M. Kadans, N.D.
- Available on Amazon.com
Eating around twenty cherries a day may help with reducing headaches, according to researchers from Michigan State University. Men who drank tart cherry juice after performing weight-training exercises had less muscle pain and strength loss. (Women may also benefit but this particular study looked exclusively at men.) Gout, Arthrithis, Inflammatory Pain: Black or Bing cherries have both antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, specifically a substance called cyanidin, which may shut down the pain caused by uric acid crystals.
- 101 Foods That Could Save Your Life! by David W. Grotto, RD, LDN
- Available on Amazon.com
Liberal consumption of celery, cherries, and blueberries. A low-purine diet has long been the mainstay of dietary therapy for gout. Foods with high purine levels should be omitted entirely. These include organ meats, yeast (brewer's and baker's), herring, sardines, mackerel, and anchovies. Intake of foods with moderate levels of protein should be reduced to one serving every two to three days as well. These include dried legumes, spinach, asparagus, fish, poultry, and mushrooms. Low-purine foods may be eaten in small amounts.
- The Encyclopedia of Healing Foods by Michael Murray, N.D. and Joseph Pizzorno, N.D.
- Available on Amazon.com
Hawthorn berries, like cherries, are particularly effective in the treatment of gout, as their flavonoid components are able to reduce uric acid levels as well as reduce tissue destruction. Crataegus extracts are effective in reducing blood pressure, angina attacks, and serum cholesterol levels, preventing the deposition of cholesterol in arterial walls and improving cardiac function. Hawthorn extracts are widely used in Europe for their antihypertensive and cardiotonic activity.
- Textbook of Natural Medicine 2nd Edition Volume 1 by Michael T. Murray, ND
- Available on Amazon.com
Another reader shared this experience: "I used tart cherries to cure a gout attack and it worked." The real news is that the pain from osteoarthritis of the hip joint diminished also. I've been able to reduce my use of Celebrex from 400 milligrams per day to 200 milligrams per day and still have less pain. Celebrex (celecoxib) is not only expensive (400 milligrams costs more than $4 per pill), it also has potential side effects. You will find this kind of story sprinkled throughout this book. We can think of no better way to share the wisdom of our readers than to let you read their stories.
- Best Choices From the People's Pharmacy by Joe Graedon, M.S. and Teresa Graedon, Ph.D.
- Available on Amazon.com
One can lower uric acid levels by eating cherries, blueberries, or other dark red or blue berries every day. Folic acid, part of the B-complex family of nutrients, inhibits the production of uric acid, and vitamin C is valuable because it expedites excretion of uric acid. Other forms of prevention include eating a low-fat, high-fiber diet and watching one's weight, because obesity aggravates gout symptoms. Avoid these foods, which trigger attacks: organ meats, sardines, anchovies, dried peas, lentils, and other legumes.
- The complete Book of Water Healing - Using the Earth's most essential resource to cure illness, promote health, and soothe and restore body, mind, and spirit by Dian Dincin Buchman, Ph.D.
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The easiest herbal way to control uric acid production may be to eat cherries, drink green tea, and watch your diet. Herbal strategies to enhance excretion of uric acid promoting excretion of uric acid through urination is a bit more problematic. You cannot simply use any diuretic, you would have to use one that expels the uric acid. Thiazide diuretics, for example, commonly used to control high blood pressure, can increase gout risk and uric acid blood levels if prescribed in high doses. The minidoses of aspirin used to prevent heart attacks can slow uric acid excretion by 15%.
- The One Earth Herbal Sourcebook: Everything You Need to Know About Chinese, Western, and Ayurvedic Herbal Treatments by Alan Keith Tillotson, Ph.D., A.H.G., D.Ay.
- Available on Amazon.com
The body uses collagen to form connective tissue, which is damaged by gout. For some people, he writes, eating a half-pound of cherries (about 34) daily for a week will help relieve the symptoms. Donna Weihofen, R.D., a clinical dietitian at the University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinics in Madison. "Just eliminate those foods highest in purines," Weihofen says. "It will enhance the effects of the drugs and perhaps prevent some of the severe symptoms."
- Prevention's New Foods for Healing: Capture the Powerful Cures of More Than 100 Common Foods by Prevention Magazine
- Available on Amazon.com
Herbal strategies to inhibit production of uric acid anecdotal reports indicate that eating large amounts of flavonoid-rich cherries (up to Vi pound per day) can be beneficial for gout. Several patients in the past have come in and told me this works for them. This makes sense, because numerous naturally occurring flavonoids have been tested that inhibit the effects of xanthine oxidase. These include those found in bupleurum root, green tea, capillaris root, tangerine peel, perilla leaf (zi su ye or P. frutescens), and kudzu. Quercetin has also been shown to do this.
- The One Earth Herbal Sourcebook: Everything You Need to Know About Chinese, Western, and Ayurvedic Herbal Treatments by Alan Keith Tillotson, Ph.D., A.H.G., D.Ay.
- Available on Amazon.com
In the Ukraine cornelian cherries are a frequent ingredient in bottled soft drinks, conserves, wines, and liqueurs. In folk medicine the fruit is used to combat gout, anemia, skin diseases, painful joints, and disrupted metabolism. Fruit, leaves, or bark have been employed for gastrointestinal disorders and tuberculosis. Russian scientists have reported that the fruit contains components that leach radioactivity from the body. Sugar content ranges from 4 to 12 percent, and the acidity ranges from 1 to 4 percent.
- Whole Foods Companion: A Guide For Adventurous Cooks, Curious Shoppers, and lovers of natural foods by Dianne Onstad
- Available on Amazon.com
Cherries are a good "spring cleaner" to stimulate and cleanse the digestive system, the darker ones being all the more valuable to the system as they contain a greater quantity of magnesium, iron, and silicon. They are a well-known remedy for gout, arthritis, and rheumatism; part of their action in rheumatic disorders occurs from their ability to eliminate excess body acids.
- Whole Foods Companion: A Guide For Adventurous Cooks, Curious Shoppers, and lovers of natural foods by Dianne Onstad
- Available on Amazon.com
Berries, especially cherries, strawberries, and blueberries, neutralize uric acid. Eat fresh berries as snacks or for dessert, and drink a glass of cherry juice every day. Flaxseeds are a highly concentrated source of essential fatty acids, the "good" fats that reduce inflammation. Add flaxseeds to juices, salads, or fruit plates, or use the oil as a salad dressing. One of the most important foods you can eat to prevent gout is fish. Eat fish such as salmon, cod, halibut, and sardines, as they reduce inflammation.
- Prescription for Natural Cures: A Self-Care Guide for Treating Health Problems with Natural Remedies Including Diet and Nutrition, Nutritional Supplements, Bodywork, and More by James F. Balch, M.D. and Mark Stengler, N.D.
- Available on Amazon.com
Black cherry juice is excellent for gout, and prevents tooth decay by stopping plaque formation. Cherries benefit the glandular system, remove toxic waste from tissues, and aid the functions of the gallbladder and liver. The ellagic acid content has cancer-preventing properties. The parts eaten are the skin and the flesh.
- Prescription for Dietary Wellness: Using Foods to Heal by Phyllis A. Balch, CNC
- Available on Amazon.com
Consuming one-half pound of fresh or canned cherries per day has been found effective in lowering uric acid levels and preventing attacks of gout.
- Encyclopedia of Natural Medicine, Revised Second Edition by Michael T. Murray, N.D., Joseph E. Pizzorno, N.D.
- Available on Amazon.com
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Tart cherries for arthritis and joint pain
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