Cherry for gout

In order to understand the question of whether it is possible to eat cherries with gout, which has been discussed for several years by both doctors and patients, we should at least outline in general terms the two most important points - the metabolism of organic acids in the body, as well as the ratio of diets for gout and acid alkaline homeostasis (pH level).

This is really important, because the high content of uric acid in the blood (hyperuricemia) is a prerequisite for the development of gout and is inversely related to the pH level: the lower it is, the higher the serum uric acid content.

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Cherry for gout is a source of organic acids

To ensure an increase in the pH of the body - that is, a decrease in the acidity of physiological fluids, including blood - you need to eat properly: minimize the protein part of the diet. Also, nutritionists say that in order to avoid an increase in the acidity of the internal environment, it is necessary to consume more foods with organic acids. These acids are converted into alkalizing factors during the digestive process.

And here the benefits of cherries with gout are beyond doubt. The cherry fruit is a valuable source of organic acids. Their in the pulp of cherries is almost 2%; it is apple, lemon (citrate), tartaric, succinic (promotes regeneration processes), as well as quinine, shikimova, glycerin and glycolic acids. Separately, we take into account ascorbic acid, that is, vitamin C, and its 100 g of cherry 10 mg.

By the way, between physiologists and nutritionists do not stop long-standing disputes over the so-called alkalizing of blood, especially relevant for people suffering from gout. So, according to the basics of physiology, what you eat or drink has very little effect on blood pH. The level of acidity in a healthy person in the "automatic regime" is regulated by a complex biochemical system. And in the blood with normal acidity (pH 7.34-7.45) there are hydroxy acids (citrate, isocitrate, oxaloacetate, 2-oxoglutaric, fumaric, etc.), which provide the most important process of amino acid metabolism, as well as alpha-ketopropionic (pyruvic) acid and the purine derivative is uric acid.

At the same time, the opinion of nutritionists is also not unfounded, and any food affects the overall health. It is enough to leaf through the book of the American nutraceutist T. Baroudi "To alkalize or die" (Dr. Theodore A. Baroody "Alkalinize or Die"), published in the early 1990s.

However, due to the action of the natural regulatory mechanisms of the body (which do not require a special diet for normal work), the alkalizing effect of the cherry with gout, consumed 80-100 g per day, is minimal and short-term.

Scientists explain this by the fact that the liver absorbs organic acids: unnecessary and superfluous sends to the kidneys (for final disposal and excretion), and the necessary supplies to the systemic bloodstream - exactly as much as is necessary for the normal functioning of the body systems.

However, the benefits of cherries in gout consist in the pectin substances contained in it (11%). Thanks to the presence of glucuronic acids in pectins, the regular inclusion of cherries in the diet contributes to the removal from the body of not only "bad" cholesterol, but also nitrogenous slag (protein catabolism) - uric acid, urea, creatinine, indicator.

Benefits of cherries for gout: cations K, Ca, Mg, Na

Again, the acid-base balance, as well as the electrolyte balance and the benefits of cherry in gout in terms of potassium content (173 mg per 100 g), calcium (16 mg), magnesium (9 mg) and sodium (3 mg).

The fact is that K, Ca, Mg and Na are positively charged (+), that is, they are cations. Scientists at the beginning of the XX century stressed the role of substances that provide osmotic processes in the body - negatively charged particles (anions) and positively charged particles (cations). Foods with a high content of anions (chloride, phosphates and sulfates) form an acidic environment, while products with a high content of cations promote the creation of an alkaline medium, that is, help to reduce the acidity of the blood (increase the pH).

Normally, the blood contains 200-210 mg of potassium, 172-175 mg of sodium, up to 5 mg of calcium and slightly more than 4 mg of magnesium. The change in the ratio of these substances and the balance of electrolytes cherries with gout affects to the same extent as other fruits and berries: citrus fruits, plums, pomegranate, apricot, raspberries, currants (black and red), blackberries.

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Benefits of cherries for gout: anthocyanins

Cherry contains anthocyanins - water-soluble vegetable pigments of red color, which belong to flavonoids and are oxygen heterocycles with a phenyl group and a pyrene cation. Anthocyanins are powerful antioxidants.

In addition, anthocyanins are able to block cyclooxygenase (an enzyme that provides inflammatory and painful reactions of the body). Thus, the potential use of cherries in gout is the ability of anthocyanins to reduce inflammation and pain associated with damage to the joints by uric acid crystals.

This conclusion was reached in the study, which was conducted by scientists from the United Kingdom and South Africa and was partially funded by Cherry Marketing Institute (the Cherry Marketing Institute) - the American organization of cherry producers, more than 200 types of cherry juice, food additives with powdered cherry extract and snacks with dried Cherry (Montmorency tart cherries). The results of the study were published in one of the magazines about food products in 2014.

But less than two dozen healthy people without gout took part in this study and they simply took blood and urine tests for uric acid before and after 48 hours of frozen cherries. So the level of evidence of such a "study" does not stand up to criticism. Nevertheless, in 2012, cherry was declared the product with the highest anti-inflammatory effect, not inferior to non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.

After raised (including on the Internet) sensations, the Cherry Marketing Institute even set up a committee to study the medicinal properties of this fruit (Cherry Research Committee).

People suffering from gout should know what products are acid-forming, and which contribute to alkalization. Is it possible to eat cherries with gout? It is possible and necessary. And you need to understand the difference between different foods that will help prevent serious health problems and improve his condition.

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